Happy Thanksgiving 2018!

Today in the U.S. we celebrate Thanksgiving.  And so, I’d like to wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving 2018!  After all, without you, my readers, my blog posts would be nothing more than a public personal journal.  But there are those of you out there that take the time to read my posts, however strange they may be, and for that, I am incredibly grateful.

What I’m Thankful For

Obviously, I’m thankful for being more or less in good health, for my family, my friends, for having a job, and for having a roof over my head.  But beyond that, I’d have to say I’m thankful for you, my readers.  I write this blog out of my love of sharing my admittedly limited knowledge on points and miles, and to share my experiences.  None of you have to read this, but you do.  So thank you!

However, my yammering wouldn’t be possible without my friends Jeff and Amanda, the original Jeffsetters!  So if you love my writing, thank them!  But if you hate it, then, well, I apologize on their behalf.  And if you’re wondering, last I knew, they were in Japan continuing on with their never-ending trip around the world.  I’ve seen some pretty amazing things from them, so here’s to hoping we’ll see more posts from them in the future. ?

Of course, I also have to give thanks to Mrs. Island Miler.  After all, she’s the one that has to endure all of my picture taking, insane credit card strategies, and jaunts across the airport just to check out lounges.  I know it can be annoying to have to wait for me to take my pictures before relaxing in the room or digging into a meal, so thank you, my dear!

Thankful for Travel

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again.  I don’t travel nearly as much as most other travel bloggers.  But, for me, 2018 has been an unusually busy travel year with three trips outside of Hawaii.  As a result, this year saw me back in Vegas (only my second time ever), to Northern Utah for the first time, and to the Bay Area for the first time in nearly 20 years.  And those trips had many great, new experiences, including some bucket list restaurants, but more on that in future posts.

Beyond those off-island adventures,  I also did a follow-up staycation at The Laylow Waikiki and have at least one more staycation planned for this year.  I should even hit Marriott Rewards Platinum Premier by the end of the year without any meeting activity.  That’ll be the first time I achieve that status in about four years.

Happy Thanksgiving 2018, Final Thoughts

Despite staying relatively close to home, I’d have to say that 2018 has been my best travel year yet.  It was a year filled with new and interesting experiences, bucket list experiences, and some favorite repeats.  And, with any luck, 2019 promises to bring with it much of the same too, but we’ll see how things fall into place.

What are you thankful for this year?