Homebodies
. Photographs by Sean McCormick.
Funny how somebody who had never heard of
American
Way's Ultimate Road Warrior Search captured the essence of
this year's contest in just 11 words - and long before the
competition's debut. We can't help but think that in our
fifth Road Warrior competition, we struck a universal chord that
has resonated with travelers for decades, if not centuries. Namely,
that no matter where you go or how far you go, everyone carries a
bit of home with them or finds it on their travels. A home away
from home, if you will. The five people you'll meet in the
following pages were exceptional - and exceptionally articulate -
in answering the essay question we posed to all our readers:
"Besides home, there's no place like _____." Their answers were as
unique as each personality, a delicious mix of whimsy, insight,
wit, and charm. These five were just as fun when we played an
updated version of the classic travel game Twenty Questions with
them, proving beyond a doubt that a true road warrior is prepared
for anything, no matter how silly it may be. Frankly, we're
just glad we didn't have to make the final decision about who would
win the grand prize. We left that unenviable task to our readers,
and almost 40,000 of you voted online. Of the 9,188 entrants,
these five people shone the brightest, shedding a little light on
how to feel at home when you're really not.
Grand-Prize Winner
Jaime Vogel
I'm 28 years old, but I feel like I'm … Older when I'm on
the road, because it can get tiring. But at home I'm definitely my
age - young and single.
My first airplane trip was … When I was 18
months old and went to visit my grandparents in
Florida. When I was
two, I asked for my own luggage.
When I was a little girl, I wanted to grow up to
be … A doctor.
Five years from now, I want to … Have used
at least 500,000 of my AAdvantage miles.
Clark Kent (Superman) or Bruce Wayne
(Batman)? Clark Kent. We're both nerds.
If I'm having a party and have to prepare one
dish, it would be … I don't cook - I live in hotels.
Sing in the car or shower? Car. Often and
loudly.
My go-to song when I'm in the mood to belt out a
tune: "Tiny Dancer" by Elton John.
If I had to choose between
Survivor and
The Amazing Race,
I'd rather win … The Amazing Race.
If there's 30 minutes left in my flight and I
really have to go to the bathroom, I'll … Hold it.
Three songs on my iPod's "Most Listened To"
list:
"Recovering the Satellites" by Counting Crows.
"Soul Singing" by the Black Crowes.
"Fix You" by Coldplay.
Truth or dare? Truth.
Some days I feel like … Staying in my
pajamas and flip-flops.
If I were guaranteed not to fail, I would …
Play in the finals of the tennis U.S. Open at Arthur Ashe
Stadium.
If I ever make it to the international Rock,
Paper, Scissors championship, I'll throw … Scissors.
Junk-food vice? Twizzlers.
Aisle or window? Window.
Tokyo or Kokomo? Tokyo.
Three things I'm thankful for:
Family and friends.
My health.
My AAdvantage miles.
Three things I can't live without:
TiVo.
My laptop.
The
e-ticket kiosk at the airport.
Prize package: Two million
Hilton HHonors Bonus Points, one million American Airlines
AAdvantage miles, and a Panasonic Toughbook CF-74 laptop computer.
Home: New York, New York.
Age: 28. Job:
Senior consultant for health care strategy at Deloitte
Consulting ("I fix hospitals"). Number of
trips taken in 2005: 50. Number of
days on the road: 228.
Why do we like Jaime Vogel? For one thing, she shattered the male
stranglehold on
American Way's Ultimate
Road Warrior Search, becoming the first grand-prize winner in the
contest's five-year history with two X chromosomes. But just as
good was the fact that she gave us the best laugh-out-loud moment
during the photo shoot, when she tossed in this quip amid all the
polite, nice-to-meet-you chitchat: "You know what three
little words a road warrior wants to hear more than anything,
right? 'Exit-row window!'?" We weren't surprised by Jaime's quick
wit, since we got a taste of it on her blog, which she says is the
next-best place to being at home. She started it during a
frustrating flight delay, using it to vent about all the
aggravations of the road warrior lifestyle. Since then, it's
morphed into an insightful diary as well as a useful tool for her
friends and family to keep up with her when she's traveling ...
even when she's sitting on a mountain. A New Yorker, Jaime is
relatively fearless about living in the biggest, baddest metropolis
in the
United States. But when she found out she was going to have
to pose on a mountainside for her photo shoot (and not in business
attire), she tried valiantly to talk us out of it. ("It's just not
me at all ... I don't even own hiking boots … I can bring great
black pants or a skirt suit and heels …") In the end, though,
Jaime showed true grit and spirit, conquering her misgivings and
doing what was required to get the job done right. Now
that's an Ultimate Road Warrior.
Second-Prize Winner
Mark Satinsky
I'm 49 years old, but I feel like I'm … 25
to 30. I feel very young at heart.
