You may have read a couple blogs about this already, but mine is going to be a little different. Earlier this month, most of the FXExpress Publications, Inc., team set off to Los Angeles for our 19th annual GT Tested Reader Survey awards.

This year we moved away from our normal Beverly Hills location and hosted our event at The Ritz-Carlton, Los Angeles, near LA Live — our first time at this location and in this part of town. I stayed at the lovely The Wayfarer Hotel DTLA. The lobby was unique and welcoming, perfect for a millennial looking for a chic stay in Downtown Los Angeles.

The awards highlight the best of the best in the travel industry throughout the past year. Each year, our readers vote for which companies they think are the best in the industry, including everything from favorite airline and favorite destination to everything in between.

To my surprise, this year I was among one of the many who accepted awards. Every year, CEO and publisher Francis X. Gallagher honors a member of our team with the Globility Award, a yearly recognition for a job well done over the past year. Over my three years of attending the awards, I watched in awe as my fellow colleagues accepted the award, not thinking one day I myself would accept it!

When Fran called up members of our Globility Board (a focus group of vetted subscribers) to help introduce the recipient, I was so excited to see which of my colleagues was chosen. Fran started to talk about how the recipient was a huge Philadelphia sports fan, and I started to question whether he was going to say my name. A couple seconds later, I was walking up on the stage to accept the Globility Award in disbelief.

I am truly honored to have received this award, knowing my hard work has paid off. I was so excited to share the news with my family, friends and our loyal readers.

A special thank you to Fran and the rest of the team for supporting and guiding me through my time at the company. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for us!

— Mary Melnick, social media & editorial coordinator