Summer is Over!

With Labor Day over, and summer ending, and kids (and teachers) going back to school, I always think back to school daze and especially the question –  CLASS: what did you do over your summer???

With that in mind, I thought I’d create a fun bunch of questions for you to answer (simply cut and paste the questions into the comments – and feel free to add anything else you’d like).

1. How was your summer?

2. Did anything “big”, whether good or bad, happen?

3. Did you go on any vacations, and, if so, where did you go, stay, see?

where-
when-
why-
mode of travel-
where did you stay-

4. How many countries and states did you visit?

5. How many airports were you in? which ones? How many hotels did you stay at? which ones?

6.  Did you win anything over the summer?

7. Did you find or lose anything?

8. Did you make any significant purchases?

9. Did you get any new credit cards, or take advantage of any special promotions?

10. bonus question: for athletes:
If you are a runner or other athlete, which events did you compete or partake in?  Did you travel to them?  Are you happy with how your running (or biking, swimming, yoga, etc.) went this summer?

Here are my answers:

1. How was your summer?

Great. Too Fast. .

2. Did anything “big”, whether good or bad, happen?

I think I got engaged.

3. Did you go on any vacations, and, if so, where did you go, stay, see?

a. where- Crystal City, VA
when- first weekend, June
why- Launch party for Star Mega Do 4 – crazy frequent flyers
mode of travel- plane
where did you stay- One night Hyatt, one night Radisson

b. where- Philadelphia area
when- third weekend, June
why- visit friends, run a marathon (“Half Sauer, Half Kraut”) (Due to recurrent knee and IT Band pain, I DNF’d in a marathon [note: DNF is Did Not Finish – which is NOT a good thing]). 
mode of travel- train and car
where did you stay- night one, with friends who live in PA. night two, at a Carlson – Country Inn & Suites, Elizabeth NJ.

c. where – Riviera Maya, Mexico, plus Miami.
when- one week. end June-beginning July, two nights
why- vacation.  friends’ invited us to their timeshare at Mayan Palace in Mexico
mode of travel- Delta RT JFK-MIA; AA RT MIA-CUN
where did you stay- at the timeshare, a two bedroom unit. I didn’t love the timeshare experience.  Felt like a pawn in the Hunger Games. But the company was good, and I had a nice time. On either side of the trip, we stayed one night, at Hyatt House, Miami.

d. where- Great Cranberry Island, Maine
when- mid-July
why- to be with friends and run an awesome 50K on this tiny island
mode of travel- car – very long trip – swore I’d fly if I go again next year (I mean, WHEN I go again next year)
where did you stay- rented a small house on the island with a few friends, and a few thousand mosquitoes

e. where- Mendoza and Buenos Aires, Argentina
when- late August
why- because
mode of travel- planes
where did you stay- amazing hotels. Park Hyatt Mendoza, L’Hotel Palermo and Palacio Duhau Park Hyatt – Buenos Aires
what did you eat – BEEF
what did you drink – WINE
All I can say is Awesome, Awesome, Awesome!

4. How many countries and states did you visit?
states: 9-  New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine, Florida, Virginia
countries: 4 – USA, Mexico, Chile (just to change planes), Argentina

5. How many airports were you in? Good question.
9 – LGA, JFK, CUN, MIA, DCA, SCL, MDZ, AEP, EZE

6.  Did you win anything over the summer?  I ALWAYS win things.  Two tickets to a Nada Surf concert, a Tumi suitcase (Twitter contest from Amex and Tumi), 2 nights at an Accor hotel in Brussels (Twitter).

7. Did you find or lose anything?  Other than finding a bunch of Metro Cards, I don’t think so.

8. Did you make any significant purchases? A lot of airline tickets.

9. Did you get any new credit cards, or take advantage of any special promotions?  I got Barclay’s US Air card, United Club Visa card and the Chase Freedom Card.  Promotions: I took part in Club Carlson and Hyatt Promos. I received a 12,500 retention bonus for my decision to renew the Amex Gold Premier card. I canceled my British Airway card.  And… today, I applied for the SPG Amex card and the Priority Club Visa.

10. bonus question: which sport events did you compete or partake in?  Did you travel to them?  Are you happy with how your running (or biking, swimming, yoga, etc.) went this summer?

I’ve been struggling with some ongoing running issues and injuries, so I was not happy with my running.  I have been going to PT and trying to get through this.  Nevertheless, it was a great summer. 

One Last Question: What’s your next trip?  Mine is Montreal.  

HOW ABOUT YOU, What did YOU do over the summer? What’s your next trip?

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