One Big Update

It has been quite some time since I have updated my blog, but it comes with a valid reason. Before I get to that, I would like to catch you all up on what I have been doing from September 2016 through February 2017. This time span did not for want for want of adventure nor movement, I was simply unable to access my blog via tablet, mobile device, or chrome OS systems. Allow me to try to recall all of my events...

To start off on my earliest memory of my absence, my family and I went on an ambitious East Coast road trip. We started the trip off with a Boston Excursion which entailed an epic walk through history, and when I say walk, I mean 10 miles of walking. We visited Paul Revere’s home, walked the Freedom Trail, and explored the old Navy pier with the oldest ship still in US Combat. This trip was replete with seafood and Irish beer.

After a city adventure, we drove to the ferry for Block Island. This Island reminded me of what the Hamptons would be. It was a small, cozy, resort island, with two lighthouses, great beaches, all accompanied by tasty east coast cuisine. The steep cliffs overlooking the Atlantic Ocean were my favorite, especially because a lighthouse often made it into background. This trip was so amazing because I was able to travel solely with my family. We are able to level each other out, energize each other up, and at the end of the day, kick back and enjoy board games or movies with a glass of wine. There’s no better experience than travelling with family because we get to take a break from our separate lives, and rekindle our crazy relationships in new environments.

After Block Island, we took the ferry back to the mainland and continued onto Mystic, Connecticut. This was a destination for my parents because of the famous movie called Mystic Pizza starring Julia Roberts. We were able to stay on the edge of the famous river and grab delicious pizza from the famous and original Mystic Pizza. We also stopped by a cider mill, Old Mystic Village, and then onto Foxwoods Resort Casino. This casino is Native American run and is the second largest casino resort in the US; and it was amazing! We had a penthouse suite that was over 2,000 square feet in the main building which was accompanied with an 8th floor indoor/outdoor pool and many restaurants. While the boys in my family decided to explore the surrounding “mountain” trails, my mom and I decided to hit the slots. I do not necessarily enjoy gambling, but I ended up getting stuck at the virtual blackjack table for hours and was excited to win $100.

The next morning, my dad took us to the also famous Pequot Native American Museum. This museum was the largest in the country and was extremely realistic and eye-opening. The museum took us through the history and development of Native Americans starting at the ice age. The museum focused on life size displays of glaciers, people, and villages. The museum was so life-size, that it took us three hours to experience the transformation of this culture throughout their existence. I can’t even write to describe how amazing this experience was, it is truly a must see.

After these diverse excursions, we continued to drive six hours to Seneca Lake in Upstate, NY. My grandparents live only an hour or so away so we all reunited in this scenic location. During dinner, I received a phone call that had changed my life. For the months prior to this, I had been travelling all over the US to interview as a flight attendant for many airlines. From United Airlines to Emirates, I was tackling as many interviews as possible. These interview processes range from one to three days and include as many applicants as 200 people. Therefore, when I was at dinner with my grandparents, I received a phone call from Virgin America telling me that I had been successful in their admittance process and would be starting training in three weeks in San Francisco, CA. I was so overwhelmed with excitement that I ended up crying and announcing the news to my closest family. It was such an honor to be chosen out of thousands of applicants to start a career that I could cherish forever.

After a night of celebrating and coping with how my life will change drastically, we entered Watkins Glen State Park. I had no idea this park existed and boy, was it amazing! It is a two mile stretch of path that sat within 200 foot cliffs and 19 waterfalls. This skinny gorge allowed us to traverse through, alongside, and under waterfalls. I am so glad we were in this region to stop by this park, this just reminds me that there is always going to be something unexpectedly beautiful wherever you go, this Earth is amazing.

After that week long road trip along the East Coast, we made it to our final stop in Cleveland, Ohio, to celebrate our cousin’s wedding. She is the first of all the cousins to get married, and it was amazing to have aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents all under the same roof to celebrate a milestone in our family history.

Soon after this trip, I was off to California to start training to be a flight attendant. This caused me to stop blogging and documenting since training was six days a week for six weeks and consisted of many weekly tests and emotional stressors. Although stressful, my classmates were amazing and we supported each other through the challenges of this industry standard. We were constantly being watched, critiqued on our appearance standards, and tested on both mental and physical comprehensive checks. We were measured for our uniforms during the first week, and we were all determined to successfully pass and start representing Virgin America in the air.

After graduation and the exit of two classmates, we did it! We were all told that we would be based in San Francisco and will be flying all over the country and Mexico in a few days. Although a glamorous looking job, we flight attendants live a unique life. I spend 10 nights a month in a hotel, 13 at home, and around 6 days in a crash pad. Crash pads are a common living situation for flight attendants. Mine consists of 18 beds in a three bedroom apartment where only flight attendants are allowed to live. These pads are opened because the majority of us are not from that area and need a place to stay between flights and days off. It is almost like a dorm for our occupation. I live with people of all ages that work for all different SFO based airlines. A crash pad is really great though and I wouldn’t have it any other way. If I am not flying for work, I am often flying all over the country with friends and family and rarely in one spot for more than a few days.

The one great part of this job is that I get paid to experience some of the best cities in America. I have had great layovers in Chicago, New York, San Diego, Fort Lauderdale, Boston, and even Seattle. And when I am not working, I can travel anywhere I want. I have been able to take advantage of going to Palm Springs, Lake Tahoe, and even Hawaii. I even won two tickets to New Zealand through a company raffle! It is my goal to travel as much as I can on my days off and take advantage of my benefits. I also plan to blog more about my individual experiences and get really in depth of the specifics of the places I go. Anyways, I think this is a comprehensive update on what I have been up to in the past few months, and hope to share more in the coming weeks!