After (finally) catching up with this thread, I figured I too would post before we go to Who we... 45.

I'm a 30 yo Ph.D. student in College Park, MD, though I am originally from Montreal.

I started flying a lot 6 years ago. I was studying in Albany, NY and met another foreign student, from Germany, there. She went back to Germany after a year (and I back to MTL), and it has been a long and very long distance relationship since. [Though I am happy to leave CB with the longest distance relationship award! <g> ]

Over the last 6 years, she has been in Germany for 3 years, then 2 years in Japan, and is now in Argentina. All this has meant a lot of travelling... my first trips to Germany were on my mother's frequent flyer miles, which was certainly a great way to travel... Such a bonanza couldn't last though, so since then I have flown mostly AA and KLM/NW to Europe (and JAL a couple of times to Japan).

It's been a real blessing to find this board given that my girlfriend (and many friends) frequently mock my addiction to FF miles. Then again, I don't see them flying to Argentina for free using miles solely from MCI sign up bonuses! <g>

I hope to meet fellow Flyer Talkers in the near future. I'm on my way to EZE the day of the NYC get together, but hopefully I can make the next one.