Last week, I traded my shiny gold wings for a pair of
flip-flops.
My extra uniform, folded into a neat stack of blue
polyester, was removed from my suitcase and replaced by tank tops/mesh shorts. I
was finally about to set foot on Mexican
soil. The anticipation was insane; I’d been practicing my Spanish for a month….and
wondering how a “sky girl” would handle a week at sea.
It had been nearly a decade since I’d gone on a cruise.
Back then, in 2005, I was a college student with no inkling that
someday I’d be a flight attendant. In fact, I didn’t even consider it as a
career option. It seemed like some make-believe job, not a real career here on
planet Earth.
To this day, it still blows my mind that I get paid to
travel and turn strangers into friends. Is
this actually my job? I often muse. Did
someone crawl inside my brain and conjure the perfect way to satisfy my need
for excitement AND variety?
When I was in third grade, I wanted to be a veterinarian.
Sometime in middle school, I decided that teaching was a more suitable option.
By my early teens, I was certain I’d become a lawyer. Then, in my twenties, I
came to the conclusion that every line of work is mundane and I didn’t actually
want to do anything…except read, volunteer, drink tea and take afternoon walks.
Unfortunately, that
isn’t very lucrative.
I stumbled across the aviation industry by mistake; after a
trip to Vegas, I consoled a terrified 10-year-old girl and realized that maybe,
just maybe, I could do that for a living.
Life takes some weird turns, huh? But that’s half the fun of
it. The only thing I love more than a good adventure is a good mystery…
Anyway, cruising as a college student in 2005 seemed
drastically different from cruising as a flight attendant in 2014. Plus, I was
going with my parents this time (instead of people my age). Plus, I was nearly
thirty now (even though maturity level puts me at roughly 14 years old). Plus,
I was no longer a vegetarian (which meant I could eat EVERYTHING at the 24/7
buffet).
I had no idea what to expect, but I knew it would be crazy.
Absolutely wild.
Within a few hours of being on the ship, I was in love.
With the sea, yes. With the rhythm of the waves and the
constantly-playing dance music on deck, absolutely. With the setting sun as it
disappeared into the navy blue horizon, yep.
But what I loved most of all was the
enthusiasm of the employees.
These people were my kinfolk, it seemed.
Sure, we worked in different settings. But we had the same
heart! We shared a thirst for adventure and a refusal to settle into typical,
everyday life. We loved talking to strangers, being on stage, and traveling to
exotic places.
Our brains were wired a little differently. “Weird” was our “normal.”
That first night onboard, the entertainers dazzled everyone.
They danced and sang with enough energy to lift us from our seats. I found
myself clapping along and even pulling my dad to his feet so he could join me.
What a rush.
I went back to my cabin that evening and journaled
about how connected I felt to these employees. They were my nautical
counterparts. I wanted to meet them and ask a billion questions.
Toward the end of the cruise, I got my chance.
While my father was relaxing in the whirlpool, I spotted the
ship’s break-dancer on deck. I tapped his shoulder and proceeded to explain, in
my typical frenzied way, that I was a flight attendant and therefore his “sister”
in the skies. He didn’t laugh at me…at least, not externally! We discussed our
gypsy lifestyles & all the reasons we love our jobs. It felt like I was
talking to any one of my co-workers at the airline; the conversation was easy,
natural and fascinating.
He introduced me to a
few more dancers. I walked away feeling invincible.
To Grinzz, Sinitta and Troy: I miss you guys already. And I totally
get you.
After all, we are made of the same key ingredients:
curiosity, boldness and optimism. We have big smiles and bigger dreams. We want
to hold the world in the palm of our hands. We want it all.
Eventually the cruise ended, and I returned to my sky life.
But I can’t help reminiscing about those five magical days
at sea. When I go to sleep, I can almost feel the churning of the ocean beneath
my bed. I can almost taste the saltwater in the air.
It’s a wonderful thing, really.
Love,
Lisa
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