About Derek
Welcome! I am Derek, publisher of The Suburban Travelers and owner of Debrian Media. I live with my family and our German Shepherd in the suburbs of Atlanta, GA. My wife and I travel frequently, both domestically and internationally, and seek lasting memories by enjoying first-class experiences on an economy-class budget, in part, by utilizing travel reward points and miles. I have a passion for all things transportation; for me, how we get somewhere is often as thrilling as where are going!
Other interests include Formula 1 racing, investing, reading, and home theater. I am a die-hard Georgia Tech football fan and have had season tickets since 2000. At one point I attended 112 consecutive games, home and away, which included trips to Indiana, Kansas, Maryland, Massachusetts, Texas, Utah, and even Ireland! I was able to do a lot of traveling during those eight years, combining two great passions!
From the Southeastern U.S. to Europe
Arriving in my 48th state in 2013
My love for travel began at a young age. My dad drove buses for Trailways and, later, Greyhound. I literally grew up on the road, riding buses with him as often as I could. By the time I graduated from high school, I had visited nearly every Southeastern state as well as my first international destination, the Bahamas. Upon college graduation my world expanded when I took my first flight from Atlanta to Washington-Dulles on Delta Air Lines. I still remember being absolutely amazed - I was flying! That quickly added a fascination with commercial aviation to my love of buses. By 2013 I had visited all 48 of the continental U.S. states.
The following year, when considering where to go on vacation, I was at a loss for a destination. I had hit most of the high points in the U.S. and those that I had not visited would be similar trips to ones I had recently completed. On a whim, I booked flights for a nine-day adventure to London and Paris. I had to plan the entire trip in three weeks, not knowing anything about international travel, and, frankly, being a little intimidated! I had little idea of what to expect on the far side of the Atlantic. I may never forget the surreal, but thrilling, feeling I had walking down the jetway to board my flight to London-Heathrow: I was about to cross the Atlantic and land in Europe the next morning!
My wife and I in Key West
Becoming the Suburban Travelers
On that first visit to London and Paris, I was captivated by the cafés, museums, iconic sites, and, not least, the passenger trains! I knew I had to return. Soon, I was planning a 2015 trip to Germany. That same year, I met my wife and was thrilled to learn that she also loved to travel. Having studied in Europe while in college but not returning since, she was excited to explore Europe with me. Since then, we have been blessed to have completed six European vacations with our seventh planned for later this year. During a pandemic-induced lull in those trips, we journeyed to several states she had not previously visited. Hopefully, God willing, we will be able to continue these travels for years to come! When I decided to reboot this blog and rebrand it from Debrian Travels, our identity as travelers who live a typical, American suburban life only made sense as the new title - The Suburban Travelers!
So how do we manage to travel so much, especially internationally? That’s where travel rewards come into play. Read on about points and miles and how they are a key aspect of my travel philosophy as well as an important topic of The Suburban Travelers.
