Feeling thankful in 2020

It’s safe to say that 2020 hasn’t been what any of us expected. On this day of thanks, the words, “I’m thankful for my family and their good health” feel much more profound and much less perfunctory. This year has certainly put that into perspective. I know that many of us share that feeling.

But beyond those I hold dearest in my personal life, I wanted to take a second today to note something else for which I am thankful: Frequent Miler.

I often say that almost four years ago, I won the employment lottery. I saw my favorite blogger post that he was hiring; it seemed like an amazing opportunity. Still, I was hesitant. My wife is the one who insisted that I apply. We were both avid Frequent Miler readers. The day Greg’s “help wanted” post came out, she came to me right away and asked if I had seen it. I had. When I responded that I didn’t think I was going to apply, you’d have thought I had just told her that the sky was lime green. “What? What do you mean you’re not going to apply? You have to apply.” The urgency with which she said it was clearly because she felt like the job “meant for me” had just fallen out of the sky.

And it turned out she was right, though not necessarily for the reasons she thought.

There is no doubt that I love miles and points. I enjoyed maximizing this game before becoming a blogger was on my radar. And I enjoy writing. In many ways, this job has been a convergence of my interests and abilities. But I’ve had other jobs that fit my interests and abilities, yet I’ve never had a job like working at Frequent Miler.

In that regard, I’m thankful today to two distinct entities; first, to Greg Davis-Kean.

Working for Greg has been unlike any other job I’ve ever had. Before working at Frequent Miler, I had been reading the blog for years and I had gone to a couple of FTU events and seen Greg speak. I had an image in my mind of what Greg Davis-Kean (“The Frequent Miler“) was like. His writing seemed honest and genuine. I got the same vibe from seeing him speak. He just seemed like a great guy.

You know how sometimes you get an image of someone from their public persona and then feel disappointed to find that reality didn’t match your imagination? With Greg, it was the opposite. Behind the scenes, Greg is an even better guy than whatever I’d imagined. I couldn’t have asked for a better boss person to work for. The old adage “find something you love and you’ll never work a day in your life” is a fine piece of wisdom, but I’d add with it “find good people to work with and for and you’ll enjoy every day that you work”. I feel thankful to have that.

And of course, in 2020, I am beyond grateful to have a job that I enjoy and to work with and for good people. For that opportunity I have not only Greg (and Stephen and Carrie) to thank, but also that second entity I wish to thank: you – the reader.

I thank you first for reading. At the core, that’s all a writer really wants: someone to read their words.

But thank you also for interacting. Whether that’s by commenting on a post, emailing a tip, participating in our Facebook group, using our affiliate links, or sharing our site with a friend, I thank you.

And thank you for the times when you challenge us. Whether that be by sharing a different perspective or requesting we look further into a topic or making us do our homework to answer your questions, we appreciate your engagement.

At one point in a private email, Greg told me, “…you are Frequent Miler (intended to be read like “we are Borg” — geeky Star Trek reference)”. If you’re not familiar with the Star Trek reference, see this video. It was Greg’s way of telling me that I am an integral part of Frequent Miler. Now that you know what he’s talking about, let me say this: you are Frequent Miler. Keep in mind that it’s just Nick saying that, not Greg, so don’t expect a royalty check. But in all seriousness, the following that this blog enjoys is by and large loyal in a way that makes me feel more like we are part of the same team than being on different sides of a coin. It’s awesome having that kind of job. And so I thank all of you who collectively make up this idea of Frequent Miler.

I know that I won’t be the only blogger thanking you for your readership today, but in a year which has turned so much upside down I feel so fortunate to have been here at my computer typing away with you each day. It felt silly to miss this opportunity to address your support.

Enjoy this day if you’re celebrating and here’s to a much improved 2021 across the board; I look forward to enjoying it with you. And as we inch forward toward what we all hope is a time when life feels normal once again, I thank you for the opportunity to continue to write content that I hope you find useful, trustworthy, and entertaining. May your bonus categories abound, may your points all post and may your miles multiply beyond your wildest dreams. Thanks for letting me and us be a part of that.

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