It occurs to me, staring out the window of seat 21A once again on a JetBlue flight, that I probably should be thanking the airline. I’m en route home from Portland, Oregon where I spent the weekend to celebrate the wedding of a friend which is not all that unusual, I suppose. And, yes, I should thank the airline for carrying me back and forth across the country to attend. But it is also thanks to the airline and, more specifically, the All You Can Jet promotion in 2009 and 2010 that I had reason to be at the wedding. I met Luke (the groom) because of AYCJ. Our travels overlapped a few times during the AYCJ days, including both attending the US Open (tennis) in NYC one day and in various other cities along the way. It is a long-distance friendship, but it is a friendship in the true sense of the word.
Trying to explain that to family and other friends over beers after the ceremony was interesting to say the least. It got easier after a couple more beers (also, showing up to the after-party with a case of beer helps make a lot more friends) but it still seems strange trying to describe the evolution a friendship built mostly online. It certainly works and this is not the only such relationship I’ve built in the past decade of what could be considered my travel addiction. But I still find it bizarre as I tell the stories; I can only imagine what those hearing it must think.
Slightly related, the Lan Su Chinese Garden in Portland is a stunning event venue (and I’m sure beautiful during the day in general, too) and the city remains an eclectic destination to visit. Portland’s new bike share program is pretty cool and the food & drink options remain spectacular. Though so does the culture which encourages waiting in lines for such, something I’m not a fan of at all. I don’t know that there is any ice cream worth a 30+ minute wait, for example, and I really like ice cream.
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I couldn’t do AYCJ because some of my Jaunted contribs were doing it & I stayed behind to do my job of posting their dispatches, but some of the AYCJ strangers I interviewed and met at airport events those years are still friends!
That 30 minute wait for ice cream would be considered a short wait at one place here in Shanghai.
“Then your friend Seth turned up at our hotel with beer and liquor, total life of the party. Had a really great time practicing our Hebrew with him, although he said he’s a little out of practice.” ?????
@JetBlue – This was incredible and so appreciated, Seth. Thank you so much for coming and for being such a wonderful friend to us.
Pretty cool. I’m always hoping to meet someone passionate about air travel while I’m flying, but I don’t really put myself out there.
Also, Salt & Straw would be worth a 30 minute wait, but you have to order the right flavor. Give olive oil a shot.
Such an amazing community