My World As A Flight Attendant

Here's my Easter Sunday trip to remember . . . .  Ms. Diana was seated on 5B. I could see her from my jumpseat, bothered, so I watched her while we were taking off. She looked around her seats the whole time, anxious and taking deep breaths. I was guessing that maybe she's one of those nervous flyers, but I was wrong. I talked to her and learned her sad story. Unfortunately, her dad was involved in stabbing her mother and sister in New York, and her dad is at the hospital for medical treatment. It was a family tragedy all over the local TV news - a story you don't want to hear on Easter Sunday. The pain in her words and sadness in her eyes was unbearable. I hugged her and  wrote her a note. She thanked my flying partner and me for what we did.  We landed, and I saw her crying. I felt her pain and gave her another hug before she left.  Life has unexpected tragedies. They can break us, but if we have faith, it can help us stay strong amid the pain....

One of the challenges of being a flight attendant is coping with a very flexible schedule.  Our trip from Minneapolis to Rochester was delayed more than three hours. It resulted in our arrival at 2:00 AM and bedtime of 3:00 AM. But, wait, it didn't end there; I had to wake up at 9:00 AM to be at the airport at 10:00 AM. Not easy, huh?  Yes, we have to deal with this kind of scheduling change.  Despite being tired and because I am paranoid of being late, I was up earlier than expected. I needed a good cup of coffee to face a new day and new challenges - and to wake me up! Who says I don't get grumpy? I sometimes do. Maybe on this day when I don't get enough sleep and am tired. So get away from me, as I always joke . Because I love my job and signed up for this lifestyle, life must go on.  It's okay to get frustrated, vent, or complain. We are humans. If we love our job, we can easily cope with the challenges that go with it. 

A quick meet-up makes a happy mom.  When I have a few hours to spare before I start my trip, I love to see my kids for a quick bite if they are around. sometimes it's not easy to book an appointment with my kids, especially a last-minute appointment.  I try to understand because t hey are now adults and have their own lives.  Who says I am the priority?  I believe in quality time. This doesn't only apply to my kids but to my friends as. With our busy lives, spending time often isn't easy. But whenever there is an opportunity to see them, I always try. Speaking of meeting up with my kids, I remember meeting my daughter for lunch, and I lost track of time. I was stressed rushing to go back to the airport. Glad I didn't miss my flight. It goes without saying that I am willing to take a risk just to be with my kids. I hope they appreciate their time with me. I don't always see my kids, but they are always with me in my heart.

"What do you hope to accomplish in your lifetime?"  T his sign on the wall in Burlington has caught my attention. Goals and accomplishments are two topics that I am passionate about. In addition, I love sharing my own experiences and learning from other people. Goal setting is essential to achieving success.  Goals keep us motivated and focused.  There are many self-help books, articles, and seminars about accomplishing goals and achieving success. Here is m y personal advice for accomplishing goals: 1. Focus on your goals and work hard. 2. Be patient and persevere. 2.  Anticipate your accomplishments and b elieve  that you already have them. I've made a lot of goals in my lifetime, and I work hard to accomplish them. Not all my goals have been achieved. We all experience failure, but failure should not stop us. However, if one thing didn't work out as planned, that may not be the best for us.  Don't underestimate small accomplishments. Small goals...

Many of you would probably agree with me that New York has one of the best aerial views, if not maybe the most beautiful city view in the world.  I always say that I love New York and this is one of the reasons why. It's one of the most busy cities in the world, with a big diverse population. People can be friendly, but they can also be rough.  New York City is a hub of business and has jobs that can pay you well. But it's not a secret that it is one of the most expensive cities to live globally as well.  New York City is busy, fun and has this million dollar view where people from all over the world love to see and experience.

I won the prize of being the "worst cook." My family and friends know that I don't know how to cook, in other words, I don't like cooking.  I always say that I am not a kitchen person and don't trust me to cook your food. You may not eat it, or just pretend that you like it. My alibi is that I didn't grow up with my mom cooking.  We usually buy cooked food or easy to cook food because she was working full time. Then when I got married and had kids, we had a maid to cook for us.  Hence, I didn't develop the skills on cooking. Or maybe I just don't have the interest. It is one of my flaws. It is likely that I may get a burn when I cook. But, keeping the kitchen clean and organized is one of my talents. Because I love Mexican food, I attempted to cook a beef for my taco.  The result was this hand. I wasn't thinking when I was trying to put the beef on the boiling frying pan and cooking oil. The grease splashed on my left hand and left ...

We needed to have fun and celebrate. The month long flight attendant training was over. We passed the final test, graduated and received our wings. It calls for a celebration. Ryan invited us to his previous residence in Connecticut.  They swam and I pretended that I did, too.  We drunk all night. We partied. This was the beginning of our life as a flight attendant and the friendship that we've started.  We may not be together often now as we are separated with different goals and life's situations, but as what I've told John and Ryan, we've started our dream together and I will always have these wonderful memories and funny photos to cherish.

