Hi Randy-
To be perfectly clear, you and Flyertalk CHANGED MY LIFE
.
Before Flyertalk, I had been to Israel for a college semester and a 3 week post-college jaunt to Europe, then never stepped foot out of North America for the next 20 years.
Flyertalk empowered me to visit dozens of countries in the last 10 years, in style for pennies on the dollar. My family has not only benefitted from the thrill of travel, but the appreciation of different cultures AND gratitude about how damn good our lives are in America.
Thank you for being a resource for me, providing the all-important 'smell tests' before I embarked on one of my wild mileage earning schemes.
The Flyertalk community that you created is real and visceral- whether it be Coupon Connection or DOs or just spotting a fellow FTer with a bright yellow luggage tag. FT has broken down the normal isolation that comes with solo travel, with the ever-present possibility of meeting a like-minded mileage junkie along the way.
You gave Flyertalk an approachable human face, a personality and an additional reason to engender my loyalty to an otherwise virtual website. Not having you as a frame of reference for FT will be the hardest adjustment for me. I hope that you will figure out a way to remain
accessible to your 'groupies'!
I am sad about the news, but happy that YOU are happy about transitioning to your next phase of life.
Guess that rules out CLE Mod-DO!!!!!!!!
