10 Things To Do As A Reserve Flight Attendant

 

1. Keep your phone on you. Always. Jump when it rings, only to answer a call from Bob at Progressive, wondering why you changed insurance companies. Spend way too much time explaining the decline in your logistical needs due to the fact that you RIDE IN A FREAKING PLANE to get where you need to go.


2. Learn a second (or third, 4th, etc) language. I'm currently trying my hand at German for free on Duolingo


3. Do laundry. Iron uniform. Use starch. Feel really bad@ss because you just used starch on your crisp uniform shirts. You're so legit it's not even funny.


4. Check your on call available number.... every hour. Despair quietly. They'll get to you one day.


5. Pack your stuff. Unpack your stuff. Pack new stuff. Feel slightly more productive.


6. Clean your bedroom/bathroom. Use the abundance of downtime to your advantage. A clean counter is a righteous counter!


7. Go shopping way more than you ever thought you would in your entire life. But hey, there are a million fantastic little shops and boutiques. Weep over the things you cannot afford yet.


8. Watch ALL the movies/shows on Netflix.  Run out of good things to watch. Eventually devolve your taste in cinema to the point where you watch a movie about a roving discarded rubber tire that could blow things up with its mind. You genuinely can't believe you just admitted that.


9. Work out at your apartment's awesome gym. I'm a fan of the Couch to 5k running app for my iPhone. One day I'll be able to run a marathon, and that treadmill won't know what hit it.


10. Jump up like a ninja when you get a phone call from scheduling (see image below)

 

Biking the Golden Gate Bridge (in ballet flats)

As fate would have it, I received a phone call from scheduling one cold, rainy and rather depressing evening this past week. When you have a few days left on your on-call schedule as a reserve flight attendent, you can guarantee they'll put you to good use (unless you're Belle, who sat at home for 3 days and was incredulous). If it's raining, there will be oodles of flight delays and crews who can't make it back to Charlotte for the next leg of their trips. I call this duo of phenomenons the flight attendant's two-way crystal ball.

Anyway, I get this call, and as usual, I'm really excited. They literally could send me to any corner of the world, so I grab my pen and do a little happy dance as I answer my phone. I'm told this is a short lived phase of being a new hire—after awhile getting a call is like a visit from the Grim Reaper. But I refuse to believe this. When I'm on call I don't make plans to meet friends or do things outside of Charlotte like a lot of people do—I think its setting yourself up for disappointment if you have a job that requires you to keep yourself available and then you make plans. Lerp derp. When I tell people this, I'm often reminded that I'm still the girl who flaps her arms and jumps up and down when a jet flies low overhead. But, hey, what's wrong with being an optimist?

I digress. They ask if I want to go to San Francisco, stay all day Saturday, and then leave late Sunday morning. I felt like the conversation went like this:

Lady from scheduling: "Do you want to go..."
Me: "Yes"
Lady from scheduling: "....on a 2 day trip...."
Me: "Yes!"
Lady from scheduling:" to San Francisco...."
Me: "Holy schnike! Yes! YES! ALL THE YES!"
Lady from scheduling: "......."


The catch was they needed me there in a hour, and as I mentioned earlier in this post, it was torrentially raining and rush hour. This is known as a quick call. Technically, they're required to give you 90 minutes from the time you accept the trip, but as the scheduling lady noted, the crew for this trip was trapped in Myrtle Beach, and they needed us sooner so the flight could leave on time. If I didn't think I could do it, that was fine.

Challenge accepted.

I have my flight bag and rollerboard packed at all times in case something like this happens. I highly recommend all flight attendants on reserve do this—you just can't be too careful. The difference between being prepared and needing time to pack was being able to spend 35 hours in sunny, beautiful California on the company's dime or sitting at home watching Netflix with Belle and finishing a scarf I've been knitting for Darcy.

Without further ado, I threw on my uniform, and hauled tail to the airport. This was much easier said than done because in the rain, everybody forgot how to drive home from work. I ended up taking my secret back-roads route to the airport rather than get on the interstate. The only problem with this route was its the "long way" to the employee parking lots and I found myself waiting in line for the traffic lights to offer admittance, 50 feet at a time. Ughh. I stayed determined, though, and frantically called scheduling when I reached my gate for check in, with exactly 4 minutes to spare.

Turns out, all the rush wasn't necessary, because our flight was delayed 2.5 hours. I used this time to eat, call friends, print out the flight details, and pass the information along to my other crew members who showed up over the next hour or so (apparently scheduling hadn't stressed the need for punctuality as much to them).

When Air Traffic Control was finally able to find a plane for us to replace the one stuck in Myrtle Beach, the passengers were none too pleased. They're bored, stressed, impatient and tired all rolled into one. Most of the time, they take these undesirable sentiments out on the gate agents, who have absolutely no power to assuage the situation. I had a passenger ask me on the way to CA if I could ask the pilot to " really step on it", as if he could decide to go a few hundred miles per hour faster on a whim. In a storm.
I make it a point to be as cheerful, helpful and understanding as possible when I work a flight, but when a passenger really just wants someone to blame for all the chaos in their lives that moment, there's really nothing you can do. Either their bad attitude will disperse a little after the 3 beers and 2 vodkas they order, or they'll sit glaring at you impatiently for the rest of the flight.

The flight was 5.5 hours from Charlotte (CLT) to San Fran (SFO) and we didn't get to our hotel until around 2 A.M. As usual, our airline did us a huge solid—the location was gorgeous and right in the middle of downtown. Our rooms were comfortable and chock full of amenities. I forgot my toothbrush and called the front desk and they sent someone all the way up to my floor to deliver it with a neat little toothpaste and aromatherapy spray.
It's the moments like this, when I curl up after a bubblebath in my provided terrycloth bathrobe, and lay on my luxurious bed that I truly know I'm in the right line of work, lol!