This just happened recently.  I can't keep it to myself. It's a story worth sharing that has a happy ending. Here it goes . . . . We were boarding our flight from Bangor, Maine to LGA when I noticed this passenger was preoccupied on her phone, anxious and crying. Her name is Nancy Trogdon.  I had no time to ask her if she’s okay because I was busy boarding. The last row was open, so I decided to moved the lady next to her to that open row, to give Ms. Nancy her space to deal with what’s going on with her. The lady I moved to the last row told me about Ms. Nancy, that she’s going to JFK to find her son, Derek whom they have suspected to be missing. He’s 30+ yrs old, with "special needs" and was an English teacher in Korea. He’s getting sick so his family decided to bring him back to the US.  They bought him a ticket, but he changed the flight, and for couple of days they had no communication.  He has a brother in Korea who is also a teacher. When it...

My kids know what to give me. On my 49th birthday last year, they gave me this interactive world map where I can scratch off the countries where I have been. I was excited to scratch off those countries and I counted them. I put it on a nice frame and it's now on my wall.  Maybe it's a sign to travel more and to create another travel goal. I am heading to my golden age this year. So I made another goal to travel 50 countries before I turn 50. It's a big goal, and I am doing it. As of this month, I already have 36.  I love my world map. My 50 countries before September is a work in progress.

It's not the airport shuttle pick up, but it's my son's airport pick up. For the past couple of years when he was still in the Philippines and visited the US every 5 months, I used to pick him up at the airport after my trip. Not anymore.  I've seen him grown physically during the past years, and he's still growing. My son is no longer a kid, he's 18 now but I still call him my baby boy. I am always grateful to have this job. He was able to come back and forth without paying a fortune.  This is a big privilege that I am lucky to have.

I need coffee specially in the morning. My body and mind don't function well when I haven't had my coffee. I know it's a wrong thing to say. It's just in the mind.  Waking up in the morning, my first thing to do is to make a cup of coffee to wake me up. I appreciate it if the first coffee I drink in the morning is a good one. But sometimes, I don't get that, so I drink my second cup. I used to drink 2-3 cups a day.  I've lessened it; It's bad for the color of my teeth! They said black coffee is good for you, so I've learned to drink black coffee. Someone taught me not to use sugar on coffee, so I've learned to do that too.  The truth is I am not a good barista.  I love to drink coffee from my friends cup, and I ask them to make me coffee. I can't make a perfect taste of coffee. It's sad, but that's the truth.  So don't trust me on making your coffee; I will just buy you one! Tabatha is one of my favorite kids.  I cal...

Here's a favorite photo to remember. We were once again back to school with a complete uniform, compliant with required items, and ready for the day. During our training days in May 2014, I remember one of our instructors told us that our training would change our lives. It sure did. Every day for almost a month, we wore this uniform and studied hard.  We passed the tests. I survived the challenge. My memories at the training school are written on my book called "my life."

Who has a stalker? I do. I was doing by business on the scanner, while someone in the crew room was watching me. Captain Rex was taking my photo and doing some animation on the photo. If this is real, I would have screamed to death. It's amazing what technology can do these days.  They can do magic and tricks. They can fool people, and they can enhance photos as well. I am okay to have a stalker.  As long as the stalker watches me and guiding me from harm. 

Welcome to the quiet room! It was a surprising day for me to see the crew room empty. Hence, I called it that day a quiet room.  I used to stay in the crew room when I was "mentoring."  It seemed like I was back to my office work. It was a rewarding experience.  I stopped doing it, and now I am back to more flying.  The crew room can be hectic and busy.  Some crew avoid to stay in the crew room for personal reason.  Our life could be so fast. Even seeing friends in the crew room or airport can be just a quick hi, hello and goodbye.   Sometimes, I need a quiet room or space for myself to read a book or do my personal things.  But sometimes, seeing or talking to a friend in the crew room can be a good day to start my trip. 

They are my friends in Burlington, Vermont. I love pillows and I have four of them at home, one on each side of me. They serve as my company at night.  These bears can make a good night company. They are real-time size and they are huggable. Thanks, Captain Jason for the warm company and a midnight pizza dinner in cold Burlington. You are a sweet person and huggable, too!

Welcome aboard, Ms. Butterfly! Butterflies represent life.  Many cultures associate the butterfly with souls. It also represents endurance, change and hope. When I see a butterfly, I remember my mom. I believe her soul visits me.  I had no idea where this butterfly came from. What I know is that she boarded the plane, wanted to say hi and would love to experience a plane ride. I love butterflies. They are beautiful, they spread their wings and they fly to a place they want to go. 

