1 January 2010 (Silver Spring, MD) – 2009 was the year of survival for all, or at least, for the majority of the World’s population. I could never have anticipated all that I went through in the 2009. I, along with many other millions of people, experienced what it was like to be laid off. It was at first disheartening, but I equally saw it as an opportunity as well. I was fortunate to be fully employed again after having been laid off for just 6 weeks. But, the experience did temper how I approached spending and traveling for the remainder of the year.
Flying wise, my goal was to remain current, which I was able to do. On average, I was able to fly .7 hours per month, which allowed me to remain current.
As for travel, I had one big business trip at the start of the year, traveling to Long Beach, CA to help NBAA put on their annual Schedulers and Dispatchers show. I cut back on any big personal trips, canceling a trip planed for April to Munich and canceling a trip home to London and Paris in the Fall. I did take on small vacation in November, traveling to Spring Lake, NJ and taking the time to take in the Jersey shore (Jersey Shore Photogallery).
I did make drive to Gettysburg to visit the Gettysburg Battlefield in November, taking advantage of some amazing Fall weather (Gettysburg Battlefield Photogallery). Other wise, it was a very quiet year for me on the travel front.
Like most, I suspect, I focused on paying down debts, minimizing my spending and taking a more conservative stance on spending.
Considering how turbulent 2009 was, I came out okay. Certainly a year I will never forget. As 2010 is upon us, so is a new decade. So, you get the feeling of a new start in many ways. I think, like many others, we are all hoping that 2010 is a better year than 2009. Time will tell.