I awoke bright and early on Saturday, with the hope of enjoying every moment of my "free" day in California. I had never been to the west coast before, and wanted to taste and see everything good. The day itself was a constant 72 degrees, sunny and slightly fish scented. I was in heaven. My good friend, LC, who is pretty much a human travel guide, told me to get some sushi. According to him, there is no sushi like San Fran sushi, and I'd be remiss not to get my tastebuds on some pronto. He told me to go to the Tenderloin neighborhood and get some there. The immediate problem was I am the most directionally challenged person in the world—if there is a way to get lost, I will find it. If there is a way to misinterpret directions, I will do it. I will second-guess which direction is east during a sunrise, it's so bad.

Armed with my iPhone's navigation and a jolt of enthusiasm (or maybe that was the caffeine from the triple latte I was sipping), I set off from the hotel in what appeared to be the direction of the Sushi District.
As I started to enjoy the beautiful sights all around, I felt strong pangs of longing for someone to be there enjoying it with me. That's probably the biggest (and only) drawback to traveling as a flight attendant: unless I have a friend flying with me, it can feel very solitary. The only way I can share my adventures is through pictures and blog posts. In addition, my initial reaction to going out into a brand new place is the fear that the sheer size and new-ness of it will swallow me up, and I'll never find my way back to where I started. If Darcy was with me, for example, he'd take one look at the map and instantly be self-assured about which direction we were headed.  He'd be like "we'll get on the L train, go three blocks and then transfer to the G train until we get to the wharf. Easy peasy." and I'd be like " is that the green one or the blue one?" That's just who he is. He's got his sh*t together, and its contagious.
I stopped myself, however, by remembering that this day was about me. I wasn't here to go see the sights that someone else wanted to see. I wasn't here to go shopping at the venues my friends wanted to shop at. Being here by myself forces me to do exactly what I want to do, when my natural tendency is to let my far more extroverted friends take the reins. It's natural to want to make memories with others, but some times you just need to kindle some memories with yourself. Similarly, I'd never get any better at finding my way around a strange city if I never struck out on my own.
After this realization, I took that time to make a list of all the things I wanted to do:

• eat some awesome sushi


• go to the Fisherman's wharf and check out the ships in the bay


• lay on the beach and chillax


• go to the Fine Arts Museum


• ride on the historic cable cars up and down the very hilly streets of San Fran


• bike across the Golden Gate Bridge


• make friends with complete strangers


• start my secret project (more on this later)

I'm very proud to say that I never got lost in San Francisco, thanks to my iPhone, some very helpful police officers, and a group of Chilean exchange students. This has never happened before. I always get lost. There's always at least one "where the bleep am I" moment, but this time I made it around like a champ. I attribute this to the aforementioned people/electronic device, and the fact that I wasn't in a hurry. When you can wander around and get from point A to point Z at a leisurely pace, you're a lot less likely to panic, and get even more lost. I guess that would be my newbie tip: don't immerse yourself in unfamiliar territory unless you have time to become familiar with it in a way that your brain is comfortable with.

Without further ado, here are some pics from my trip!:



I went to Hana Zen sushi in San Francisco, and got this. It's called a Salmon Don bowl, and is basically lined on the bottom with the delicious sushi rice, then a layer of bok choy (cabbage) and then generous slices of fresh sushi fish. It was pretty cheap too considering how much food you get (about $12) and comes with the ginger and wasabi. This place is legit—you know you're at a good sushi place when the venue is filled with native Japanese people enjoying their meals. I could hardly finish my food there was so much, and the staff was very friendly and attentive.



A cupcake shop I found. Excellent advertising! I totally pigged out, and when I told them I was a flight attendant who blogs about her travels they gave me some free cupcakes! Woot!



streetcars down by the fisherman's wharf. It's the coolest feeling riding the hills on a little old school trolley.



ancient tugboat down by the fisherman's wharf. Still going strong!



a sailor "hanging out"



a friendly seagull on the docks



about to bike across the golden gate bridge. What they tell you at the bike rental places is that you have your own private bike roads, so you don't have to worry about dodging traffic. What they dont tell you is that you will be riding uphill for miles and a 70 degree day feels about 20 degrees cooler over the bay. Bring a jacket! Furthermore, I was amused at my naivete—I thought it was going to be a short ride, so I only wore my Gap ballet flats. This turned out to be problematic—pedaling hard and keeping slip ons on your feet don't mix well. Still, those shoes were champs, and they didn't wear out or give up as I walked and biked all over the city for 8+ hours. While I don't recommend them for biking, I'd highly suggest buying a pair for everyday use. They match everything and are super comfortable/ (and as I learned that day) durable!  Way to go, Gap!



Almost there! I thought my legs were going to fall off. Nothing humbles you more than watching avid bikers zoom past you while you're huffing and puffing and trying to keep going.



The bridge and beautiful view was absolutely worth it, though. I crossed one of the items off my bucket list of things to do in my travels: the Golden Gate Bridge is even more breathtaking than its pictures, and is a true marvel of engineering/design.



The Fine Arts Museum. It looks like a little corner of paradise just tucked away for you to find.



The perfect way to end the day, with my toes in the sand, lounging in the sun!  As a side note, I recommend buying one of these wireless chargers for your iPhone if you go traveling. It gives your tired battery a little pick-me-up when you need it most, and you just plug it in, press a button and it does its job. In the plane (okay, most planes), there is no where to plug your phone and we all know what its like to have searches to make, emails to check and pictures to take when your ever-important cellular device decides to die. This has saved my butt more times than I care to count.

