Aviation career grounded (for now), new passion blooms

And so … what now? If I’m done with living life at 38,000 feet, what is going to fill my days? Bring me joy? And pay the bills? What’s my next move?

For the last three years, I’ve worked part-time in the perennial department of a local greenhouse. The people I work with; the plants; being connected to the beautiful things that grow in the earth — that’s where I need to be. If soaring the skies is not who I am any longer, grounding myself in rich, fertile soil is.

I’ve always been interested in life that’s grown in soil. Growing up on a dairy farm, my family  also grew crops for the cattle. Planting, watching the crops grow and harvesting have always fascinated me. I asked my Dad what seemed like a million questions regarding our crops and he not-so-patiently answered them at times. But when Dad got tired of me, I pestered my Mom about the garden and flowerbeds. And I learned. I learned about seeds and cuttings. I learned about watering. I learned a lot about weeding, as well as what were weeds and what were not.

As I grew up and moved off the farm and into the city, my growing opportunities became limited to houseplants and I soon developed a love for them. Houseplants — tropicals — add beauty to my home. Plants with a variety of leaf patterns and flowers. Plants that thrive in low light and direct sunlight. So many plants and so many possibilities. I got excited — and continue to be excited — every time I see plants. I can walk though a clothing store, a kitchen gadget store, a jewelry store and not blink. But put me in a garden centre or greenhouse and I could get lost for hours. 

I never had the opportunity for flowerbeds and annuals until I met My Favourite Husband. He had purchased an old home in an old section of the city before he met me. My house is nothing fancy but it’s on a double lot, so I have space to plant, space to grow green things, space for life.

And so I plant perennials into beds. I pot annuals for the patio. I see what survives my winter and encourage life to flourish and, if it doesn’t, I try a different plant. 

And that weeding I hated as a kid? I love it now. I weed and examine and I dream. Most of the time, I leave my phone in the house and just enjoy the sounds of my neighborhood. I inhale deep, clear breaths, and I exhale what no longer fills my soul.

My summer in a sharp, crisp flight attendant uniform flying the skies has been traded in for a summer in rubber boots, T-shirts and jeans. Instead of asking people their beverage preference or advising them of their closest emergency exit, I’m now assisting with the best perennials for shade and what vines work best in certain areas.

I know that when the season ends, I’ll have to move on to a different adventure and I’m prepared for that. But for right now, the work/life balance I’m craving has been found and I’m a happy girl.

❤️