We did it.

I am sitting in the terminal at Fort Lauderdale Airport and I am so excited to get home. It has been such a ride. I haven't been able to blog in a while but I promised myself I wouldn't apologize for that. This is my blog, and I won't stress about writing, I just want to chronicle my adventures and remember where life takes me and the things I learn along the way.

The good news is that since I've written last I've become an official flight attendant!
Texie and I have had some crazy times. I thought I'd share a few highlights...

-Water ditching/slide day.
Texie was our fearless leader acting as flight attendant "a", and she seriously rocked it. Our class boldly inflated our single chamber life vests and crawled into an emergency raft in what what probably the coldest pool known to Florida! We meshed so well as a team, and our class was able to set a record in setting up the raft canopy in 26 seconds, I know it may not sound like a big deal to some, but trust us, we are a big deal. Haha. We then had to get into the pool and practice survival techniques for water. We shivering and shaking managed to stay warm together and exit the pool all smiles.
That same day we went to the airbus training center which was amazing, and we were able to practice the jump slide emergency evacuation technique. We had a lot of fun, and (mostly) managed to make it through the exercise unscathed.

-Emergency procedure exam.
This was a big one, no retakes were allowed for this test, so even if you had gotten 100% on everything before that point, if you received an 89% on that test we would have to go home. All of the stress hit us during the waiting period of that test and we cried, held each other and encouraged each other. We lost one of our best Val that day and we left training broken hearted, but ready to do it all over again the next day for the final. We all bonded together through this experience and losing someone so late in the game was very tough on our exhausted minds. But we resolved to do whatever it takes to make it through, and we did.

-Graduation.
We earned our wings! After passing the final and sitting through some tedious guest speakers we were finally able to get our ID badges, uniforms, and WINGS. We all got to write a little something about ourselves/our training experience and they read it aloud as we received our diplomas, we all were laughing so hard throughout the whole thing. After that we got to watch a video Claudio had compiled of our whole training experience, and we cried. We were SO proud that we made it, but now we had to pass our two inflight finals.

-FAM & OE
I flew to Bogota, Columbia for my familiarization flight, and although that flight is notorious for being a tough crowd, I learned so much and really enjoyed seeing the beautiful mountains of Columbia. I practiced my Spanish ( let me tell you, I need to practice more!) I even got a business card from a passenger who had been making inappropriate comments to me throughout the whole flight. Normally I would have tossed it, but I kept it as a moment of my first ever flight. Haha.

For my OE (basically the final exam where you must work a flight while being evaluated) I flew to NYC, and we were delayed to depart because the weather was bad in New York. When we finally got our passengers aboard and in full compliance ( it's TOUGH getting those famous New Yorkers to turn off their phones!!!) we headed to the sky. For some reason a rumor had started among the passengers that there was an issue with our planes landing gear. I was able to reassure the passengers that everything was okay, and return smiles to their faces which made me proud and excited for my job. Later in the flight I met a Jewish family traveling with their son. While doing service they asked if I knew if the snacks were kosher and I told them I wasn't sure, but I handed the snacks over as they asked and they taught me which ones were. I served them and continued on with the rest of my duties, toward the end of the flight the man asked me if I knew where they could write in about the service on the flight. They explained that they were impressed by me and that they wanted to tell the company what a good job I was doing. His wife took my name down and it completely made my night. To have a compliment given on my very first flight made me feel like I am right where I am supposed to be. I was also able to go into the cockpit for a few minutes to bring the Captain and First Officer some coffee, the 180 degree view at night of the clouds around us, and clusters of lights that looked like golden stars underneath us made for an incredible view. After the flight my OE instructor told me that I had passed and my heart was so glad, because I was already in love with this job.

Texie are here in the sky now as I finish this post and we are SO proud to be wearing our wings! Kaycee Donahue here we come!!!!

We'd Die.

We had a teamwork exercise in class yesterday. It was about wilderness survival. Let me just tell you.. Daddy I'm sorry. But we would have died. I thought growing up camping would help me out with this exercise.. I think I may need to watch some more survivorman. Feel free to test yourself. If you do better than 5/12. You may be qualified to give Texie and I survival lessons.

1.) You have Strayed from your party in trackless timber. You have no special signaling equipment. The best way to contact your friends is to:
A. Call help loudly in a low register.
B. Yell or scream as loud as you can.
C. Whistle loudly and shrilly.

We chose, C.

2.) you are in snake country. Your best action to avoid snakes is to:
A. Make a lot of noise with your feet.
B. Walk softly and quietly.
C. Travel at night.

We chose, A.