As always, have safe and awesome travels my readers!

Catch me if you can!

—Carmen

10 Essential Tips to Succeed In A Flight Attendant Interview

I'm starting a new kind of recurring post wherein I will do 10 tips of sorts, for travel and new hire flight attendants looking for a helpful resource for success. The longer I work in the airline industry, the more I learn, and the more I think to myself "I wish someone had told me that when I was just starting out!"

I was very fortunate, because when I added my name to the vast pool of applicants for flight attendant trainees in October 2012, I had a good friend already in the business to give me some insight into the process. That being said, there is so much I wish I had known then, that I have great fortune to share with you now. The airline industry is going through a hiring boom (at least my airline is!) and at least 1000 new flight attendants will be minted this year. If you're on the verge of considering a new career, want to travel, or even just want your boring life to look drastically different why not give it a try?

There are some of us who are content to lead an ordinary life, where you wake up and do the same thing at the same place. Every. Single. Day. Then there are those of us who never quite fit in this environment. We may try various types of jobs and even change careers several times hoping for a job with staying potential/growth, which you can actually enjoy instead of just tolerate. Nevertheless, you end up feeling like you're suffocating in tedium, while spinning in place. Sound familiar?

Maybe you've already applied and have gotten a call back from HR! If this is the case, congratulations! I know for a fact they ever-so-carefully screen potential candidates, and if you've gotten this far it means they're seriously interested in you because your resume and qualifications have risen to the top of the pile.
After the phone interview (where they ask very standard questions about your resume and skills), you'll be scheduled a time to come for an in person interview. When this happens, get excited and take the earliest possible date they have available. Why? Every benefit in the airline industry is based on seniority; from getting the schedule you want to taking vacation days off. The earlier you get in to the job, you will have a slight advantage over everyone else who is hired on a later interview date.

My airline paid for its chosen applicants to be flown to the physical interview, which was a huge advantage over some of the others I had applied to. Can you imagine how awkward it would be to drop $500 on a ticket, only to be told you didn't make the cut?

Here are my first ten (plus) tips about what/what not to do when you arrive at the interview.

1.  Dress well.  No short skirts or platform heels or earrings that are bigger than your actual ear. Think tasteful. Think understated. Make it easy for them to imagine you in the uniform. Below is my interview outfit— a stylish but tasteful dark peplum dress. Target and Anne Taylor are your best friends for interviews.
   


2. Be honest about liking customer service and willingness to relocate. If you don't like being around people, you definitely won't like people when you're trapped with them in a steel tube cruising along at 35,000 feet. That said, I'm naturally more of an introvert than an extrovert, but the difference is for  bursts of time, I absolutely love being around people and taking care of them. Don't think you can commute right away. Emphasize how flexible you are willing to be. They really do expect you to be at your base when you're on call, so don't think you can just go back to your hometown at night and take a flight back during the day. Not gonna happen. For the first 7 months you're on the job, you're on probation, which means your performance is under strict observation and evaluation. If you're not on base when you're supposed to be, they will know and you will be fired. Make your life easier and don't expect to even try to commute until after you're off probation.


3. Talk to everybody. Your fellow interviewees, the interviewers, the janitors, the receptionist. Try to make the impression that you are Skippy McSkipperskip— the most social person on the face of the planet. I made it a point to remember everyone's first name and one interesting fact about their life, so if I was called upon to do so (as I read on some forums was the case) I'd be able to show I'd been paying attention. As I've said, you are being watched, and people are taking notes on how you interact with others. This gives a window into how well you get along with other human beings in close quarters in the air.


4. Make the interviewers remember you. I share a name with a famous politician, and I made sure to mention that in my introduction (where you have to stand up in front of the entire group and speak for a minute.) I also made an effort to make the interviewers laugh, and be as confident and cheerful as possible.


5.  Be prepared for a long day. My interview was, in total, about 8 hours. Food and refreshments are provided, but a lot of people seem to think you're going to go in, be interviewed like any other company you've worked for, and then go home. What actually happens is a mixture of one-on-one interviews, group activities, mock-up flight tests, guest presentations on the company, question and answer sessions and ohsomuch paperwork at the end.


6. Ask intelligent questions about the airline. This shows your interest and Do not ask questions that would indicate you care more about the benefits and less about the job, such as how long you'll be on reserve or how many free flights you can give out to friends in a year. An example of a good question would be "What are [airline's name] plans for expansion in the future?" or "Which types of aircraft are in [airline's name]'s fleet?"


7. Don't forget to be you. Sure, you're being a slightly more polished version of you, but they don't want to hire some automaton—they want a real person. Let your best colors shine through. In my one-on-one portion of the interview, my interviewer noted how it was unique that I had flown private planes as a hobby before becoming a flight attendant. She must have talked to thousands of interviewees in her career, but that little tidbit helped me stand out. Months later, she still remembered me.


8.  Do not touch your cell phone. You need to be able to devote your full attention to the interview and interacting with your fellow candidates, so you need to avoid coming across as that bored person who is disconnected from the rest of the group, typing away on her cell phone.


9. Work well as a group. You'll be in group exercises/games, and its important that you should stand out as a leader, but also as a someone who designates duties to others and asks for advice or input where its needed. Getting along with others is a skill we learn in kindergarten, so it always surprises me when people are standoffish or try to take over and be a dictator over the rest of the people in the group.


10. Wear a watch. This is actually something they look for. A watch indicates you care about punctuality, and keep a wary eye on the time.