My first airplane trip was … When I was 20,
to go to college in
Buffalo, New York.
When I was a little boy, I wanted to grow up to be
… An entrepreneur, which I am.
Five years from now, I want to …
Be in a position where my wife and I will be able to do whatever we
want, and maybe we'll live in
Colorado,
Arizona, or New Mexico.
Mary Ann or Ginger? Mary Ann. Ginger had
big hair.
If I'm having a party and have to prepare one
dish, it would be … Tabouli.
Sing in the car or shower? Car.
My go-to song when I'm in the mood to belt out a
tune: Anything by
Bob Dylan or the Grateful Dead.
If I had to choose between
Survivor and
The Amazing Race,
I'd rather win … The Amazing
Race. The challenges are more diverse and you're
always somewhere new.
If there's 30 minutes left in my flight and I
really have to go to the bathroom, I'll … Use the airplane
bathroom. No point in being uncomfortable.
Three songs on my iPod's "Most Listened To"
list:
Anything by Dylan or the Dead.
Anything by James Taylor.
Anything by Joni Mitchell.
Truth or dare? Truth.
Some days I feel like … Oh, God, here we go
again - I gotta get on another airplane.
If I were guaranteed not to fail, I would …
Like to run a center for entrepreneurship.
If I ever make it to the international Rock,
Paper, Scissors championship, I'll throw … Rock.
Junk-food vice? Anything chocolate.
Aisle or window? Aisle.
Tokyo or Kokomo? Tokyo.
Three things I'm thankful for:
My wife.
My kids.
My heritage.
Three things I can't live without:
My wife.
My bikes.
Starbucks.
Prize package: A Bose
Lifestyle 48 home entertainment system, a Bose SoundDock, a pair of
Bose QuietComfort 2 Acoustic Noise Cancelling headphones, and a
Panasonic Toughbook CF-74 laptop computer. Home: Irving, Texas. Age: 49.
Job: Cofounder of AgileMesh, a rapidly
deployable video-surveillance company ("I get the outside world
excited about what we do"). Number of trips taken
in 2005: 20 to 30. Number of days on the
road: 115.
Mark Satinsky is every Transportation Security Administration
agent's worst nightmare. Most of us have to remove only our
shoes, belts, watches, and cell phones to get through airport
security. But Mark travels for business with 300 pounds of
high-tech surveillance equipment, much of which has been handled by
SWAT teams, who inadvertently taint the gear with explosives
residue. In other words, Mark has a cozy relationship with alarms,
flashing lights, and some very skeptical TSA personnel. "It
takes me two to three hours to get through security," he says. "I
keep trying to figure out ways to make the process shorter, but I
haven't been able to yet." Given all that Mark endures while
on the road, it's pretty understandable that he considers "the
other side of security" to be his home away from home. It also
explains why he's a self-proclaimed "Smarte Carte maven."
Still, Mark takes most of the inconveniences of the road warrior
lifestyle in stride - with one exception. "I don't have the
time to do any biking these days," laments the man who once rode
across
Montana while battling a stiff headwind the entire way. "I
think I've gained about 35 pounds in the last year." So when
we gave Mark the chance to combine his two passions -
cycling and
showing off his company's products - he didn't miss a beat.
"This is great!" he said during the photo shoot. "I could go all
day!" Spoken like a true road warrior.
Third-Prize Winner
Ridlon Kiphart
I'm 41 years old, but I feel like I'm … 28.
I feel as young and physically fit and adventurous as ever. I've
got the benefits of age, without the drawbacks.
My first airplane trip was … When I was 6
years old, to
Cincinnati to visit my grandmother and aunt. I flew
by myself.
When I was a little boy, I wanted to grow up to be
… An astronaut.
Five years from now, I want to … Have
finished an around-the-world adventure odyssey.
Mary Ann or Ginger? Ginger - hands
down.
If I'm having a party and have to prepare one
dish, it would be … A 24-ounce porterhouse steak on the
grill. Medium rare.
Sing in the car or shower? Both - much to
my wife's chagrin.
My go-to song when I'm in the mood to belt out a
tune: "Wanted Dead or Alive" by Bon Jovi.
If I had to choose between
Survivor and
The Amazing Race,
I'd rather win … Amazing Race.
I hate the backstabbing that goes on in
Survivor.
If there's 30 minutes left in my flight and I
really have to go to the bathroom, I'll … Use the airplane
bathroom.
Three songs on my iPod's "Most Listened To"
list:
"'Holiday" by Green Day.
"Della Canto" by Andrea Bocelli.
"Riding with the King" by B.B. King.
Truth or dare? Truth.
Some days it feels like … I'm making a
difference.
If I were guaranteed not to fail, I would …
Do exactly what I'm doing right now.
