One year ago today, I boarded a Continental flight at Newark for a short trip to visit family in Canada. It was a routine trip by every standard. My biggest concern on leaving Newark was whether my upgrade would clear for my flight back to Atlanta in a few days. Not in my wildest dreams did I think about what might transpire next.

My life changed significantly as a result of the events of the next 2 weeks. Those who desire the details of the circumstances are invited to email me privately as I would rather this thread stayed away from the politics. Suffice it to say that I never got to take my return flight as a result of the intervention of a US Government agency. I had to cancel all my scheduled business trips and meetings. I also had to shut down my apartment in Atlanta and sort out my affairs there from 1000 miles away. To this date, I have not returned to the alleged "land of the free".

The year that followed has taught me a lot of things about life. Most importantly, it has shown me who my true friends in this world are. Many of these true friends of mine are folks that I have met through Flyertalk but who have become important in my life outside the board as well. Sadly, like in all communities, there have been some Flyertalk members who have also spread malicious rumors and actively gossiped about me behind my back. Others have taken to sending me abusive emails and threats due to their misconceptions and misperceptions of my situation. Thankfully, the friends have outnumbered the troublemakers by a huge margin.

In July last year, a group of Flyertalk users planned a "Do In Exile" for Toronto, my adopted home at the time. I was stunned at the response it received with both old friends and new making their way north to keep me company for the weekend. It truly touched me that an online community could become such an integral part of my life.

There are way too many people here to name individually, so please pardon me if I don't include you in this list. Everyone who has made it up to Toronto and met with me will always have a special place in my heart for that gesture alone. However, some folks deserve special mention.

I'd like to thank jan_az, ACVitale and AnnaS for writing to the US Government to support my position when things first began to go downhill.

Catman, stockmanjr, SRQGuy and Jacob were among the first Flyertalk members to meet with me in Toronto despite the many rumors floating around about me at the time.

SanDiego1K and jan_az deserve thanks for being my sounding boards and reality checks throughout the last 12 months.

markbach, avek00, UAX@SFO and N866DA have been my co-conspirators, partners in crime and dear friends both on and off the forums.

A very special thank-you must go out to flyerwife who has truly been my biggest supporter during this past year, despite her living in New York while I was exiled elsewhere. Her encouragement and support have been absolutely invaluable as I worked to get my life back in order and stay sane at the same time. I can honestly say that things today would have been very different had it not been for her.

Today, my life is back to as close to normal as is possible under the circumstances. The support of the Flyertalk Community as a whole has been invaluable during this past year and for that I am eternally grateful. Thank you Flyertalk Community.

[This message has been edited by B747-437B (edited 04-13-2003).]

747,

While you may not hear from some of us on a regular basis, please remember that 'we're with you.'

Dan

Sean,

Don't forget those of us who come all the way to Mumbai to have dinner at your Club...

Excellent post Man!

William

Keep your chin up and your faith that eventually the US backs away from its bouts with madness. You are not alone in this, nor is this the first time in our history that people have been forced to go through this.

During WWII my great grandparents--Sicilian immigrants who had been loyal US residents for over 40 years--were forced to leave their home on the SF waterfront and take an apartment inland. They were deemed a security risk despite the fact that they had two sons serving in the Marines in the South Pacific and a son-in-law in the 101st Airborne who would shortly parachute into Normandy! It is a great tragedy of this nation that we don't learn from our mistakes!

At least you have outlasted the agency that perpetrated these excesses.

Non illegitimum carborundum.

But he still has to deal with its legacy.

B747: there are *quite* a few of us who are thoroughly embarassed and ashamed at what our supposedly free country has been up to of late.

Sean...

If anybody is patient and stubborn enough to outlast the US Government, it's you.

In the meantime, I'll have to come make trouble in the Frigid North.

Keep your head up.

Sean, its really shameful that your situation still has not been resolved. I hope you achieve significant progress soon, and that we get a chance to meet in person one day.

Friendship is a mutual gift. You freely offer yours, Sean, and it is no surprise that you receive ours in return.

And IM is a marvelous way of staying in touch, no matter where in the world each of us find ourselves!

I agree with SanDiego1k how IM is a wonderful way to stay in touch with others regardless of where they are. I'm sure it has saved many of us hundreds of dollars in Long Distance or International Phone Calls

Sean...

I'll be your partner in crime anytime

And thanks for persuading me to attend my first FT "do" Remember, not anybody will fly SFO-BWI-ORD-YYZ just to see a friend, or fly YYZ-ORD-DFW-SNA-SFO to go home

Kai

Gees - no kidding. I wouldn't even fly that to get la... uh, never mind.

Hang in there Sean! If I'm every in Toronto I will definitely look you up for a DO! Hopefully all will be settled for you sooner rather than later...

Hey Sean,

I thought of you yesterday as I walked past the Air India 747 parked at the gate in Heathrow. Man, they need to wash that plane!

Hang in there.

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Addicted to airline miles? Check out: Mileage Workshop --- "You can't be a real country unless you have a beer and an airline. It helps if you have some kind of a football team, or some nuclear weapons, but at the very least you need a beer." - Frank Zappa (1940-93)

I'm so sorry that the country I call home has mistreated you, and now, so many others in the name of "security".

Is there a Do in Exile 2 planned???

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"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety
deserve neither liberty nor safety." -- Ben Franklin

[This message has been edited by tazi (edited 04-15-2003).]