11. *Bonus* Bring copies of your resume and make sure you have a passport. (I remembered this after I had typed up the 10 tips.) You must have your passport by the time training starts, so its an added bonus if you have it at the interview.

These tips are the basics. Follow them and you will be off to a good start but, it doesn’t mean everyone is right for this career. It is a big investment for the airline to train flight attendants. The purpose behind the interview process is to make sure it is the right fit for both you and the company. Feel like you’ve got what it takes? Good Luck! Hope to see you in the skies!

Crisis Averted

As much as I hate to admit it, making mistakes in the early days as a flight attendant are inevitable. In my ideal world, I would micromanage all the details and get everything right so I never have to feel that gut-wrenching terror of messing something up and the worst case scenario ensuing.

Pretty much anything bad that can happen is magnified 5x in my head before it even happens. This can be both bad and good. It's good because when so many scenarios are occurring to me as I plan for a trip, I tend to over-accommodate and am prepared for a number of things most new hires may not consider. Thus, when crap hits the fan, I am prepared with my extra shirts, list of flight numbers and backup alarm clock.

However, this can be bad when things go wrong and I nearly kill myself with anxiety. For example, a few days ago when I had 5:30 AM OPR (on premises reserve). The day was destined to have some tense moments from the start. First off, I calculated my wake up time wrong. I had to be there at 5:30, which means I should leave an hour beforehand from my apartment. Having that extra cushion of time between the moment I get in my car to the moment I get to the employee parking lot ensures I'm not pressed for time when I'm waiting on the airport shuttle, getting through my security checkpoint or walking to the crew room. I can have peace of mind in the logistical realm. However, for some silly reason I set my alarm clock for 4:30, rather than 3:30, and I woke up at the time when I wanted to be out the door.

I had the realization of my late start dawn on me when I was lathering up in the shower. Expletives ensued, followed by the quickest shower, accoutrements and dressing ever performed by human hands. I got out the door by 4:50 and zoomed to the airport, thanking the stars that there was nobody else on the highway. 10 minutes later I was at the parking lot, and I ran to the bus stop. What was actually probably about 5 minutes felt like 50, and when the driver pulled up I was a nervous wreck constantly looking at my watch and cursing my luck.

I got the airport around 5:15, and walked with purpose towards the checkpoint. It was about that time I realized I had left my badge at home. The badge that would get me through the checkpoint, and the badge that without I would not be able to go on a trip should I be paged from the crew room. My heart completely stopped and a lump welled up in my throat.

What could I do? There wasn't enough time to go home, even though I'd gotten to the airport with some time to spare. Should I just try to go through the normal people security and hope I didn't get a trip so I wouldn't need my badge? No, that would be an absurd game of chance.

I had to call scheduling and tell them I needed to go get it. Which meant I'd be late. As a new hire with 6 months of probation to go, I wasn't sure if this meant I'd get a mark against me. I was desperately determined not to give my supervisors any reason to doubt my impeccable responsibility and punctuality. But what else could I do?

I called scheduling with pulse racing, imagining getting fired for forgetting my badge. I imagined telling my friends and family that I had gotten sacked in the first month of duty for a stupid, stupid mistake. I've worn my badge ten million times, how could I forget it?

Scheduling answered, and I told them my woeful story. Their answer was surprising.

"Oh, you forgot it? Well go back home and get it and then call us when you're back at the airport. We'll check you in at 6:30 instead of 5:30."

That was it? Jumping Jehosephat!

A giant stress balloon deflated above my diaphragm and I finally relaxed, feeling a little silly. When I told my story to some older flight attendants later that day, they let me know that the company had invested so much time and money in me that they wouldn't fire me unless I did something really really extra stupid. Like not show up for a trip. Or an accidental door slide deployment.

Crisis averted.

Lesson learned: crap happens. Try to prevent it as much as possible, but the people who work in scheduling are human and will work with you if something goes awry.

Hurry Up and Wait (aka my first couple weeks on the job!)

I've started keeping a moleskine notebook by my side at all times, because no matter how much I try to make a mental note of all the things I've done and seen, I can't possibly keep up with the adventures I'm going on. I've met so many new people and done an endless list of things which are firsts of their kind in the past few weeks alone. It's a good problem to have!

Before I took this job I was worried I'd end up in a life where every day was basically a repeat of the last, give or take a few tedious details. Working as a flight attendant is the exact opposite. Every trip is different, and while certain things are the same (uniform, aircraft fleet, supplies, etc), everything else is fascinatingly varied. I still sit in awe of the fact that I'm getting paid to be a world traveler extraordinaire.

I remember well that first day when my class got our phone calls from scheduling. They went in order of seniority, so we literally watched as one person's phone went off after the next. We all were just so excited and ready to see what they'd say; hoping for something exotic and far away.

When I got called, I had to steady my voice from sounding over-enthusiastic. This was difficult to do when the guy offered me a trip to Aruba.

Would I like to go to Aruba and have a night all-expense-paid night at a beach resort? Gee, let me check my calendar. I might have a dentist's appointment that night.

OF COURSE I WANT TO GO TO FREAKING ARUBA!!

In Charlotte it was a cold 35 degrees, and the thought of lounging by the waves was almost too good to be true. One of the nice things about being at the bottom of the seniority totem pole as new hires is we get all kinds of trips. As soon as a senior mamas drop a trip or someone calls in sick, we are the first line of response to take their place.

On one of my first assignments, I got to sit OPR (on premesis reserve) with two of my lovely roommates. We got called in order of seniority, so we picked the same time slot. Basically, OPR is where you sit at the airport for 4 hours, waiting for someone to call you for a trip that has to be filled immediately. This usually happens when a flight attendant is late to check in or calls in sick, or is delayed at a different airport and can't make it to the next flight. OPR has a reputation for being boring, but I love it. The mystery of where you could go if you get called, and the camaraderie of hanging out with other flight attendants is awesome. I get a lot of reading done and/or blogging, paying bills etc.

