Happy Anniversary to me

12 years ago today I began my career at the Big D.

I sort of got a late start on my career because back in the olden days, Delta had a nepotism policy that prevented immediate family members from working full time at the company. So, I bided my time until Dad finally decided to retire. Then, as they were only hiring for frontline Reservations, I took the leap (and a pay cut) and started as a Res Sales agent.

In the time since then, I've moved up the ladder (and fortunately, the pay scale) and while not every day has been a rosy one (bankruptcy, pay cuts, occasional rude customer), I know that it was a good move for me. I've made some wonderful friends. I've learned more than I ever thought possible about things I never knew existed before getting into the airline business. Oh, and I've flown for free. A lot.

At last count, I've gone on 52 different trips (on my own pass, that is. On Dad's pass - I couldn't begin to hazard a guess, but I'm sure that 100 wouldn't be out of the realm of possibilities.)

As far as destinations go, Vegas is in the lead with 17, followed by Savannah with 11. I had a friend that lived in Savannah and I use to fly down to see her and her husband for the day every few weeks, and she would pick me up at the airport, we would go see a movie, have dinner, and then I'd fly home. I once had someone ask, "Why fly to Savannah just to see a movie?" My answer - "Because I can!" (Yeah - it was a little snotty, but if you had heard the way this guy asked the question, you would understand.)

I tried to think of one most favorite trip, but there are just too many to single out one.

I've taken the niece and nephew to DC a few times, seen the Grand Canyon with them and roamed British castles with them. Those were definitely among the best.

Going to Memphis to visit Graceland with my Mom was another fun one. And our many trips to Vegas are always great - even if she and her 74 year old self can stay up all night, while I end up crawling back to the room alone by 1:00 a.m.

There were also two trips with just me and my Dad that were especially meaningful. The first was one of my first official trips after I had been with the company for about 8 months. Dad and I flew to London, where we rented a car and drove west (on the wrong side of the car and the wrong side of the road) to the village of Yeovil, England. While there, we visited the home of our ancestral family and visited the churchyard where my 12th great grandfather was buried. It was cool beyond words.

The other trip great trip was when Dad and I flew out to Norfolk on Thanksgiving Day 2003. From Norfolk, we drove down the coast of NC to the town of Kitty Hawk, and early the next morning, we visited the site where the Wright Brothers made the first flight 100 years earlier. As we were there about a week before the actual 100 year anniversary, we were fortunate to be the only people there when the park opened that day. Standing on that hill, alone with my Dad, looking over the spot where history was made and our common careers were born, was one of the best moments of my life. It is and will always be one of my most precious memories. The ability to go there and share the common love of flight with my Dad was worth any pay cut or bad day at work I could ever have had over the last 12 years.

Next week, I'll be heading off on trip #53 with my Mom. Guess where?

I hope my next 12 years are as fulfilling and fun as the first 12 have been.