If I ever make it to the international Rock,
Paper, Scissors championship, I'll throw … Rock.
Junk-food vice? Reese's Peanut Butter
Cups.
Aisle or window? Window. Always.
Tokyo or Kokomo? Tokyo.
Three things I'm thankful for:
I'm married to the most awesome woman on the planet.
What my parents have done for me. They gave me all the tools to
succeed.
A world full of wonderful friends.
Three things I can't live without:
My wife, family, and friends.
The ocean.
Optimism.
Prize package: A five-day,
four-night vacation for two at the Hilton Waikoloa Village on
Hawaii's Big Island from American Airlines Vacations, a two-year
subscription to T-Mobile
HotSpot Wi-Fi Internet service, and a Panasonic
Toughbook CF-74 laptop computer. Home:
Darby, Montana. Age: 41. Job: Cofounder of
Global Dive Expeditions and Fish Fotos ("I guide people on amazing
adventures to the most exotic places in the world").
Number of trips taken in 2005: 31.
Number of days on the road:
322.
Despite his appearance here, Ridlon Kiphart is anything but a fish
out of water. In fact, after getting to know him, we can state with
confidence that Ridlon is the kind of guy who can adapt to any
condition in any place - and find something positive to take away
from the experience. "The places I find most fascinating are
those that pose the greatest challenges, and that's where I really
thrive," he says. "I love operating without a lot of 'pieces' - you
know, the conveniences you find in other places. I love being
disconnected from things like cell phones and BlackBerrys, which
won't work in most of the places I like to go." Ridlon's
ultimate travel goal is an around-the-world expedition, but he
assures us that he
does put the brakes on
every now and then. As a member of the ultraprestigious Explorers
Club, he'll take time off from his adventures to attend the club's
annual dinner - at which he has eaten "vertebrate ocular parts"
("eyeballs" to the rest of us). And if you think a guy who
spends 322 days a year traveling has only a superficial
relationship with the concept of home, you've never had an extended
conversation with Ridlon. "For me, home is wherever I am at
that particular moment," he says, echoing what he wrote in his
contest essay, in which he stated that he considered "the middle of
nowhere" to be his home away from home. "There are so many places
unknown, so many places left untouched."
Third-Prize Winner
Leslie Monk
I'm 33 years old, but I feel like I'm …
Definitely younger than 33. If I could be 28 forever, I'd be
happy.
My first airplane trip was … When I was 7
or 8 years old. I went to
Raleigh,
North Carolina, with my Brownies
troop.
When I was a little girl, I wanted to grow up to
be … A guest star on The Muppet Show.
Five years from now, I want to …
Be able to cook fish well, and to not have allergic sneezing
spells.
Clark Kent (Superman) or Bruce Wayne
(Batman)? Bruce Wayne. He has cooler gadgets. He's like a
Brookstone store on steroids!
If I'm having a party and have to prepare one
dish, it would be … Fondue - cheese and chocolate.
Sing in the car or shower? Both.
My go-to song when I'm in the mood to belt out a
tune: Anything from Man of La Mancha.
If I had to choose between
Survivor and
The Amazing Race,
I'd rather win … Amazing Race.
You've gotta have a buddy.
If there's 30 minutes left in my flight and I
really have to go to the bathroom, I'll … Use the airplane
bathroom. I've never met a bathroom I wouldn't visit.
Three songs on my iPod's "Most Listened To"
list:
"'Oh Very Young" by Cat Stevens.
"The Boxer" by Carbon Leaf.
"Speed of Sound" by Coldplay.
Truth or dare? Truth.
Some days it feels like … It can't get any
better - and then it does.
If I were guaranteed not to fail, I would …
Do a solo skydive jump, or write a book.
If I ever make it to the international Rock,
Paper, Scissors championship, I'll throw … Paper.
Junk-food vice? Ice cream, especially
pistachio.
Aisle or window? Aisle.
Tokyo or Kokomo? Tokyo. I've never been
there, but I've been to places like Kokomo.
Three things I'm thankful for:
My husband and family.
The fact that life has been such an adventure.
That I finally won my honeymoon trip, thanks to the Road Warrior
contest.
Three things I can't live without:
Comfy shoes.
Target.
My
allergy pills.
Prize package: A five-day,
four-night vacation for two at the Hilton Waikoloa Village on
Hawaii's Big Island from American Airlines Vacations, a two-year
subscription to T-Mobile
HotSpot Wi-Fi Internet service, and a Panasonic
Toughbook CF-74 laptop computer. Home:
Madison, New Jersey. Age: 33.
Job: Senior director of
business-development process at Vonage ("I look at how we do
our job and try to find a way to do it better, faster, and
cheaper … and with less trans fat!"). Number
of trips taken in 2005: 22. Number of
days on the road: 100.