That first OPR with Jasmine and Belle was awesome. The three of us are already inseparable and we kept each other entertained with 4 hours of YouTube videos, pictures, and advice from senior flight attendants who came over to see who these new kids were. That's another thing I love about this job; everybody is so happy to see us. They say it's inspiring to see our fresh enthusiasm, and it reminds them how much they enjoy their jobs. We learned so much, and when it was time to go, we were a little sad. Still, we strutted our stuff through that airport and giggled about how we were finally legit flight attendants.

[caption id="attachment_58" align="alignnone" width="300"] Belle, Jasmine and I on our first night waiting OPR[/caption]

The next week, Jasmine and I got a trip together. I forget where we went, but we were having such a good time. After we had served our passengers (flashbacks to training where she  and I practiced serving, we could hardly believe we were doing it for real!) we stood in the front galley, out of sight of the passengers and kept making each other laugh. She would do some crazy dance and I would do something silly, and we both just couldn't believe we were getting paid to do this. Then, being the crazy kid she is, she got the idea to climb into the overhead bins after the passengers had deplaned. I was sure she wouldn't fit, or even be able to haul herself up there, but sure enough—she made it happen!

[caption id="attachment_60" align="alignnone" width="300"] she is so crazy! But I love her![/caption]

The next week, I got a 4 day trip to NewYork, Philly, Orlando and Punta Cana DR. It was a big deal for me, because nobody knew me on this trip and I wanted to make a very good first impression. Of course, being me, I assume I'm going to mess everything up under pressure, and I obsessed over studying the aircraft and the position I would be working before the trip. But, it turned out to be great. I met a cool guy named Patrick, who had been working for the company for over 30 years. He was from the same town in Ohio as Darcy, which I thought was incredibly cool, and had a girlfriend from college who he never married because she hated his job. I've heard this a lot among flight attendants. Their spouses want them to be able to spend Christmas or birthdays at home, but we just aren't able to guarantee that.

I guess its hard for me to understand why the day of the month is so important. I wouldn't mind celebrating my birthday the week before, or remembering an anniversary the week after. The important thing is the quality time spent together, not necessarily the date, right?  The lack of precise freedom over schedule and planning ability is perhaps one of the drawbacks to the job, but to me it's not that big of a deal. I have a good friend who is getting married at the end of June and if I am unable to make it to the wedding itself, I will be there to see her beforehand and show my support. Plus, I got her and her husband free tickets to Europe, so I don't think they're complaining too much. ;) Flexibility is key, and I knew what I was getting myself into. Still, I felt kind of bad for Patrick and wondered how it felt to be in a relationship where one partner constantly wasn't happy with your lifestyle.

Our New York leg of the trip was spectacular. The flight was at 8 am, and we got in at around 9:30 and the rest of the day was ours to spend in the city. Our hotel accommodations were right in the middle of downtown Manhattan, and I called my good friend Andy to hang out with me. As it turned out, we spent the entire day together exploring the city and enjoying ourselves. We went to Central Park, the Garment District, Strawberry Fields and all over the metro. It was truly a perfect day.

[caption id="attachment_63" align="alignnone" width="300"] My sweet New Yorker friend Andy and I[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_64" align="alignnone" width="300"] walking around downtown Manhattan always takes my breath away.[/caption]

For more pictures on my trip to New York, as well as many other pictures from other trips, check out my instagram account at www.instagram.com/wingedwayfarer!

Well, that's all I have time for now, but I'll be updating again soon!

Hotel Paper

Lyrics from one of my favorite songs, aptly named Hotel Paper.

Inevitably, I have great ideas for things I want to write about when I'm away from my laptop. In fact, it happens way more often when i'm sitting in my jumpseat than when I'm rehashing my week with blog in compose mode and keyboard ready. When this happens, I usually scramble for the nearest scrap of paper before the thought bubble disappears from all hope of recollection. In this new job, with a different location every night and very limited belongings I can take with me, it isn't always possible to carry around a notebook. In fact, its darn near impossible.
So, I've found it really handy to write my musings on the provided pad of hotel paper. The resulting memento of keeping these scraps of paper has been pretty cool too, because instead of throwing them away I cut off the letter head and keep them in an envelope. My plan is to get a scrap book and paste the little souvenirs into a collage and write little notes in the margins about my memories from the hotels and the city I visited. Hopefully after a few years this will make a cool heirloom/memory book of my flight attendant career!

Wings, Cake and Couch Surfing

At our graduation, we had a beautiful ceremony, got our wings pinned on us, did a dance and song we choreographed as a class for the occasion, had a piece of cake and then were immediately shipped off to Charlotte. Everything was timed down to the minute, and when we were seated on the flight across the country, there was a certain sense of shock. All that had transpired in the last month and a half was over, and we were real life, freshly minted flight attendants.

Or, almost.

We still had to attend 2 days of training and orientation in Charlotte. There were 2 additional types of aircraft we needed to be trained on, and the lot of us had to figure our where we were going to live. Without exception, this has been the quickest I've had to make plans and settle down. Fortunately, Belle, Jasmine, Aurora and I knew we were going to live together, but we had no idea where.

The airline gave us 5 "settling days" after orientation in Charlotte to go home and get our lives together, and find a place to live. During this time, they provided hotel accommodations as needed, but the rest was up to us. My prospective roommates were confident we'd find something, but I was skeptical.

