This week made me realize how incredibly thankful I am to be able to travel the world so freely and the amazing gift we enjoy to be whisked around the world in the comfort and speed of modern jetliner....
The Utter Pain Of Visiting Dachau Concentration Camp
Visiting Dachau Concentration Camp proved to be one of the most emotionally-wrenching experiences I have ever encountered. Dachau Reflections I made it a point on my Germany trip to visit Dachau, one of the most notorious of all Nazi...
Land Of The Free, Home Of The Gunned Down School Children
Alas, we pivot to politics today, because the latest school massacre in Texas requires our sober attention. My Thoughts On The American Problem Of Mass Gun Shootings At the outset, I will note that I try to steer clear...
On Russia, Ukraine, Bias, And The Importance Of Travel
I conducted an experiment on Saturday and it worked according to plan – which has left me somewhat dismayed as we try to piece together fact and fiction in search of truth concerning the war in Ukraine. Bias In...
The State Of Travel & Points Blogging (In Defense Of Clickbait)
My friend Ben from One Mile At A Time recently laid out his thoughts on the state of travel and points blogging, seeking to explain the prevalence of clickbait, its audience, and why that plays an increasingly central roll...
The Battle For Kyiv Is Now
Just a short pause from our regularly scheduled content to point out that the battle for Kyiv is currently underway and control hangs in the balance. The Battle For Kyiv Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that the fate of...
It’s Time To Unmask Fear And Start Traveling
I read a very depressing opinion column this week in the New York Times by Charles Blow, who argued that there will be no post-COVID return to normal…that our lives are forever transformed: Covid has made us reconsider everything, the...
Martin Luther King Jr.’s Last Flight
Travel may be my main gig, but I am a student of U.S. history at heart. As Martin Luther King Jr. day is observed today, I recount an anecdote about his last commercial flight. J. Edgar Hoover, former director...
The Airplane Flight Of Life, Circa 2022
Our life is like an airplane flight, isn’t it? We take off, we climb, we cruise, and then we land, so to speak. Some people have remarkably smooth flights while others encounter turbulence along the way. Some cruise at...
Born To Die. My 2021 Christmas Reflection
Death has stared us in the face in a particularly pernicious way during the pandemic. Not only has it made us value what we often take for granted, it has drawn our attention to the death of many things...
Ciao Bruno! Farewell To A Hairstyling Legend
Today marks the end of an era for a very dear friend. Renowned hairstylist Bruno Meglio is retiring and my life has been so richly blessed for knowing him. Bruno and I first met almost 25 years ago. He was...
Reflections + Photos From Bob Dole Funeral
I was thankful to attend the funeral for Senator Robert J. Dole at the Washington National Cathedral yesterday. His life was a testament of public service that we would all do well to emulate. Senator Dole Funeral Reflections Dole’s...
My Thanksgiving Blessing At New Orleans Airport
It was 2015 around Thanksgiving time. I was trying to get home from Chicago and routed through Louis Armstrong International Airport in New Orleans. That turned out to be a big mistake, but led to a moment I will...
How United Airlines Thanked A Ramp Worker For His Service
It is Veterans Day in the United States and a day of remembrance marking the end of World War I in many nations the world. This day is also a reminder that public service is the lifeblood of a...
Traveling From Halloween To All Saints Day
Just a small break from our regularly scheduled travel programming to consider death on All Saints Day. It’s one of the most difficult subjects to face, but an important one. All Saints Day – We Are All Traveling Down...
A Day With My Son At LAX: Oh, How Time Flies…
My precious son Augustine turns five today. Rather than buy him a gift he does not need, I took him to Los Angeles International Airport on Saturday for a father-son day. It was a fabulous day and made me...
The Airport Chief Who Was Scapegoated For 9/11 Attacks Provides A Powerful Lesson For All Of Us
A friend of mine sent his reaction to a story that appeared over the weekend in the New York Times about the airport chief at Boston Logan Airport who literally scapegoated for the 9/11 attacks, a story I was...
My Coming Of Age: Reflecting On 9/11 20 Years Later
I had just turned fifteen years old and begun my sophomore year in high school. September 11, 2001 began like any other morning but it ended as a day which forever transformed my life. Each of my teachers handled...
The Privilege And Blessing Of Work
As we look back on the Labor Day holiday in the United States and look ahead to the busy fall season, I stop and reflect upon the profound blessing it is to work and what a privilege I have...
Fake News: Airline Crews Not Walking Off Job Over Vaccine Requirement
Someone forwarded me a Facebook post that asserted the airline operational meltdowns we have recently witnessed are because airline crews are “refusing the mandated jab.” Folks, this is false. Please don’t buy into the fake news. Airline Crews Are...
