Have you ever seen the movie “Sliding Doors“? It may not rank up there with the classics my colleagues are forever talking about, but it’s one of my favorites. Perhaps it’s because part of me wants to believe in fate, but we create our own destiny. Or perhaps I’m just a hopeless romantic, but either way, I enjoy the concept behind it.

For those of you who haven’t seen it, the main concept (without giving it all away) is that the main character, played by Gwyneth Paltrow, runs down the stairs of the tube in London to catch a train and missed the train by a split second. Then, the screen splits and shows her running down again to catch the train; this time making the train. The movie proceeds to show what happens in her life moving forward from each scenario.

I suppose I take this movie to heart because of how we can all relate it to our own lives. Think of how many trains we missed by literally 2 seconds, a plane that was missed because of a traffic accident, or you were simply late and that prevented you from getting into an accident of your own? How would our lives have been affected if we made that plane or train or got out of the door on time?

I’m sure those of you that commute, or travel frequently, can think back on many scenarios where a sliding door has kept you, or helped you, decide what the next steps in your day will be. So, the next time you miss that train, which may disrupt your schedule, think of what it may have prevented you from, or, better yet, what’s yet to come!

-Alex Young, vice president and associate publisher

As a man, you might find this a funny blog for me to write, but I am often reminded by my female clients and business associates that there are still some differences when men travel versus when women travel.

As a man, I have seen it and I have been a party to it. It seems to be in a man’s nature to expect to be treated a certain way or to demand it. It is not always in a women’s nature. When a woman behaves aggresively, they are considered a bitch, but when a man behaves this way, he is considered an aggressive or shrewd businessman.

Our editor, Lisa Matte, was a longtime believer that everything was the same. That was until we had lunch together at Legal Seafood in Boston. We were at a three top table, myself, Dick Evans (GT VP) and Lisa. She had arrived early and had been seated and it was not until Dick and I arrived that we were asked if we wanted drinks. The waiter took our drink order and did not ask Lisa. I had to call him back. She was shocked as no one had come to her until we arrived and even after that she was not asked for a drink.

On many occasions at restaurants, I have been treated by female clients and the bill comes to me, even after the credit card has been given. And the wine list ALWAYS comes to me and, in fact, most of my female colleagues are far more wine knowledgeable than I. Eunice Fried, our wine consultant, is an excellent example.

I never forget watching a businessman negotiating to get on a full flight. He never raised his voice, but kept telling the gate agent how important it was for him to get home for various reasons. She indicated that there was a long list ahead of him and that he was most likely not going to get on the flight. He was never rude, but insisted, speaking in a low, but firm voice. And, guess what - he was the first standby passenger to get a boarding pass. He jumped the list over 10 passengers at least.

I can tell you that as a man, the flight attendants do seem to pay more attention to me. I have been on flights with female colleagues in business class where I have seen the differences in treatment. I remember specifically on the now defunct SABENA Airlines where I was sitting on the opposite side of the business class cabin from my two female colleagues. I went over to visit them and they said to me “Isn’t the flight attendant a bitch?” and I responded, “No, she has been quite nice to me.” During the flight I made sure I waved over to them whenever the flight attendant was offering me wine or something with a smile. They were just boiling mad…and they should have been!

Some say that it is what you give back - if you are nice and pleasant, then you get the same in return. I have seen it in restaurants, in planes and in other locations. I would love to hear your comments!

-Fran Gallagher, publisher and CEO

I’m going to Denver next month, and it just occurs to me that I haven’t been to altitude since I moved to sea level. In fact, the last time I went to Denver–and considerably higher, up Mary Jane peak in Winter Park to 13,000 feet–I lived in a ski area in Vermont. I just checked; I was living at 2,500 feet then. (Now I’m at 4 feet asl.) On the plus side, I went cross-country skiing and didn’t feel any altitude-related issues. But I guess I can’t count on being exempt.

Without even thinking about it, I have the trip set up the right way; two days in Denver, and then two days each in Vail (elev. 8,200 feet) and Aspen (elevation 7,930 feet). The powers-that-be, altitude-wise, recommend that intermediate stop in Denver for acclimation before heading into the higher mountains. So that’s good.

Several Web sites recommend getting a prescription for something called Diamox to help red blood cells acclimate faster–oops, except if you’re allergic to sulfa, which I am. I see some recommendations for gingko biloba and CoQ10, so those won’t hurt; I’ll try ‘em. And then there are the reminders, which I had forgotten, about drinking a LOT of water to fend off dehydration-related symptoms from the dry air–that’s probably a good one, since I’m coming from hot and humid Florida. Also not drinking, and eating light; oh darn.

It occurs to me that I was probably fitter the last time I headed for the Rockies; I was running an inn and chasing around a four-year-old. I don’t get out of breath easily with exertion, but neither do I work out much, so I’ve got a month to improve those odds. This month, I was motivated to start getting in better shape by the visit of an old friend I hadn’t seen in 20 years. Now I’ve got my mountain motivation to keep me going.

I’ll keep you posted on how handling the altitude change works out. Any and all suggestions gratefully accepted!

–Mary Hunt, editor, eFlyer

If you’ve ever wondered where the next generation of global travelers is going to come from, you can rest easy. When you look at Web sites catering to young people, you can see that they are fascinated by travel.

One very cool indication is WIB: WhereI’veBeen.com, an application that can be downloaded and added to someone’s Facebook or MySpace page. WIB is an interactive world map that you can click on to show, in different colors, where you’ve lived, where you’ve traveled to, and where you want to go. The personalized map can then be linked to and shared with friends and acquaintances online. It is, in fact, the single most popular travel application on Facebook (which had it first), with 2.6 million users.

When the WIB application was created for Facebook this past June, 1 million users downloaded it THE FIRST DAY! It averages 30,000 new users every day on Facebook alone. Now that it’s been made available for MySpace, which has about 70 million users to Facebook’s 30 million, there will soon probably be few people under 30 who haven’t at least seen it, which is pretty impressive.

 I love the idea of one’s travel experiences becoming common currency in social interaction. Americans in particular have been so parochial for so long that the idea of a new generation that thinks globally–and shares their travel experiences–bodes very well for the future. Here’s hoping that additional versions of WIB become available for other social networks and blogs; meanwhile, here’s a look at the MySpace version.

 –Mary Hunt, editor, eFlyer

I am going on vacation in a little over a week. And one might think that working for a travel magazine would make vacation planning a cinch. I have coverage of the world’s finest destinations at my fingertips daily, I am surrounded by well traveled individuals who could offer suggestions, advice, etc. and I have connections to the world’s finest hotels and accommodations. However, vacation planning was not so easy in my case.

Some obstacles I faced: my travel companion does not have a passport (which ruled out destinations as simple as Mexico), finding a place that would keep us both entertained for a week (I could lay on a beach all day, my travel buddy is not a huge beach person), arranging a week that worked with both of our hectic schedules and finding an affordable, yet enjoyable vacation spot.

 I’m going to Florida. To Disney. I have been there like 10 times, my friend only once. But we agreed upon it for many reasons - we are going there for a surprisingly affordable rate, there is plenty to do between the theme parks and everything else, the weather is nice and it does not require a passport. Our other option was Las Vegas, but we decided that would be too much of a dent in the wallet and everyone says Vegas gets tired after three or four days. So, now finally, with a little over a week left until my vacation, I can actually be excited and look forward to the trip instead of pulling my hair out trying to pick a place to go.

-Kimberly Krol, circulation and public relations executive