5 days? To completely settle in, and be ready to fly the next duty day? Even if we were really familiar with Charlotte that would be a major hustle. And what exactly would we find? Would it be decent, or would we be so desperate not to be homeless that we'd end up in some dump? I hated to leave Charlotte to go home when there was so much left to do, but I hadn't seen my family and friends since I left for training.

The 2 days of E-190 express and A-330 international flight training whizzed by. By now, learning all the ins and outs of a new plane and being tested on our proficiency was second nature. We got to know our union representatives, and met our supervisors. We learned what would be expected of us. We said goodbye to our classmates who were going to be stationed in Philly or DC (this was far more difficult than I expected), and headed out.

Going home was everything I'd dreamed of and more. Darcy met me at the airport and surprised me by calling to say he was on the way, but then came up behind me at the baggage claim and gave me a huge hug. That guy. :) The next morning I met up with my Chattanooga friends and since it felt like Spring for the first time this year, we went out on the deck and had homemade sangria and guacamole. It was almost as if nothing had changed. When I recounted what happened at training and my operational experience flights, it  felt like I was talking about an alternate lifetime or a parallel universe. When I left Chattanooga, I thought I would relish the opportunity to exist under entirely unfamiliar appellations —but coming home, I realized just how refreshing it was to see my friends, to sit on the same deck, and catch up on the latest gossip and news. The only thing that had really changed was I'd know exactly what to do to save them if we were on a jet and an engine blew out.

Instead of flying back to Charlotte and using my shiny new flying benefits, I loaded up my little car with the remainder of my belongings which I had set aside as "necessities", and drove the 5 1/2 hours to North Carolina. I really enjoy driving, so it wasn't a big deal. What was actually tiring was the next day when Belle, Aurora, Jasmine and I crammed into a vehicle and drove all over town asking the same questions. Do you have 4 bedroom apartments? If so, when are they available? How much of a security deposit? Do you offer discounts for preferred employers?
If it hadn't been for those 3, I think I would've given myself a nose bleed. Nobody had apartments available right away, so we'd have to either invest in a hotel room or stay with friends who lived in Charlotte. And that's exactly what we ended up doing. I never knew how grateful I'd be to sleep on a floor with just a blanket when it meant not having to pay for another hotel, and move all our belongings yet again. Despite the inconvenience of living out of your luggage, you learn to pack like a pro, and know exactly what you need at your finger tips, and how to fit it all in a 21" rollerboard.

Finally, after much contemplation, we decided on a 3 bedroom luxury apartment located only 10 minutes from the airport. It's a breathtaking gated community with "sparkling pool" and "state of the art fitness complex". We don't have any furniture yet, but sleeping on an air mattress is an upgrade at this point. Pictures of my new room soon, I promise. Though you may be tempted to laugh because of the plastic bins my clothes are in. You'd think I lived in a refugee hut, rather than a luxury condo.

Once we settled in, we cooked dinner, had some wine and ate on our living room floor. We had learned how to set up shop in a completely new town, and hadn't gone insane. It's a good life.

Until next time. Catch me if you can!

-Carmen

Back in Blue

***disclaimer*** names have been changed (as well as my own) to protect the privacy of my friends and family. For the list of main characters on my blog, click here

I'll admit, I've been looking forward to sharing my adventures from where I left off in February, but I've been dreading writing this post.

Why?

Well, for one, I had the over-ambitious goal of posting every week during training. That just didn't happen. What I didn't realize was how exhausted I'd be from mentally going 100 miles per hour 6 days a week, 16 hours a day and then only getting one day off. On this much-coveted free time, I spent most of the day sleeping, facebooking and studying for the next week. As if that wasn't enough to deter my writing muse, my laptop had some serious issues that may or may not have resulted from spilling wine on the track pad during a particularly stressful night. I had to take it in for repairs, and Murphy's Law took hold—I didn't get it back for one reason or another for nearly 3 weeks (!?). Despite the most optimistic intentions, I got far behind on my updates and now I hardly know where to start. Since I last posted, not only have I gone through training, but I've graduated (heck yes!), gone through orientation and even gone on a few adventures! It's incredibly hard to try to remember where I was when I left off, and doing justice to the amount of information I have to share.

I thought long and hard about how I'd go about doing this post, and decided I'd break it up into three main parts. The People, The Process and The Place. My goal is not just for this post to be for the people who know me and want to follow my rendezvous, but also as a resource for future flight attendant trainees who might be searching for some insight into what they can expect. If I can make it, so can you. It's one of the most challenging things you'll ever do in your life, but it will be absolutely worth it if you persevere and give it your all.

The People

[caption id="attachment_23" align="alignnone" width="300"] Me and my new roomies/fellow trainees at our after-graduation dinner in Charlotte. From top to bottom right: Belle, me, Aurora and Jasmine![/caption]

One of the first things we do when we arrive at training is mingle with each other. Honestly, out of all the reasons a person has to be nervous about flying across the country and going to Flight Academy, the one I had the most anxiety about was the people. I never joined a Greek organization in college because I preferred to find my own little crew of similar-minded oddballs. My closest friends are people I've known for years, or had natural personal chemistry with from the day we met. The concept of being thrown together in a fricassee of opposing personalities and making friends with people I otherwise had nothing in common with was downright scary. Especially considering how introverted I am.

But, I put my big girl pants on, and once we checked into our hotel, I started to talk to my fellow classmates. In a roundabout sort of way, we are each other's family for the next 4+ weeks. The first day, waking up at 5:30 AM and getting my non-early bird self down to breakfast, I hardly wanted to talk to people. I got myself a plate of hot breakfast, and sat down groggily. When the shuttle arrived to take us to the training center, we shuffled into it single file and took our seats next to complete strangers.