I love working with women pilots. Women in positions of power are women who hold an occupation that gives them authority, resposibiltity or influence.   I am always amazed to see pilot women.  The extensive responsibilities of a pilot from flying the plane, deciding what to do on emergency, managing the crew and taking responsibility for the lives of the passengers on board are not easy tasks.  It takes intelligence and confidence to be one. Chelsea is one of my favorite pilots.  She's young, nice, smart and beautiful.  Someday, I will try to fly a small plane.  Not as a real pilot but for a one time deal, to experience how it is to fly a plane. I call this my big aviation dream. 

I love hats! Hats is a fashion style. To dress up with a simple or a plain dress then put on a nice hat, can be a perfect combination. I still love to dress up.  But I am not a big fan of expensive stuff.  My principle is that no matter how expensive the clothes or shoes or any other items you use, if you don't know how to carry them well, it doesn't justify it. This $10 store in Memphis has a nice collection of hats for sale. I know I bought one.

It was a kids' flight. Our trip wasn't going to Disneyland, but we had at least 10 kids with their cute huggable toys.  They all have representation in the cabin.  Alexander was on first class and he travels a lot with his smart unaccompanied minor buddy.  Hello Kitty was on Delta Comfort with her Chinese teen friend. And Cici the bear was on the last seat at the back with her Chinese girl friend as well. We've been kids once, and we also used to carry or have played with stuff like this.  Being a kid is a good thing. All we have to do is to sleep, eat, play, study and follow the right things our parents wanted us to do. We didn't have a lot of responsibilities and wants. But growing up is a great thing. And growing up with ambition and the right set of mind is what we're supposed to be. It's nice to see them on the plane.  They make the ambiance a fun and playful.

Have you been on a plane that has been struck by a lightning? I have been. On our flight from Raleigh Durham to Boston, I saw a sudden flash of light coming in the plane from the window. I was startled, nervous and my mind wondered what's going to happen next. I tried to change my negative imagination and fear to a positive vision that nothing bad would happen. I had to tell myself that it was just like a camera flash that goes away quickly. I prayed that our plane be safe and we could land immediately without any issues. That was my first experience of being struck by a lightning. It was a little scary but I have to remember that this is a part of our job and what we were trained to do.  Some of the passengers reacted to the incident. Some of them were scared and cried. We pacified them as much as we could. Our job may seems easy to some people who only recognize us with serving snacks. The bigger part of our responsibilities are dealing with safety and sec...

"Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you've imagined."  This famous quote from American essayist and poet, Henry David Thoreau, is one of my favorites.  I have those words written on a frame on my "inspirational wall" in my house. I read it, and I live it. I always hear this statement "living my dreams" from people. I say it, too. And I say it with confidence and gratitude. To dream is the beginning of a reality. Don't just dream. Make it happen. And when it happens, be always grateful. To live your dream is to be alive. 

Our Captain has told us that we were going to pass a storm on our way to Chicago.   The ride was bumpy but eventually, we survived. I took a snapshot of this heavy cloud.  But I noticed behind those clouds, I witnessed a beautiful sunset on the horizon. A storm is always scary.  We may not be prepared when it comes, and it can devastate our life.  Even if we are prepared, it can damage us.   I wanted to relate my photo with these quotations about the storm --  "Even in the midst of the storm the sun is still shining." "Not all storms come to disrupt your life, some come to clear your path." Storm is not welcome in our life. But it is there to keep us strong, and for us to say that - -  we survived!

"Oh I love your earings." Many passengers notice my earrings when I wear it.  Not only women have complimented me, but some of them are men. I thank them and say -  I make sure it's up and it's intact. My passion for my job shows on little things that I wear.  I love fashion and I've created my own style. Big planes or mini planes. They both make my world.

Heavy luggage? Heavy weight? Heavy feeling?  In my world, heavy luggage must be identified. It gives a quick info to those whose job involve luggage. My goal is to carry a light luggage all the time, weather I am working or visiting places. I would love to travel on a personal trip with a back pack alone. I haven't done this, but know it will happen one day. When I was new, I used to carry a heavier luggage at work. Eventually, I've learned to downsized. Travel light is important. In life, we can use this important advice. To accumulate a lot of material stuff if we really don't need them is not good. To keep a heavy burden emotionally is not good for your physical body and for the soul as well. To carry a heavy load  is not good in general. Sometimes we have a choice to carry a lighter load. We can unload some of our burdens too.  It's a matter of weighing things out, and if given a thought, the right decision follows. This boy is conside...

I spent the July 4th with a bang! It was a nice weather and the holiday was calling me to spend the night outdoor. A passenger encouraged me to see the fireworks. The fireworks were set to happen at Lake Chaplain. It's one of my favorite places in Burlington where you can just sit and relax or take the ferry while you enjoy the view of nature. Fireworks began on sunset. I enjoyed the festive view that was just right above me.  On my way back to the hotel, I didn't call the shuttle to pick me up. Since a lot of people were walking, and it was traffic, I decided to walk myself as well.  I didn't realize that it was a long walk. Later, I noticed that people on the street started to disappear. I thought I was lost but eventually I found the hotel. It was my July 4th experience in Burlington. It was fun and memorable.