This, That, and the Other

Yes, I enjoyed my jobs. I actually had multiple jobs in my career. They were all in related fields — software and services, healtcare, and benefits administration solutions and systems — but with a number of different companies.

My work was varied, interesting, gave me a lot of satisfaction, and I was good at it. The only aspect of my job that I didnt enjoy was the constant travel, as I spent a lot of time on the road meeting with prospective clients, existing clients, going to seminars to present papers and make presentations, and to “network.”

And by “on the road,” I mean “in the air,” as most of my travel required flying hither and yon — mostly domestic but some international. And flying got old fast.

I had accumulated more than 2 million frequent flyer miles on American and close to half a million each on Delta and United. I can’t even estimate how many miles I amassed on airlines like Southwest and airlines that no longer exist, like PeopleExpress, PanAm, Continental, and TWA.

But that’s all in the past. I retired at the end of 2015 and I do enjoy being retired. No one is telling me what to do or when to do it. Well, except for my wife. And I haven’t set foot on an airplane in eight years and have no intention to do so. I told anyone who would listen after I stopped working, “If I never have to board a plane again in my life, it will be too soon.” I intend to live by that.