And the winner is...

Finally.

Week 4 is in the bag. It has been an exhausting last couple of weeks. I appreciate all of the prayers as I went through a huge run of anxiety that was pretty debilitating.

We got our uniforms on Wednesday and get to wear them for the first time on Tuesday. Next week I also get to do my first work flight so it will be busy as well. I will try to get more sufficient updates in then as well. 

Best part about this week was that Dan came down to spend time with me. It's been amazing.

We went out for my roommate's birthday Saturday and in Sunday went and sat at a winery and tasted wines all afternoon. Good time well spent. 

I wish I could be more detailed with what all we do, but for safety reasons, I can't go too in depth. 

Even though our class gets into trouble (some people aren't very smart decision makers), our instructors still gave us our bases today! We were told we had to rebid and they gave us a card and inside was a quiz question and we had I scratch to see the "answer." It was our base. 

We are going to Chicago and couldn't be more excited!! 

Only 6 of us got ORD and one at IOR (international) 

I'm going to enjoy the rest of my weekend with my love, but I just wanted to get a quick update out! 

I finally chose.

"But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." 

Matthew 6:33

In preparation for the hardest week of the training, I've been camping out with my flight manual in random places. You won't hear from me much this week. They have killed several small trees just in the manual and workbook they have given me.

In recap of last week... Our instructors danced around the room on Thursday and pulled up the projector screen and on the board was the list of our available bases!

 There was a lot of excitement as we have the 6 main ones open for us. We don't know how many spots are allocated for each and it goes by seniority level. I am 36/60. We have until Monday to choose and after a lot of thinking, praying and tears, I FINALLY have my order! 

1. ORD- Chicago

2. DFW- Dallas

3. MIA- Miami

4. DCA- Washington DC

5. LGA- New York City

6. LAX- Los Angeles 

I will be in one of those 6 cities! 

Dan has been beyond helpful in helping me make this decision. We have a plan for my top two-- I'm praying to be placed where God wants me to be.

Our instructors make the learning fun, but it is a lot of information. I also learned how to fight fires last week. 

I have at least 40 pages of notes for my emergency procedures test on Tuesday. We have five exams this week with two of them being the hardest ones in the training. I have also learned how to evacuate a plane and will be tested on that this week as well. I put up a poster in our room (secured by band aids), to help us study.

By the end of the week, I should be certified on the MD-80.

I DID take one evening off (otherwise, I was going to explode), and went out to The Spaghetti Warehouse in downtown Dallas. The food was great and the company much needed. 

On an amazing note... Dan should be visiting soon! Happiest person in the world. I just need to make it through this week. Apparently 22 people failed the test in a previous class and some went home. I'm studying hard, but still appreciate your prayers and kind words. 

Melatonin madness

Sleeping has been a nightmare. Literally. I wake up multiple times a night with my mind racing and constantly checking the clock to make sure I'm on time and struggling to get back to sleep. When/if I get back to sleep, I usually have a series of nightmares. I tried to take some melatonin to help me sleep and we'll see how it turns out. I haven't seen a difference, yet. I think I'm dealing with some anxiety from the constant slew of tests and studying.

Class is all day. Class is exhausting. Class is informative.

I have also learned to only use coffee when I need it, desperately. It is way more effective when I am not building up a tolerance by having a cup right away in the morning. Strategic caffeine and strategic napping. 

This week, a lot of time is being spent in the simulators doing role plays and learning the four phases of flight. Then, firefighting,y'all!!

We were fitted for our uniforms yesterday morning so it was probably the easiest day we have had (and will ever have).  

The new uniform will roll out sometime in the next year most likely and will be nothing like we've ever had before. I'm excited to see what they entail! (I'm also hoping they bring back little hats!)

This morning we spent a long time discussing culture and how our destinations perceive actions of others. Our instructor, Alejo, wore the old uniform FAs would wear on Hawaiian flights. 

Another lady came in for graduation things happening today and had the OLD Pan Am uniform on from the 60's. It was beyond adorable!!! 

On Wednesdays, we get the opportunity to cheer on the graduating class as they exit the auditorium. It's a very emotional process and so cool to see what we will be going through in only 6 weeks!

Time to pay attention!

• James 1:2-4

  Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds,  because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.  Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

This passage in James stuck out to me today. I foresee many trials arising during my time here and need to accept them with joy. I spent time on a break doing my daily devotional and that helped bring me back and remind me of my true purpose in being here.

Day four was a 12 hour day. I have been so caught up in adhering to the little rules of the class and image standards that I dropped the ball on bringing an important document to an administration session. I hope to never endure that stress during my time here again. My mantra continues to repeat into head, "Do not worry about anything, instead, pray about everything."  Philippians 4:6.

I had my first meeting with my personal instructor this afternoon and it was very relieving after the day's events. My base decision will probably be changing and I will be more than likely bidding to stay in Dallas. I will  explain more on that later on when it comes time in a couple of weeks. It's the least of my worries at this point in time.  Sometimes I think that I'm making the wrong decision and then realize that all of my steps are ordained for me. No matter how this works out, what happens is what is supposed to happen. In my PI meeting, we had a good conversation on tips for success and how the instructors hold us accountable continuously. It's a vastly different environment from anything that I'm used to either at home or in any of my previous adventures. Some moments, I'm great and others, I struggle. 

