Last week I was part of an amazing Global Traveler event. This night actually had origins 40 years ago.

It all started when my friend Greg returned to Chicago on winter break from college in Minnesota. Bored on a Friday night, he persuaded me to go to a Mount Carmel High School basketball game. While there catching up with a former teacher, he mentioned a Chicago ad company was looking for an assistant. I applied and landed the job, which was very conveniently located within a 10-minute walk of DePaul, where I was a first-year student.

A few months later, Francis X. Gallagher transferred from the Philadelphia office. We immediately got along, and he took me under his wing a bit. After only a few months, he transferred back East, wanting to be home. We kept in touch and met many times when he was in town.

Flash forward many years, Fran started planning his own travel magazine. At the time, I owned a distribution company with my longtime friend, Louie Atsaves. Fran asked my advice on several distribution issues and eventually asked me to join the GT team. Knowing the enormity of the challenge, I asked Louie to join. The three of us met in Chicago, and Louie and I were officially on board. I loved the concept of worlds colliding as I sat there with two of my oldest and best friends.

I thought about all of this as I flew out to Pasadena, California, for the GT Tested Reader Survey Awards and 20th anniversary event. Attending one high school game changed the course of my life. I never would have met Fran, Louie or all of the other great folks at GT. I never would be part of a fantastic event in a beautiful hotel.

Worlds weren’t done colliding, though. As I roamed around the grounds of the Langham Huntington, Pasadena, another familiar face came into view. Several months ago, my friend Tommy Else and I interviewed musician Franki Pineapple. Knowing she lives in the area, I invited Franki, and now I was meeting her. Later in the evening I had the pleasure of introducing her to Fran and the rest of the GT family.

Photo courtesy of Christopher Ottaunick Photography

Similarly, Mark DeCarlo and Yeni Alvarez also attended the event. I interviewed Mark years ago and then again for Talking Travel on the GT YouTube channel. That led to Mark and Yeni bringing their A Fork on the Road podcast to GT.

The night was incredible, arguably the best event GT ever hosted. I am proud to be a part of this great event, company and team.

— John Wroblewski, online writer