Then something unexpected happened.

The shuttle driver turned on the radio and started playing the Phoenix top 40 station. The song "Scream and Shout" by Britney Spears and Will.I. Am came blaring through the speakers, and we all looked at each other and then started jamming. It was amazing how the music connected us. We may not have had anything in common other than our status as trainees, but the songs are the same on top 40 stations across the country and it broke the ice almost instantaneously. I made friends with people from literally every corner of this country, and several others.

By the end of training, we were emotionally invested in each other's success. We had nicknames, all kinds of memories from "boot camp" and an unbreakable bond. About halfway through training we had to decide which base we were going to bid for. A base is essentially the airport where you originate all your flights and are stationed when on duty. We had three choices; Washington DC, Philadelphia PA, or Charlotte NC. All the cities have their pros and cons. Philly has lots of international flights, the thought of which makes me drool. Washington DC is beautiful and our capital and has direct flights to Chattanooga. Charlotte is only 5 hours away from Chattanooga (my hometown) and only a 1 hour direct flight. The cons were that Philly is far away from home and rather industrial looking. Washington DC is expensive and not much international flights. Charlotte—well—I couldn't think of any cons. I guess the thought of getting less international flights seemed a little sad, but you can't beat the direct flight home to Chattanooga. Plus, it's still in the South (I never realized just how much I'd miss sweet tea) yet has enough of that "big city" feel to make it interesting. So, surprise, surprise, I chose Charlotte. More on that in a later post!

Also at training, I met my three roommates Aurora, Belle and Jasmine. Belle was the first person I saw when I walked into the Drury Inn that first day in Phoenix. Somehow, and I can't explain it, I knew just from looking at her that we'd be friends. She has this sweet face and kind demeanor. We started chatting and hit it off immediately. Shortly after, we met Jasmine (the Indian Princess). She's the most outgoing, talkative, hilarious person. She could make conversation with the wind and somehow, she thinks I'm bust-a-gut funny. Honestly, I think my humor is more dry and odd than anything, but she and I click. I didn't know Aurora until Jasmine told me she had asked her to live with us in a moment of spontaneous enthusiasm. My initial impression of her was quiet, meek and very pretty. She was a contestant in many beauty pageants in Louisiana and has won several of them. I wasn't sure she and I would be close because I'm also rather reserved around new people at first, but sure enough, I've gotten to know her and I'm so glad she's with us. She has contributed more than her share to our new home, and is a fantastic cook.

In addition to my roommates, I met so many awesome people who I probably never would've imagined I'd become close to. It's kind of like a pressure cooker on a stove—you're crammed together and you have no choice but to simmer in the same stew. So, you might as well make friends. Don't get me wrong, there was plenty of drama going on with clashing personalities and exhausted minds. Most of it I wasn't aware of until sometime told me so-and-so had pissed off so-and-so, and often times I didn't even pay attention to it then. When you're in training, your priority needs to be learning the material and mastering the concepts. Everything else is second fiddle, even making friends. I wasn't trying to get all buddy-buddy with people, but it managed to happen anyway, and I'm so grateful for that. Training taught me to get out of my shell and just be myself around total strangers.

The Place

This little Tennessee girl had never gone anywhere close to the west coast, let alone Mexico. Naturally, one of the reasons I wanted this job to begin with was the travel. I wanted to get out of Chattanooga and see what was beyond the horizon. Phoenix is literally in the desert (you should have seen my face when I saw my first cacti) and has very dry heat. It's sunny all the time, and it feels amazing on your skin. In training, we spent our lunches outside every day in the warm (February!) sun. Back in Tennessee, it was icy and grey, but when we touched down in Phoenix, I knew it was going to be fun.

[caption id="attachment_31" align="alignnone" width="225"] the beautiful pool at our hotel in Phoenix[/caption]

I didn't get to spend as much time as I would have liked exploring the city, because, like I said,  we were busy every day, but I really loved getting to enjoy the gorgeous weather. Darcy got to go to the Grand Canyon when he came to visit, and went hiking on some of the desert/mountain trails. I was so jealous and I hope we go back some time in the future so I can really delve into the local nightlife and sightseeing. I am super outdoorsy, and I'd jump at the chance to leave my hiking boot footprints all over this floating rock we call Earth!

The Process

[caption id="attachment_24" align="alignnone" width="300"] one of many cabin mock-up training sessions. Those oxygen masks are hard to pack away again![/caption]

The class syllabus was filled with safety drills, aircraft familiarization, equipment usage and service procedures. We'd wake up first thing in the morning in our hotel rooms at around 5:30 (or maybe that was just me, because I don't like feeling rushed when I'm trying to get myself to resemble a functioning human that early), have a quick breakfast in the hotel lobby, and then get on the buses. Sleepy banter and exam preparation was a staple for those 10 minute bus rides, in which we'd drill each other on the latest test, catch up on class gossip, and of course, text/facebook/tweet like nobody's business. After we got to class, no one was allowed on their phones, so we had to keep them stowed and silent.

When we got to our classrooms, we immediately would get on the computers and take our exams. There were tests almost daily for the first 3 weeks—on the aircraft types, policy and procedure, crew duties, and all 204 airport codes. It was an incredible amount of information to digest in such a short amount of time, and those of us who continued to pass (a score of 90 or above required) were a testament to what we were told at the beginning: only the best and the brightest of the trainee candidates would make it to the end and get our wings. Seeing people not pass was very hard. A good 10 people or so didn't make it over the course of the program, and seeing them say their tearful farewells was incredibly difficult. The hard fact is that some people just aren't cut out for this lifestyle or the pressure that comes from the intense training.

