I GOT MY BASE TRANSFER TO DTW!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This is even more exciting than the time I discovered that bars in Wisconsin serve free sides of bacon to go with your beer! It's been a rough summer, to say the least. It just feels like I have not had a moment to breathe, really just breathe and relax, since I went away to training back in April. Commuting to NYC for work & getting the hang of all of that, having a sick sister who is on the double lung transplant list out in WI (and going through a "false alarm" back in July), not having time to see my friends because I just want to sleep all day,feeling homesick, attempting to start a relationship with someone (which inevitably failed), and just recently a Grandmother that was placed into hospice. To top it off, we were short staffed at work all summer and our schedules were overloaded. To give you an example - the typical FA schedule is about 75-80 flight hours a month. Mine have been topping out at over 100. Yeah...like I said...rough summer. This gal is BURNT OUT.
So the other night I was laying in bed, saying my prayers and feeling rather overwhelmed (which has been a theme lately) & had a little chat with God. During said chat I asked him for some relief from all of this because I am burning the candle from both ends and the middle. Something has GOT to give. The very next day I opened up my work email and saw the message "Base Transfer Award". Crossing my fingers (like I do every month when I see this email come through, only to be disappointed), I opened the email. The first thing I saw was: CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!! Wait, what? OMG! OMG! OMG!!!!!!! I got my base transfer! If that's not the Lord answering some prayers right there, I don't know what is.
So, why do I do it? Why do I put myself through the 15 hour days? Deal with some of the worlds most horrible human beings and have to be nice to them just because they've stepped on my plane? Suffer from insomnia because my body doesn't have a clue 89% of the time if the sun is coming up or going down? Miss holidays with family and weekends with friends? Simply put: because I can't imagine myself doing anything else. When I step on that airplane, even on the worst days when I really, realllly don't want to be there, I come alive. Yes, though I am pretty sure this job is going to cause me to age prematurely (wrinkles - gack) and ultimately put me in an early grave due to all of the stress...I love it. I love being part of a legacy. I love not being micro managed. I love being able to cross paths with such diverse and interesting coworkers and passengers. I love pushing my body to it's limits and proving time and again I can do it (you try working 16 hours on your feet in heels after 4 hours of sleep). I love the independence of walking away from my every day life and getting away from all of the things that weigh heavily on my mind on the ground and jumping on a plane and leaving it all behind while I am up in the clouds..even if it is a temporary reprieve. I love watching the sunrises and sunsets & marveling at God's creations. I love going to places that most people will only ever dream of. I love that at any time, I have the luxury of being to just jump on a plane and GO. I just love the adventure of it all...
Now that I have my base transfer, I feel like I have fully stepped into my "dream job". No, I never knew that this would be it, but now that I have found it I can't see myself doing anything else. Well, except for being a kept woman who eats bacon while sipping Chardonnay all day and owns 20 cats. This transfer to DTW means more nights at home...more chances to see my friends & sister...no worrying about weather in 2 different states & if I will be able to make my commute to NYC...that days off are just that - days OFF where I am not using them up getting to and from work. Ahh...just to be able to be done with a trip to get into my car and drive HOME as opposed to getting in too late to commute home that night, having to wait on a crew runner or cab (then paying for it), to walk a few blocks in heels to get to a crash pad to wake up early to commute home. One more month and I am DONE with that - I was based in DTW with my other airline so I know how this can change the job completely. You have no idea how totally giddy I am! It makes me love this job again, just thinking of being at my new base, as opposed to resenting it like I was starting to do. So that nights like tonight as I sit in NYC in between two 3 day trips, with a roller bag packed with a week's worth of crap that I need to cart around, I could be cuddling in bed with Archie after I drove myself home to the place where I belong and was able to unload the dirty laundry and 20 lbs of luggage. DTW, here I come...ready or not! I think this is the beginning of something beautiful. :)
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| View from my office... |
"For once you have tasted flight you will walk the earth with your eyes turned skywards, for there you have been and there you will long to return." - Leonardo dda Vinci
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