The time has come to close our December awards issue. I find myself stopping and thinking about the past year often recently. It’s hard to believe that around this time last year, I was entering my second year at GT. And now, I am at the threshold of my third year. This year definitely was not easy, and I don’t expect 2010 to be a breeze. However, to me, the awards issue is a reminder of Global Traveler‘s success. As with every year, we had a great response from our readers. I think the GT Tested Awards reflect an honest and accurate evaluation of the premium products our clients continue to provide for the high-end traveler. Stay tuned for the survey results! We had a successful 2009 MRI survey, in which our numbers continued to jump. On the other hand, though, we have learned circulation and years of stability can mean essentially nothing. If someone had told me three years ago that T&L Golf and Gourmet would go out of business, I wouldn’t have believed them. As we close our last 2009 issue and enter into 2010, I feel focused and a little excited for the new year. I predict budgets will be tighter, media plans will be more conservative and procedures will be more strict. However, I am hopeful we are entering a new era, one where it is less about the large corporations and the mass audiences and more about the value of the niche audiences that make sense for the product. I predict a challenge, but I think it will be a healthy one. Congratulations GT on another year of success. Thank you to our readers for a wonderful response to the GT Tested Awards and to our MRI survey. — Courtney Centeno, account executive