A chuckle on a Sad Day

I found this photo on RomePhotoBlog today. It made me chuckle out loud, which is something I really needed, especially today. For this is the saddest day of my summer vacation.

I don't think I have every really talked about how much I love to travel. I love getting on a plane and praying that I'll make it safely to my destination. I love landing in a foreign country and being a little confused about where to go and how to get there. I love going to places I have never been, and seeing art and history and nature that I have never seen. I love riding on subways and trains. I love hearing people around me speak languages I don't understand, and wishing I had learned at least one foreign language. I dream of the day when I am financially independent, and can constantly travel and see new things.

2007 will always be considered a wonderful year by me as it was the year that the dream of abundant travel was given it's first real boost. That was the year that I was hired by Continental Airlines as a reservations agent. The job was stressful, and at times I wondered why I was doing it, but it came with the best benefits for a travel junkie like me--practically free airfare. Flying standby can be nerve racking because you never know if you are actually going to get a seat on that plane going to your desired destination. But oh it is worth any amount of stress once that cabin door closes and you know the seat truly is yours and that you'll be in new city or country in just a matter of hours!

But now the ride is coming to an end. Thanks to this horrible economy, today is my last official day as a Continental employee. But I will always cherish the memories that came from this job--including the wonderful places I was able to take my family. And am I look forward to squeezing in as much travel as I can while I still have my flight privileges. I know the dreaded day of January 19, 2010 will come way too fast. But I'll do my best to be grateful for how much this job has blessed me and my family.

And I'll try to remember the following quote by Alexander Graham Bell: "When one door closes another one opens; but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the one which has opened for us." So here's to looking forward to the new adventure that awaits me. I'll do my best to find that open door!