3.) You are hungry and lost in wild country. The best rule for determining which plants to eat is to:
A. Try anything you see the birds eat.
B. Eat anything except plants with bright red berries.
C. Put a bit of plant on your lower lip for 5 minutes.if it seems alright try a little.

We chose, A.

4.) the day becomes dry and hot. You have a full canteen of water (1liter) with you. You should:
A. Ration it- about a cupful a day.
B. Not drink until you stop for the night, then drink what you need.
C. Drink as much as you think you need when you need it.

We chose, A.

5.) your water is gone and you become very thirsty. You finally come to a dried up watercourse. Your best chance of finding water is to:
A. Dig anywhere in the stream bed.
B. Dig up plant and tree roots near the bank.
C. Dig in the stream bed at the outside of a bend.

We chose, B.

6.) you decide to walk out of the wild country by following a series of ravines where a water supply is available. Night incoming on. The best place to make camp is:
A. Next to the water supply in the ravine
B. High up on a ridge.
C. Midway up the slope.

We chose, A.

7.) your flashlight glows dimly as you are making your way back to camp. Your surroundings are unfamiliar. You should:
A. Head back at once keeping the light on, hoping the light will glow enough for you to make out landmarks.
B. Put the batteries under your armpits to warm them, and then replace them in your flashlight.
C. Shine your light for a few seconds, try to get the scene in mind, move out into the darkness and repeat the process.

We chose, A.

8.) an early snow confines you to your small tent. You doze with your small stove going. There is danger if the flame is:
A. Yellow
B. Blue
C. Red

We chose, A.

9. You must ford a river that has a strong current, large rocks, and some white water. After carefully selecting your crossing spot, you should:
A. Leave your boots and pack on.
B. Take your boots and pack off.
C. Take off your pack and leave your boots on.

We chose, A.

10.) in waist deep water with a strong current, when crossing the stream you should face:
A. Upstream
B. Across the stream
C. Downstream

We chose, B.

11.) you find yourself rim rocked; your only route is up. The way is mossy, slippery rock. You should try it:
A. Barefoot
B. With boots on
C. In socks

We chose, B.

12.) unarmed and unsuspecting, you surprise a large bear prowling around your campsite. As the bear rears up about 10 meters from you, you should:
A. Run
B. Climb the nearest tree.
C. Freeze, but be ready to back away slowly.

We chose, C.

CORRECT ANSWERS: a, a, c, c, c, c, b, a, a, b, c, c.

If you did better than we did, were looking for camping buddies/ wilderness survival trainers ASAP. :)

You better want it.

Sometimes in life you've got to fight for things. Now, I'm not trying to sound full of myself here but throughout my life things have often come fairly easy for me. If I put my mind to something, I do what I have to, and I reach my goal. This time spent at training has been hard. Physically, mentally, and emotionally. In this program they don't tell you much, and the things they do tell you are constantly changing. You have to be completely flexible, and always on top of your game.

Sometimes when I get stressed I have the bad habit shutting down instead of working harder, pick up small distractions and lose sight of the end goal. That's where having good friends and family come in. I have had such an amazing support group throughout this experience. From encouraging calls from my parents, to sweet messages from friends. My rock through everything though has been Texie. She and I have decided to never let doubt touch us, we speak positivity and agree to just do what we have to do to graduate training. She calls me out on the carpet when I'm not doing my best and helps me to stay on track. I seriously don't know what I would do without her here. I'm super thankful for her! PLUS SHE CRACKS ME UP.

Yesterday in class we watched the sheet go around to check our name spelling and make nickname changes for our wings. It was a small encouragement, but realizing that they were ordering our wings gave us some hope and lots of excitement. We are living for that moment when we get our wings pinned to our uniforms. We want it. Were going to get it.

2 DOWN!!

So the "A" Team has successfully completed their first two tests! Texie, Cody and I all got 100% on our A319 & A320 schematics! We are over the moon That we have gotten the first 2 out of 9 tests done and our GPA's are all still in perfect condition!

To celebrate Texie and I decided to walk over to Chipoltle, which was supposed to be right across the street from the mcdonalds next to our hotel. An hour and a half later we were still walking. It had been a long day, and so hungry + tired = one hot mess. We finally made it to Chipoltle {no thanks to apple maps, or google, or around me app!!!} Good ol' Texie went the old fashioned way and CALLED them! Such a novel idea in todays world, no??

Luckily we made it to eat before either of us bit the others heads off! Crisis averted we enjoyed a quick bite, then called the shuttle to pick us up. No more walking for these girls! At least until we decided to hit the ellipticals for some stress relief. :)

Happy ladies! Ignore the sweat... We worked hard fir every stint drop. Hehe!

