The Last Of's: Final Thoughts on Being a Nickel-Plated Wayfarer

I think Former President George W. Bush called his final days in office the days of "last of's"--the last time I'll wake up and wonder what city I'm in. The last time I'll listen to a group of 40+ women complain to me about the room temperature, to which I respond with a look of concern and understanding. The last time I'll sit at the hotel bar alone with my thoughts and a crowd of Bluetooth toting businessmen chewing the fat.

Looking back from last year's posts as a Nickel-Plated Wayfarer, I wonder what I've learned this second time around? Patience, that's a quality I've definitely acquired. How many hours were spent in traffic jams? What about airport lines? How many flights were delayed or canceled? I can tell you, not once did I flip out and flail my arms in the air like a rabid monkey. Instead I've learned to recognize when something's out of my control and find the next best alternative, which oftentimes is simply waiting with a trusty newspaper.

I've learned how to stay organized (even though I lost my cell phone yesterday...the second time in a month!). Pocket routines have been essential in my life this year. My pen always goes in my left inside pocket of my jacket. My wallet always goes in the opposite one. My room key could always be found in my shirt pocket. If I wasn't wearing my Kino sandals, they were in the second compartment of my suitcase, waiting in the mesh-lined pocket.

I've learned empathy. Traveling every day, a person encounters many different lives and lifestyles, and not all of it is pretty. There are many out there who have had a pretty rough time of it. I've discovered the power of a genuine smile and a few words of understanding can work wonders for someone having a bad day, and those kind gestures often lead to a free hotel breakfast or being bumped to first class. Regardless, you meet a lot of jerks on the road, but also a lot of beautiful people. I've learned you have a choice to be either one.

So that's it. I gave my final announcement yesterday and told the ladies in the room I've had a great run of it. For the last time I told Judy, the banquet manager, I'll need my last extra gallon of coffee in the Regency Room. For the last time I told the guy making breakfast I'd have my last free ham, mushroom and spinach omelet with an orange juice and English Muffin. For the last time I told Kim at the front desk I was checking out of my room. And for the last time I retrieved my luggage from SeaTac Airport and headed home, exhausted from a five hour flight.

It's weird to think I'll never commute like that again. Flying every day becomes a lifestyle that sets a person apart from the moving world 35,000 feet below. Now that I'm finally down here again, it will be fun moving within it.

Thanks for reading!