While on the flyertalk chat area tonight, Catman suggested that I post a 'bio' to the who we all are area. Like many others, I've been a lurker over the past 4-5 months and have learned quite a bit.

I work in the marketing department for a manufacturer in the music products business and have been traveling pretty regularily for about 3 years. The GRR part of my name stands for Grand Rapids, as in Michigan (not Minnesota). Funny story about that, one time some Japanese from our head office flew over to the states and were booked to Grand Rapids Minnesota rather than Michigan. If you've ever been there, you'd understand what the look of shock on their faces must have been. It's not the end of the world, but it's close. I suppose I can say that having grown up in Minnesota. That can explain my loyalty to NWA as well. (and Best Buy, and the Vikings, and Daytons/Target)

I started traveling about 9 years ago when I had a job as a piano player on a cruise ship in the Caribbean sailing through most of the Islands and even South America. After being around people from so many places and cultures, I realized that I was a very small part of this world and wanted to see as much of it as possible during my lifetime. Met a wonderful woman from Sweden and proceded to visit there several times over the next couple of years. During that time, I made an interesting 2 day trip on a ferry to Tallin Estonia, about a year later I saw on the news that this particular ship had sank in some rough weather with about 800+ people on board, most of whom drowned. A cold dose of reality that day.

So, where was I....my job takes me all over the country, about 18 trips for business last year, and another 3-4 for pleasure. I did my first 'mileage-run' this year on a NWA cybersaver to LGW and hope to do another this summer or fall. My co-workers can't believe that I actually enjoy all the traveling. I tell them, the physical traveling part can be a drag, but meeting new people and seeing new places all over the world is an unbelievable opportunity.

Oh yeah, the girl from Sweden didn't work out, but in a wierd quirk of fate, she's now a FA for a European airline.

- Kurt




[This message has been edited by GRR_Flyer (edited 04-25-2000).]

Hey gang...how do you get to this flyertalk CHAt area everyone is talking about?!?!?

Here's a link to the chat area. I think it's still a 'test' site though. It was posted a little while ago on one of the boards for people to check out. Overall, it's pretty cool. I copied the bookmark and hopefully this will get you there.
http://www.flyertalk.com/chatfr2.htm

Shadow,
KK opened their first store in the Metroplex last year in South Arlington. They opened the second store just today in Grapevine. I found out when I was listening to a traffic report on the radio this morning. I guess it was quite a traffic jam caused by the store! By the way, this new Grapevine store is just a couple of miles from the North exit of DFW http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif.

Know exactly where it is...I usually stay somewhere around 114 & Beltline or Esters when I'm in the area. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

Thanks GRR_Flyer...I'm in!

I posted way back on #2 or #3 (maybe it was #4). Much has changed, so perhaps it is time for an update.
Now in addition to AA Platinum, I got UA to comp me to Premier Exec. Since I commute from ORD to DEN, either airline works. Over the years I have preferred AA cause it is less crowded in the terminal and upgrades are easier. But now I am also going to Minneapolis from Denver, so I thought I would demand the UA comped status. And it worked.
I commute 900 miles to work each week, so I do not do much personal travel, yet. The airmiles are there for my partner and me to take some cool trips in the future. So long as our cats let us go (see their pictures in the Photo section).
Occupationally, I am part finance person, part trainer, and part stand up comic. Only the first two pay well. The third I do when I can, but it comes in handy when I train.
I do tend to lurk more than post. I find myself nodding when I read posts, but I do refrain from posting "me too." I am now working with a bunch of rookie travelers (rather than when I was a consultant and everyone had status). They don't understand why a short person like me gets Economy Plus on UA and they are crammed in a center seat in the back.
One day I hope to make some FT gathering. I have met three of the finest FTers in Chicago last summer. This is a great board and even when grounded, I need my FT fix.

I found out about this great board in January 2000 and lurked around some time...Got registered in March and started posting to the LH and Star boards.

I'm in my early 30's and teach at a university in Germany. As a student job I worked in a travel agency and flew quite a bit as a nonrev on PA. My travel was and is mostly long-haul to the US and Canada.

I'm FTL with LH but I doubt I will become SEN. I like some travelling but not too much. As *Silver I try to stick to that alliance but unfortunately they don't fly to my favorite islands: the Seychelles... Well, Air Seychelles, here I come. BTW, they are quite decent for an airline with only two jets (one 767-300 and one 767-200) and four Twin Otters and one Islander...

curt, besten Dank für die wertvollen Insiderinformationen (Insider, dank Deiner Reisebürovrgangenheit) betreffend LH und StarAllianc. Herzlich willkommen.

Danke Rudi! Und was die Informationen angeht: ich versuche jederzeit zu helfen


[This message has been edited by curt (edited 04-28-2000).]

Hello everyone!
Not sure how many people still read this string but I thought I'd introduce myself.
I am supposed to be working from home today but instead spent the last 3 hours reading Who We All Are 1-6. Every post, no kidding. I now know all of you better. What a super interesting group of people from around the world!! And all with a variety of interests!
Here's my mini-bio:
32, single (never married). Work like a slave at Intel where I figure out how to get "chips" to computer manufacturers (all of em like Dell, Compaq, HP, IBM, Gateway, etc etc)
Been there since I graduated college where I got a B.S. degree (BS is my specialty) in Bus. Management with minors in Psychology & Music.
Grew up in the Bay Area (Karen2...I grew up in Saratoga, CA) college in So. Cal at Univ. of Redlands (near Palm Springs), then back to Bay Area, until I got transferred in 93 to this great town near Sacramento, CA.