We spent time in the 757 simulator today learning the electrical system and we went over one page of this: 

High point of the day: one of the instructors said she was jealous of my hair. I can't do hair. My hair, specifically. Made my day (I tried really hard this morning). 

And again! 

Side bun for the win. Small victories. 

Tomorrow starts at 6:45am and 5:30am on Saturday. We get our Galaxy Tablets tomorrow and begin learning the phases of flight! 

Journey to the Jumpseat

"Today I close the door of the past, open the doors to the future, take a deep breath, step on through and start a new chapter in my life." -Anurag Prakash Ray

Well, I'm finally back to the traveling world! I've embarked on a new journey as a flight attendant and am currently residing in a Hyatt hotel as I begin training with a large mainline carrier. I know some people are interested in following my new adventure and I want to document this as well so I can see where it takes me over the next 7 1/2 weeks and decided to get my old travel blog up an running. I hope you enjoy hearing about my journey to the jumpseat!

The first three days are done and we've already accomplished a lot of company basics. We've been told we'd laugh, we'd cry, we'd become like family to our class, and that we are stepping into a career that will have more opportunities than one can even fathom. The instructors have made it very clear to us that we sit in very coveted seats. Over 150,000 people applied for what now is approximately 1,700 seats (it's easier to get into Harvard than it is to get into this airline). Having the chance to fly for a mainline carrier is an opportunity that I'm so grateful for receiving. This whole process hasn't been the easiest thing to endure, but I'm SO glad that I kept pushing forward. I drank the airline kool-aid and am trying to prepare myself for what will lie in the upcoming weeks. I learned my seniority today. Seniority is everything in an airline.

Tests on tests on drills on drills on image critiques on tests on drills. There's no room for anything other than studying and a quick workout. There's no room for failure. To graduate and get your wings, you can't fail. A perfectly reasonable requirement as the FAs are responsible for the LIVES and safety of people on our planes.

It's so refreshing to come to a place and see that everyone is just like me. They are nice. FAs are nice. We are hired BECAUSE we are nice. Well, other things. Empathic, consistent, respectful and dependable are key words that describe FAs. As well as most of the people here. Some of these ladies and gentlemen are the kindest people I've met. Of course, there are some that are not.

On a side note, our hotel has a view that is incredibly surreal. Planes make my chest hurt. But, in a good way, a way that it's just sheer awe that the concept of a plane even works. The power behind a jet is something to respect. My roommate and I get to sit and watch out our balcony while planes take off in front of the sunset.

It's pretty ridiculously cool.

Please keep me in your prayers as this training is going to be, hands down, one of the toughest things I do in my life. Our code test is Saturday, testing us on nearly 300 codes around the world and it just keeps getting harder ( and better!!) I feel that this is what I need to be doing with my life and God has ordained each step in my path. The support from you and my faith in Him will be the driving forces to get me through this! I have no doubt that I can do this, it's just going to take a lot of work and perseverance.

Please send me letters! Maybe even some stuff to help me chill out. I'm already beginning to worry about everything! It all has to be perfect, I have to look perfect and it's stressful. It's going to be the equivalent to finals week, but 20 times harder, for seven weeks in a row. Comment or facebook me for the address and I will get it to you stat!

Nostalgia

After being so nostalgic, I reread all of my posts from my adventures and am kicking myself right now for not posting more.

On a short note, I am now living in Mason City..

People rush around so much that they never stop to think. There are people that bend over backwards for others, strangers or not. People who go so far out of their way, take huge allotments of their time, try their hardest to help someone out and never get a simple thank you. Just stop and realize the things you take for granted. And for all those amazing people, I say thank you. Thank you for being the person that we should all strive to be.


It hits me every once in awhile how naive and ignorant the human population can be; myself included. It's horrible to see how people treat each other. Bullying for example and how it tears at people and breaks them down. It's just words, right? I've been bullied, granted not as bad as some, but it's a horrible feeling. Being torn apart, your self esteem shattered. I couldn't even imagine doing that to someone else, hurting them in that way.  There's so many things that people do that are unquestionably inappropriate, yet we blow it off as simple bullying. I wish that people would open their eyes and realize that it's an ongoing problem and that it's going to get worse. And for those people that go out of their way to make everyone's lives easier: it's you that we need in this world. No matter how much grief you get, or how much you get blown off, never change. You're the ones who make this life worth living.

I honestly believe that if we were brought up with the phrase 'thank you', and taught to appreciate everything life has to offer, we would be a bit better. I know we all forget sometimes how great life it and we need that small reminder every once in awhile to stop, breathe and think about what all is going on in the world. Blame it on being stuck in a dirty, crime-infested city. I personally think you can do whatever you want. I just decided one day to study abroad and left. I needed that experience on my own and seeing other cultures has made me realized how closed-minded and ignorant most people here are. A friend told me I'm setting too high of standards for people, but if people in other countries can be like that, why can't we? I didn't think it was a standard since it's something I hold myself to. But then again, a lot of people haven't traveled and you don't realize it until you've been somewhere that REALLY makes you realize how well you've got it. 
Anyways, mini vent (sort of?) I just like being appreciative towards people and making them feel good about themselves. Others should too. 


Yes, I know, life isn't perfect and that's how it is. But, does it really have to be that way?