Leslie Monk has one great regret in life. It's not that she hasn't
written the great American novel. It's not that she hasn't climbed
Mount Everest. And it's not that the Nobel Prize has eluded her
thus far. "I really wish there were a SuperTarget store near
me," she admits, with the utmost earnestness and sincerity. "I
would be in heaven." Not that she hasn't tried to make that
happen. "I sent the Target people an e-mail, and I got a reply that
said there were a lot of factors in making a decision like that. So
I'm not exactly holding my breath - but I am hopeful." Until
SuperTarget comes her way, Leslie is more than happy to skip Macy's
and
Saks and explore her favorite local Target, which, as she
firmly stated in her contest essay, is the "true road warrior's"
home away from home. "It is, after all, the last place I
visit before I head out of town, replenishing my travel-kit items
like shampoo, cotton swabs, toothpaste, sleeping mask, and Airborne
tablets," she wrote. "It's one of the first places I visit when I
get home, stocking up on laundry supplies to do the turnaround wash
before it all has to be refolded and carefully repacked in the
suitcase." We can't argue with logic like that. Nor can we
argue when Leslie tells us that Target is a "dangerous
place." "You go in looking for Tylenol and some cereal, and
you walk out with three bags of stuff you didn't know you
needed!"
Third-Prize Winner
Mordy Golding
I'm 35 years old, but I feel like I'm …
21.
My first airplane trip was … When I was 2.
We went on a family vacation to Israel.
When I was a little boy, I wanted to grow up to be
… An artist.
Five years from now, I want to … Be retired
and spending more time with my kids and family.
Mary Ann or Ginger? Definitely Mary
Ann.
If I'm having a party and have to prepare one
dish, it would be … Sushi. Nothing fancy, though - just
anything that will qualify.
Sing in the car or shower? Both.
My go-to song when I'm in the mood to belt out a
tune: "Nothing Else Matters" by Metallica.
If I had to choose between
Survivor and
The Amazing Race,
I'd rather win … Amazing Race.
I don't want to be stuck on an island - I'd rather travel the
world.
If there's 30 minutes left in my flight and I
really have to go to the bathroom, I'll … Wait and use a
bathroom at the airport.
Three artists on my iPod's "Most Listened To"
list:
Evanescence.
Britney Spears.
Christina Aguilera.
Truth or dare? Always truth.
Some days it feels like … There aren't
enough hours in the day.
If I were guaranteed not to fail, I would …
Raise a successful family.
If I ever make it to the international Rock,
Paper, Scissors championship, I'll throw … Rock.
Junk-food vice? Reese's Peanut Butter
Cups.
Aisle or window? Aisle.
Tokyo or Kokomo? Tokyo. I'm a hard-core New
Yorker - I need steel and concrete.
Three things I'm thankful for:
My wife and kids and family.
The job I have today and the freedom it gives me.
My religion. Being Jewish gives me a really good meter to measure
myself by.
Three things I can't live without:
My kids.
Music.
My community, my friends. Because no matter what happens, they're
there for you.
Prize package: A five-day,
four-night vacation for two at the Hilton Waikoloa Village on
Hawaii's Big Island from American Airlines Vacations, a two-year
subscription to T-Mobile
HotSpot Wi-Fi Internet service, and a Panasonic
Toughbook CF-74 laptop computer. Home: Long
Island, New York. Age: 35.
Job: Founder of Design Responsibly,
which helps designers and printers communicate with each
other ("I teach people how to draw and use computers to make
pretty pictures"). Number of trips taken in
2005: 12. Number of days on the
road: 65.
Mordy Golding is jinxed. While he takes a relatively modest number of trips a year, he has an uncanny knack for being out of town during the
Super Bowl. Six out of the past 20 years, he’s watched the big game while in an airport
Admirals Club, surrounded by strangers, with a drink in hand. And if you’d like to wager on where he’ll be at six p.m. Eastern time on February 4, 2007, the smart money is on “at an Admirals Club, watching the kickoff to Super Bowl XLI.” ¶ “It’s a weird kind of camaraderie,” the die-hard Mets fan says of the bonding that goes on when a game begins and you’re standing or sitting
thisclose to people you’ve never met. “We’re all strangers, yet we’re all in the same situation.” Mordy’s love affair with American Airlines’ Admirals Club lounges blossomed during the blackout that struck
New York City in the summer of 2003. “I was in
Los Angeles, and I couldn’t get back to New York, because it was all shut down. I was stuck, but the people at the Admirals Club hooked me up with a hotel for the night and had me on standby for three different flights for the next morning. I made it out on the first one. The way I was treated on that one trip was worth the membership alone.” By Mordy’s own admission, a “bad day” is when he has to fly to or from an airport that doesn’t have an Admirals Club. Because, as he puts it, “it’s my corner bar — spread throughout the country and the world.”