Sunday, December 20, 2015

Moving on....

Well, it's time. Farewell, wild blue yonder. Adios, friendly skies. Time to hang up my wings and keep my feet on the ground. It was a fun ride, an adventure that I hadn't even planned on taking, and now it's finished. Time to move on, only this time without lift-off.
Here's a little pic I took from inside my office one day. I will miss this!

Working as a Flight Attendant for SkyWest Airlines has been a lot of fun. In fact, a lot of it was absolutely enjoyable. It was a delight to meet people of all ages and races; to talk with them and understand the perspectives and ideals of people very different than myself. I LOVED making new friends--people I would never have met, if I hadn't had this job. (And whom I really needed to meet in my lifetime).  I've been blessed to traverse the avenues of large, powerful cities one day and then explore the quiet, obscure paths of small towns the next. I've admired the beauty of famous skyscrapers, discovered the treasures of small town museums, and stood into the wind on salty beaches. It's been a privilege to view the earth from an aerial view, through clouds and sunshine, day and night, day after day. And that never gets old.
One evening in Burbank.

Chicago....one of my favorite cities!

Portland is a beautiful place.

There are a lot of perks to this job. I mean, going through security without waiting in line, carrying any size liquid I want onto an airplane, and flying all over the world for free makes it a pretty good gig. Although I didn't really fly all over the world (London and Santiago were my two big trips), just knowing that I could do it made it a great career.
My trip to London, thanks to SkyWest and Camille.

Santiago and Marcus, December2015

Santiago, Chile with 2 of my men.

I discovered and learned a lot while working as a Flight Attendant.  Most of all, I discovered a lot about myself. I realized that I enjoy being alone in a hotel room, with time for myself. I had personal time to read, sleep, or exercise (ok, maybe not so much). It sounds lonely, but it wasn't. With a lot of time for self-reflection, I recognized my innate tendency to nurture. I realized that I like caring for others and making their trip, flight, journey, commute (or whatever else you want to call it) a bit more enjoyable. Even though it sounds cheesy, a smile and a kind word can make a big difference, and I learned that I like being the one to make that difference for someone else. I also learned to be flexible, to adjust to delays and wait without complaining (ok, maybe just a little bit), and to be patient with circumstances as well as with people. I learned that people can be extremely kind to each other, even when cramped in a small, uncomfortable cabin. I found that it may be those who look the least approachable who can be the most receptive. And I discovered that YouTube can teach you how to do anything. Hence, I learned how to crochet.
Thank you, YouTube!
All of which leads to this: I learned that I really like being home. Going to work was fun, but coming home is satisfying. I missed my husband, Hector, more than I had imagined I would. Although we talked everyday whenever possible, I missed just being with him.  And although flying gave me the opportunity to care for others, I missed being able to help and care for my family, church, and community on a regular basis. I missed being accessible to my family whenever they wanted to talk. And I missed the daily routine of life on land. In the end, I have recognized that being gone for days at a time, no matter how fun, just isn't what I want to do.

So this is the end of my flying career. I have no regrets, and I am soooo glad I have done this. As I said earlier, I have met some incredible people, I've had some amazing experiences, and I've fallen in love with some fascinating places.  But as it turns out, this job just isn't for me. So farewell flying! Thank you, SkyWest, for a wonderful opportunity. It was a blast!

It's good to be home.






3 comments:

Shel said...

Beautifully written. What a cool adventure. Ps, many of us could have told you that nurturing bit years before you realized it in yourself. Xxoo

Shel said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
DOUG said...

I loved reading this part of your adventure! How fun that you had the blessing to do this, and what a blessing you were to others. Welcome home Suzie!