‘I’m in love … and it feels right’

I fell in love yesterday. I’ve been “in like” for awhile but, yesterday, I realized that it was love. I felt peace. I felt I was where I should be in my life right now. I felt like my world was right.

I fell in love with my new career.

I applied in the New Year to be a flight attendant. My application was done on a whim; basically, a good friend was going to try it and the conversation morphed into me applying and giving it a go as well. Really, it’s not like I was doing much of anything else at the time.

So I applied … and progressed past the first interview… and then the second interview … and then it was official: a job offer conditional on passing training.

Training. Oh yes, training. Also known as “holy shit, this is the absolute toughest training I have ever done for a job in my entire life.” Four weeks comprised of safety, first aid, handling difficult situations in the air, as well as a bit of customer service training on how to serve a drink at 36,000 feet. 

The primary focus, though, was safety: how to evacuate an aircraft; how to handle decompressions and cabin fires; how to deal with unruly guests, medical situations and situations in which compromise would be key to de-escalating a situation. 

Training is not for the faint of heart. I dreamt about evacuation commands and woke up reciting them. I practised drills and studied rules and regulations until my brain was so full I thought it would explode. I cried because I thought I’d never learn — never mind remember — what to do in the event of an emergency. I thought I couldn’t do it, although every fibre of my being, every cell in my brain, told me I could. 

What got me through all of it was the bond our class developed. We started out strangers and became friends. When we didn’t think we could, someone else told us we could. We all became family because we cared about each other. It’s training like I’ve never experienced before. 

And then real life. Life flying the line. Getting used to shift work again. Getting used to being back in aviation again (I’m a retired customer service agent) and all the challenges that delays, cancellations, stress and tricky situations bring — but from a new perspective. I call it “looking from the other side of the door.”

Being nervous at being new at a career at my age, in an industry in which I work with people half my age. Would I fit in? Could I keep up? Would this new opportunity bring steps of happiness in my new solo journey or add stress to it?

I’ve been flying for three months. I’ve enjoyed meeting new people — different crews, different passengers. I’ve held babies. I’ve made friends with toddlers and teenagers and seniors. I’ve laughed and smiled and shared with people who are nervous flyers and with people who have flown hundreds of times. 

I’ve laughed and joked and danced with colleagues who are looking to bring a little joy into their lives and the lives of others. I’ve shared life stories — the joys and the sorrows — as we’ve sat in our jump seats. I’ve had weird days and strange days but not a bad day. 

And I’ve liked it. I’ve liked it all. And I’ve looked forward to going to work. 

But that changed the other day. I was flying a four-leg pairing and having a great time with my crew. And then I went into the flight deck and I saw the view over the Rocky Mountains. And it hit me like a wave: I love this career. I love what I do. I love this life. 

When My Favourite Husband died, I had no idea what I would do for a living and to pass the time. I never thought that this would be part of my journey. But it is. And here I am. 

I’m in love. And it feels right.❤️