My father was in sales when I was little and always won trips to someplace grand. My parents usually took me along. My first memory is being about 7 and going to Hawaii on one of the first UA 747 flights. Of course, I had to have a new dress for every flight. I have pictures of me flying when I was much younger. I flew in first for the first time when I was 8 and I'm afraid the experience was lost on me.

I was always fascinated by travel and in high school started traveling with friends. I used to spend more time on the phone to airline reps pricing flights than I did to my friends - and that's saying quite a bit for a teenager. I tried to do things like fly from OAK to SJC so I could go to Great America theme park and then fly back the same day (I was too young to drive). The phone reps must have thought I was nuts. Now I just do that kind of stuff for the status and miles and the reps definitely think I'm nuts.