Things I Am Thankful For

First off, Happy Thanksgiving one and all! I hope you are all having a great day eating, spending time with family and enjoying watching the Lions win of course (no one likes the Packers, right?). I wanted to take a quick second to reflect a bit and share 5 miles & points things I am thankful for this holiday season. My thought was you could probably use a distraction from the in-laws by now anyway!

5 Miles, Points & Travel Things I Am Thankful For This Thanksgiving

I know that this may be the most cliche blogger post of all time, but who cares, I like writing stuff like this. Hopefully some of you enjoy reading them too! Let's dive into it.

Miles & Points Allowing Me To Travel Well Above My Weight Class

First up is the one I think many people will resonate the most with. It is the fact that miles and points allow me to travel well above my weight class, or paygrade so to say. I am able to take way more trips than I normally would, go places I could never afford otherwise and travel in a level of comfort that would never be possible without miles and points. Whether that is staying in a luxurious hotel or landing in Europe well rested thanks to a lie flat seat. Let's get even more simple than that, it is amazing that I can go on overseas trips at all really. That would maybe be a once every four or five years type of thing without miles and points instead of every year, or even multiple times a year, like it is now. Growing up only rich people went to Europe, not a regular Joe (or Mark) like me.

Allowing Me To Share My Passion With My Kids

I would still be able to share my love of travel with my kids without miles and points, but not as frequently, or in as expansive of a way. Look at my post about the Salem Hilton award space earlier this week. Had it not been for miles and points there is no way we would be able to swing that trip. Spending thousands of dollars for a weekend trip somewhere for a special event just wouldn't be possible. Or, at least, wouldn't be the norm like it is now. That opens them up to more experiences, different cultures and once in a lifetime type opportunities at times. We can show them more than would ever be possible with miles and points and that helps them grow as people. We just have to be sure we don't spoil them too much and ruin travel for them!

Miles & Points Allow Me To Lean Into My Craziness

If you have followed along with my writing for any period of time then you have probably noticed I like to do some wild things and am usually up for most anything. Miles, points and this hobby allow me to lean into that more than I could otherwise. Whether it is living off of gift cards for a month, going to a football game just because the deal was too good to pass up or flying to Hawaii just to eat sandwiches on the beach, I am here for it all. It is a big part of who I am and something that brings me joy in my life. Without the randomness that miles and points afford, I don't think I would be as satisfied in life as I am now. I can't thank this hobby enough for that.

The Lessons Learned In This Hobby Can Help Elsewhere

Another thing that has been immensely helpful because of miles and points is it reworks your thought process for other things to. It opens you up to looking for deals, haggling for better prices and gets you more in touch with your finances. It has also led to me improving our financial situation thanks to additional income from things like welcome offers, cash back and bank bonuses. When you really get experienced in this space, the sky is truly the limit.

I Am So Thankful For The ToP Community

Last, but certainly not least, I am very thankful for the ToP community. Without your support and loyalty I wouldn't be able to do what I love for a living. Sure, I could still talk and write about miles and points until I am blue in the face, but I would be talking to a wall. It is a lot more fun if people get some value in what you do and you get to build meaningful relationships from it. A huge thank you to all of you out there that have become good friends because of miles and points. I am excited to continue to add more and more people to that list too! I have so much gratitude to everyone that participates in the group, reads the site and shares the love of travel with us on the ToP team. Without you all there would be no ToP! You guys are the straw that stirs the drink.

I will also say I am thankful for my co-workers here. You guys bust your butt to make sure everyone in the group has what they need. It is pretty amazing to see the speed at which you guys pounce on the questions. I know one thing for sure, I could never do it!

Things I Am Thankful For: ToP Thoughts

Thank you all for allowing to pontificate on the things I am thankful for thanks to miles and points. At least this is an indulgence that won't add to my dad bod waistline today! If you have the time I would love to hear what you are most thankful for when it comes to miles and points. Please share your thoughts over in the ToP Facebook Group.

I hope you all have an amazing Thanksgiving and holiday season!