[caption id="attachment_32" align="alignnone" width="223"] standing next to a powerful jet engine! I love my job![/caption]

Our instructors regaled us with tales of how atypical the life of a flight attendant is. On one hand, we have the luxury of travel and layovers in luxury hotels along the beach, but sometimes it's not so picturesque. For example, one instructor described an instance where the lavatory's flushing mechanism broke, and it did the exact opposite of its usual function— flinging waste all over the lavatory walls. The flight attendants had the unique responsibility of cleaning crap off the insides of the plane, and helping the poor passenger who had caused the explosion back to her seat. Anything can happen, and no two days look quite the same. We literally have to be ready for a sh*t storm, or anything else the trip can throw at us. And not only do we have to know how to react, we have to know how to direct others to react.

For example, one of the exercises we had to participate in as a class was operate a real life raft in the pool at a university in Phoenix. All of us had to jump in the pool, 2 at a time, inflate our life vests, swim to the raft, and haul ourselves aboard. Once we were crammed in like sardines, we had to verify all the necessary supplies were present and accounted for, and then put up the tarp over the raft to shield us from the sun and elements that a crew and passengers might experience at sea.

[caption id="attachment_35" align="alignnone" width="300"] The life raft in the pool.[/caption]

The last hurdle before we got our wings was the operational flights. This meant us brand new trainees had to go on a real flight of no less than 5 hours and prove our mettle in the air! I remember being so nervous about this because its one thing to practice in the classrooms, but an entirely different thing to stand up in front of nearly 200 people and perform the safety demo. I was afraid everything I'd learned would disappear from my head when I needed to access it, and the instructor who would be grading my performance would laugh me off the aircraft. Those who know me are aware of how hard on myself I can be. Every time I took a test during training, no matter how hard I'd studied, I was convinced there'd be something on the test I wouldn't know and I'd just obsess obsess obsess over it all morning. After the test, I'd realize I was prepared and how silly I'd been to think I'd fail, but in the heat of the moment it was scary!

When I met my OE flight instructor early early early  Monday morning at the Charlotte airport, she put me at ease immediately. She wanted me to think of her as someone who was there to help me succeed rather than someone to criticize and watch me fail. I felt a stress balloon deflate somewhere in my psyche after that, and I passed my flight with flying colors (no pun intended)! There were some minor mistakes I made on the flight to Phoenix and back, but knowing my instructor was watching with sympathetic eyes made all the difference. I made up my mind that day that I was going to succeed in this new job, really make it my business and enjoy every minute of it.

Darcy came all the way to Phoenix for my graduation, bless his heart, even though its an expensive flight (I didn't have my benefits active yet) and we only had a few hours to spend together. Graduation was on a Tuesday morning and they shipped us to Charlotte right after, and I didn't get back from my operational experience flights until Monday night. Still, seeing him after nearly a month and a half apart was totally worth it.

[caption id="attachment_28" align="alignnone" width="300"] words cannot describe how proud I am to have received these![/caption]

I can't stop thinking about how lucky I am to have been chosen out of thousands of applicants to interview for this job, then go to training and succeed, and now to be hired and starting on a new adventure. Its still so surreal to be getting paid to do something I absolutely love. Work doesn't feel like work. And I couldn't be happier to see what's around the corner.

Until next time my dear readers! And I do apologize for the delay in updates.

Catch me if you can!

–Carmen

Week 1 of Flight Attendant Training

The People

One of the first things we do when we arrive at training is mingle with each other. Honestly, out of all the reasons a person has to be nervous about flying across the country and going to Flight Academy, the one I had the most anxiety about was the people. I never joined a Greek organization in college because I preferred to find my own little crew of similar-minded oddballs. My closest friends are people I've known for years, or had natural personal chemistry with from the day we met. The concept of being thrown together in a fricassee of opposing personalities and making friends with people I otherwise had nothing in common with was downright scary. Especially considering how introverted I am.
But, I put my big girl pants on, and once we checked into our hotel, I started to talk to my fellow classmates. In a roundabout sort of way, we are each other's family for the next 4+ weeks. The first day, waking up at 5:30 AM and getting my non-early bird self down to breakfast, I hardly wanted to talk to people. I got myself a plate of hot breakfast, and sat down groggily. When the shuttle arrived to take us to the training center, we shuffled into it single file and took our seats next to complete strangers.
Then something unexpected happened.
The shuttle driver turned on the radio and started playing the Phoenix top 40 station. The song "Scream and Shout" by Britney Spears and Will.I. Am came blaring through the speakers, and we all looked at each other and then started jamming. It was amazing how the music connected us. We may not have had anything in common other than our status as trainees, but the songs are the same on top 40 stations across the country and it broke the ice almost instantaneously. I made friends with people from literally every corner of this country, and several others.

The Process

First day

Usual 12 hour days

Expect anything to happpen

Our instructors regaled us with tales of how atypical the life of a flight attendant is. On one hand, we have the luxury of travel and layovers in luxury hotels along the beach, but sometimes it's not so picturesque. For example, one instructor described an instance where the lavatory's flushing mechanism broke, and it did the exact opposite of its usual function— flinging waste all over the lavatory walls. The flight attendants had the unique responsibility of cleaning crap off the insides of the plane, and helping the poor passenger who had caused the explosion back to her seat. Anything can happen, and no two days look quite the same. We literally have to be ready for a sh*t storm, or anything else the trip can throw at us. And not only do we have to know how to react

Exams

The first one was the hardest. I had to memorize 204 airport codes for all the US Airways destination

Trip to the mall

The Place