Lessons in Publix.

It's been a few long days in training tonight Texie and I decided we had earned our weekly hot meal. We headed over to our usual table at Chilis and ordered 2 bowls of their enchilada soup. If anyone hasn't had this... Try it. It always hits the spot for us. And with tip our bill is $5.55... WIN.
After a quick meal and just enjoying a little silence together we headed over to CVS for some caffeine pills (essentials here in training...) and Publix for some food to stock up the hotel room.

I was so excited to see that my favorite cereal was on sale, it's the little things people! So we got some cereal and some soy milk. During check out, we were talking about how nice it will be to have some cereal for dinner, and then I realized we didn't have any spoons or bowls. The cashier had been listening to us talk to her about staying in a hotel for a month, and after she handed me my receipt, she reached down and pulled out a handful of spoons and put them in my bag, then she pointed us toward the soup bar where we could grab a few bowls to get us through the week. We thanked her profusely and she smiled and wished us a good night. Her small action (giving us some plastic spoons) completely made my night. She listened to what we were saying and did what she could to help.

I've been thinking, it's easy to forget why we serve, and it's easy to grow tough against our customers, and not allow ourselves to be truly caring and present when we interact with others. though our work may seem like something small in the grand scheme of things, (checking groceries, helping a passenger with their bag, or find their seat) it can mean a great deal to them, as tonight it meant a lot to me. Not to mention she earned a repeat customer for her store. If we all remembered to act that way, the world would be a little better place to be.

Touring the Tarmac.

Yesterday was our first official day at the airport, and the first time we got to tour the different areas of our aircraft and see a bunch of the pieces we've been learning about up close. The Tarmac is a secure area, so to gain access we had to get our special badges and run 8 people through security doors in the time it should take one person to enter. We were quite a sight to see right outside the baggage claim running through the doors with our instructors saying "hurry, hurry, go, go, go!".

When we finally got outside, it was such an awesome moment. We walked out onto the Tarmac at the perfect time when the sun is about to set, and the light shining off of the planes was just beautiful. Texie and I both had such an awesome feeling out there. She leaned over to me and said, "what do you think? You feel right?" I nodded yes, and she said "I can tell, you've got a big smile on your face." I didn't realize how much that moment would mean to me. Being outside with the planes and watching the hustle and bustle of the runway, I just took it all in. I'll never forget the sun in my eyes, and the fullness in my heart. I wish I had a photo but I'll just have keep the memory in my mind.

When we finally got onto the plane we learned a bit about each station, and what tools belonged where. We enjoyed laughing with our instructors and seeing the things we will be doing in a few short weeks! I tried to just take it all in and listen, but of course I can hardly ever do anything without embarrassing myself. During our lesson on the Forward Galley, our lead instructor asked me to open one of the special overhead bins we use to stow tools, and I couldn't open it. It took two people doing it in front of me before I could do it myself... I'm blaming nerves. But really, what flight attendant can't open up an overhead bin?? Oh well surely my instructor has forgotten by now.. Right?

The coolest moment on the aircraft for me was standing in the aisle, looking out at all of the seats and practicing walking with my hands on the safety rails up top, and imagining myself doing this job and spending days in the sky. It seems small, but from wanting this for so long, in the scheme of things, it was big. It was a day that started to make all of this feel real.

After we got a tour of the cockpit we got to take a few photos before exiting the plane. So of course I'll share them with y'all here.

Night Night Termite!

My first week of training is over! So far, so good. The best part is finally learning and getting into the actual learning process. I honestly had no idea of the main job description of a flight attendant was a safety official. We have been spending a lot of time learning about the FAA and their regulations. There is so much to know. we are also learning how to use aviation lingo, and all the schematics of each of our planes. It is a lot to take in!

The days in class are extremely long, but we are so lucky to have awesome instructors and people who are passionate about this industry and excited about where our company is going. they keep us inspired and push me to get through the tough parts of training to make it to the end, so that I can wear my wings and be proud of what I've accomplished.

Part of me feels like I am part of a reality show. We all live in a "house" together and are put under high stress to see what happens. There are some definite personalities in the group, and I am doing my best to keep my head down and stay out of the drama. I'm so thankful that Texie and I see eye to eye on so much. She has been such an encouragement to me and has been keeping me sane through this process so far.

Last night when we were finally getting into bed I made the comment that i felt like we were in bootcamp, except we are judged daily on our beauty routine! Come to find out today that they call flight attendant training, Barbie Bootcamp. Haha. Makes perfect sense.

Off to study! I'll leave you with a few photo highlights from the past few days.