HAPPY HOLIDAYS 2022! I kicked off 2022 celebrating at a beautiful, snowy wedding in the winter wonderland of Michigan! I spent New Years Day in the mitten and then had to fly from Detroit to Chicago to kick off my travels… which was just the first of 341 flights I flew in 2022!
This year I traveled across 3 continents (North America, Europe, Australia), 8 countries, 26 states, & countless cities!
Shortly after I returned to Chicago from Detroit, I worked flights to cities such as Charlotte, Tampa, Baltimore, & even got to spend time in the Dominican Republic for the first time! I also had work trips to Philly, Dallas, Columbus, Phoenix, Austin, Miami, New Orleans, New York City, & Raleigh-Durham.
While in New Orleans, I was able to visit my cousin’s cabin outside the city and had a blast 4-wheeling through the countryside in camouflage, went fishing, and felt like a true Louisianan for a day!
February was one of my busiest months as I flew 38 flights and even snuck in a trip home to SoCal where I drove up to Big Bear during a snow storm for a snowboarding trip! Driving up the mountain while it was pounding snow was not the brightest idea as we could barely see the road, but it was well worth it in the end, besides the fact the car got stuck in the driveway at the Air BnB we stayed at which in turn made getting to and from the slopes quite the adventure!
In March, I escaped the cold several times with work trips to Orlando, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Cancun, and Austin. I went on a little weekend getaway to Las Vegas which was a blast and had much needed down time at the pool, rode the roller coasters at the Strat and NY NY, and indulged in the buffet at the Wynn! I enjoyed celebrating St. Patrick’s Day in Chicago and getting to see the river get dyed green!
April was a bit of a slower month as I was “on call” and only worked 14 flights! I visited Washington DC, Charlotte, Oklahoma City, New Orleans, Dallas, Raleigh/Durham, Las Vegas and Los Angeles!
In May, I worked 25 flights and visited HONDURAS for the first time! I stayed at a beautiful hotel and fully utilized the pool!
Summer 2022 was very busy as travel has skyrocketed ever since my return to flying in 2021 from being furloughed in 2020. June was probably my favorite month of summer as I had multiple 30 hour layovers in Toronto in addition to the Vance Joy concert I attended there on my own time! Getting to meet and hang out with Vance Joy in the airport was a dream come true and moment I’ll never forget! I have grown to love Toronto and always enjoy my visits there. I even made it out to a Blue Jays baseball game and saw them crush the Boston Red Sox!
In August, I worked as the Lead Flight Attendant on a flight to London, where I hadn’t been since COVID erupted. I thoroughly enjoyed walking around the bustling city, exploring all of the different parks, stopping off for a bite to eat and a sip to drink here and there. Luckily I was there after their heat wave and the weather was quite pleasant. Someone had told me it was probably the most beautiful day they had had all year!
This year I had a busy wedding season as I attended 3 weddings in 4 weeks! I had the honor and pleasure of attending two weddings in Oregon (Hood River and Lake Oswego) and my 4th and final wedding of the year was in La Jolla, just before my mom’s birthday. So I was able to spend some time home in Long Beach and got to celebrate my mom’s birthday with her on a hike in Malibu.
In October, I flew 38 flights (tied for the most with February), and even snuck in a flight to Bangor, Maine where I rented a car and spent a week exploring the beautiful state during Fall Foliage. I thoroughly enjoyed lots of hiking, eating lots of Lobster, and visiting Acadia National Park! The multi colored tree leaves were breathtaking to witness up close and personal!
I spent my 34th birthday celebrating on the wharf in Sydney! Since living in Sydney from 2014 to 2015, I had only spent one night there in 2019 while I was traveling back to the states after spending a couple weeks traveling around New Zealand and Melbourne. Therefore, it was awesome getting to revisit my favorite places in Sydney, which is hands down one of my favorite cities in the world!
On my birthday, I climbed the Sydney Harbour Bridge and got to see my favorite musical artist, Vance Joy, perform at the Opera House accompanied with a surprising firework show during one of his iconic songs! It was definitely a birthday for the record books and one I will forever cherish!
I unfortunately wasn’t able to make it home for Thanksgiving this year, but was able to miraculously make it home for Christmas! While home for Christmas I played lots of pickle-ball with the family, went paddle boarding around Naples, and enjoyed having some much needed down time!$$
I look forward to future travel adventures in 2023… and would like to wish you all a very happy, healthy, & prosperous new year! CHEERS!
TROY MUENZER 