LOVE to travel but since I do zero travel for business it is all on my dime. I am combination jealous/happy for all you frequent travelers. I would love it, but also hate it as some of my travel experiences have exhausted me.
I don't rack up FF miles at any quick pace so I am stoked I found this website. (by accident) I have frequent traveler accounts with United (primary), Delta, American, NW, AmericaWest, Alaska, TWA, Continental, Hyatt, Marriott Rewards, and Holiday Inn.
Pretty hilarious given I've traveled on business exactly 1 time in 10 years.

One of the benefits to my company is we get a paid sabbatical every 7 years of 2 months off. Cool, huh?? In 1997 I took my 1st sabbatical where I mooched off people I knew working in other countries. I went to Seattle for a week, Japan for 10 days, and France, Germany, Austria & Switzerland. Travelled 6 weeks and only spent 4 days in hotels. I couldn't have afforded it otherwise. I went to Seattle with 7 girlfriends for our annual "girls" trip and did the rest of the travel solo. Spent my 30th birthday on a train from Salzburg to Basel, Switzerland in which I missed lunch because I didn't understand the reservation system and spoke to no one all day because I thought they didn't speak English. Not a good way to have a traumatic birthday, thinking of how old you have gotten for 10 hours straight with no one to talk to.

Anyways, my interests are travel (I am known in the office as the travel person so I help people schedule trips on the internet...I never use a travel agent), Music (I am a singer and sing in 2 local groups), Cooking, Reading, Playing Bunko (a dice game...I and 11 other women play once a month for money & the competition gets ugly...it's like poker night for men) and Movies (I go to tons of movies)
I am the organizer of the aforementioned annual girls trip (this year is Santa Barbara) and that same gang and their families also have an annual camping trip.
I visit my sister annually who lives in Wash DC and will go to England this year to visit a colleague who will be working over there for 3-6 months. I cannot resist free lodging anywhere!
I have a cat named Honus Wagner (after the baseball player).
Let's see...I won 2 ClickRewards sweepstakes this year, one for 25,000 miles and another for 10,000 miles yesterday. I am really enjoying this winning miles thing.

Just wanted to thank you all for such great information. As soon as I found this website I got accounts at greenpoints, trocamania, milesource and milesmall.
I can't believe I met miles obsessed people like myself (Wanderlust...you killed me with that email about Bob). I never had AOL or anything like that so I am loving this community-on-the-web thing.
Since I plan my own travel I am always wondering when faced with a list of lodging or destination options what would be best. I now have found a place where people can actually recommend something that don't get anything in return (like a travel agent, or similar)
So once again, thanks.

A final thought:
Since I have always traveled randomly, just when I thought about it, and never for miles, always for a specific vacation, I decided recently that if I was going to see as much of the world as I would like to, I'd better get on with it. Someday I'll have kids and get busy and it will be harder and harder. So I just bought an Atlas and some trip planning software and I'm going to sit down and map out every trip I'd like to take sometime in my lifetime. I'm going to put them all in a spreadsheet or something (us tech people are spreadsheet obsessed). Then I'm going to get a rough idea of how much all these jaunts will cost me and start budgeting out how many times a year I'll have to travel, how much it will cost, etc.
And now I have all sorts of sly ways to get ff miles to pay for some of it.
Thanks for inspiring me everyone! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif

I've been reading and posting on the board since sometime in early 1999 (at least), so I should probably put up self-identification.

Currently I have no elite status, though was Delta SM last year. Long-distance flying has been curtailed since I went back to school in Sept. 1999, but previously had some business travel from BOS-SVO on DL/SR (while that great partnership lasted). All was in coach, of course (the 'reward' of working in academia). Most travel currently on US, though by destination and price more so than choice. Major criterion is whatever is cheap and not inconveniently routed. DL and CO are also frequent choices.

I've always loved traveling, starting with family vacations, have worked stints in both Moscow and London, and wouldn't mind doing so again.

While gainfully employed (rather than my current role as a parasitic student), I conducted research and technical assistance projects on Russian economic reform (any problems are not my doing) for a university-based research group. I'm currently a 1L at a certain Boston law school, looking forward to returning to the working world and of course looking for more ways to earn miles.

[This message has been edited by chalf (edited 04-28-2000).]

Welcome newbies, from another newbie! I think you'll find that if you ignore the conga line/pyramid scheme junk, you'll find this an entertaining and informative place.
KarenPercy - good to see another musician on the board!
-
chalf - of course the problems with the Russian economy aren't your doing - they're all Jeff Sachs's fault. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/eek.gif

[This message has been edited by violist (edited 04-28-2000).]

Honus Wagner?

I'm impressed!

Old-school baseball fan?

------------------
"I will not be pushed, filed, stamped, indexed, briefed, debriefed or numbered. My life is my own."

Salzburg - Basel ... without any sightseeing stop in Zurich?

... and, on the swiss railway-segments of your trip you would even have a language problem speaking real (high) german ... we love our dialects!