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