A million miles in the air

With little fanfare (other than self-generated) my local airline has informed me that my last flight (back home from Denver) put me over a million miles traveled with them. Coincidentally, my car turned over 123,456 miles…milestones everywhere, pop the champagne! I have mile on other airlines of course, but not enough to add up to much.

I certainly know some people who have more, though most people have a hard time fathoming spending that much time in a plane. While most of it was for business (esp. international trips during my 15 years with Compaq), we were able to bring the family along on many of the trips, and had more than our share of vacations thrown in (Hawaii a bunch, Greece, Spain, Belize, Guatemala, lots of Mexico).

Plus, I wrote my first novel while going back and forth to gay Paree to close a contract. As long as I find a way to make use of the time (whether it is too relax, read or write a good book, or talk to someone interesting), I have never really gotten tired of traveling.

Some of the highlights that I can recall:

  • Northernmost place visited: Helsinki, Finland (vodka and Russian food with Ray and Carlos)
  • Southernmost place visited: Singapore
  • Cities outside the US visited most: Paris, Munich, Milan, London; Paris to close a contract and for vacations; Munich for Compaq and friends; Milan while working for another international company; and London for the Indian food and Fish and Chips!
  • Cities in the US flown to most: SF, Miami, Dallas
  • Round the world trips: 1; my last international business trip for Compaq, I flew from Houston to Tokyo (meeting), to Manila (presentation), to Singapore for several days. Then fly to Munich (by way of Paris), hiked in the Alps with Monte over the weekend, worked in Munich for a bit, then back to Houston (through Paris). Seems like that one trip alone would be worth a million miles.
  • Shortest flight: Hou to New Orleans, or Hou to Dallas
  • Longest flight: see the round the world trip; Hou to Tokyo is a long flight; I think I read the entire Encyclopaedia during that trip.
  • Destination most trips canceled: Brazil (was scheduled to go visit the Compaq Brazil factory three years in a row, but it always got whacked in our budget)

Being in Houston, I certainly would have expected to have traveled to South America (due to proximity if nothing else). My wife and I are certainly not done traveling, and, although she has some different spots on hers, here are some places still on the list to travel to:

  1. Machu Pichu
  2. Morocco
  3. Australia
  4. New Zealand
  5. Moscow
  6. St. Petersburg
  7. Lots of places in China
  8. Lots of places to scuba and snorkel
  9. Egypt
  10. Southern Africa (safari would be nice)
  11. Alaska

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