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The World is Flat

ByJennifer Moody
A large group of people, including men and women, are standing together and posing for a photo in front of a building with a sign that reads "Air Hollywood." Some individuals are dressed in vintage airline uniforms, including pilots and flight attendants, while others are in business attire. The background features large letters spelling "LAX." The group appears to be celebrating or commemorating an event, as many are holding drinks and smiling at the camera.
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The world is flat.

Okay, I know its not flat.  But it’s small enough for me that the edges corral my own universe into a tidy package.

It is a small world for me too.

Never mind 24 time zones, 7 continents, or different languages.  I often feel like the other side of the globe is merely across town.

That’s why I the first thing I do after a world tragedy is check in on friends on Facebook (whether its an earthquake or a terror attack, I often know someone who is in that city at the moment).  In January, one of my former Model UN students was in an Israel café when a gunman ran past her after multiple shootings.

And then there is my blogger friend Elena who writes the Muslim Travel Girl blog and her experience with an advanced security screening that was based on profiling.

I’m impressed by the grace both these ladies showed under pressure and I’m glad to call them my friends.

Travel brings many friendships through shared experiences.  I had dinner with another dear blogger friend a couple of weeks ago.  Andy (of Andy’s Travel Blog fame) and I work practically across the street from one another but rarely see each other outside of airports because of crazy travel schedules.

Catching up with Andy Luten, from Andy's Travel Blog, over dinner in Dallas.
Catching up with Andy Luten, from Andy’s Travel Blog, over dinner in Dallas.

And then there is my friend Neal who has been competing on Survivor this season.  I’m so proud of him and flew out to San Francisco for his season premiere party.  Even though I’m in the middle of the Atlantic, I couldn’t avoid the spoilers for Wednesday night’s show (although I’d hoped to do a binge catch up).  Around that time three years ago, I was flying in first class with Neal on Cathay Pacific (he was headed to Thailand/Cambodia – I was headed to Indonesia).

Frequent flyer friends came to San Francisco for Neal Gottlieb's Survivor premiere in February.
Frequent flyer friends came to San Francisco for Neal Gottlieb’s Survivor premiere in February.

Running into old friends is nothing new for me.  When I boarded Seabourn Quest on Wednesday for a transatlantic journey, I immediately found friends from past cruises and picked up where we had left off a couple of years prior.

The memories from travels are always dear to me.  Its why I belong to several travel-related groups on Facebook and small forums where frequent travelers gather. I’ve lost count of how many events I’ve flown to where friends have gathered to talk travel or celebrate life’s milestones (but I know my count is at five continents of parties and gatherings).

Executive Platinum flyers in Dallas gather for our annual holiday cocktail party at DFW.
Executive Platinum flyers in Dallas gather for our annual holiday cocktail party at DFW.

 

Internet fans of first class travel enjoy the Pan Am Experience outside of Los Angeles.
Internet fans of first class travel enjoy the Pan Am Experience outside of Los Angeles.

 

Following friends in many continents means the world is flat for me.  What about you?

 

 

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