So! Most of my friends are aware but strangers and acquaintances out there are still not in the loop that I've been flying as a flight attendant for coming 3 years now (just short of a few more months)! I neither planned to keep it a secret nor tried to be mysterious but it is along with the company rules and regulations and the judgment I used to feel, I had preferred not to reveal my profession whenever I meet someone new e.g. taxi drivers, friends of friends etc.
I would get into trouble if I posted photos of myself in uniform on social media, or if I get caught doing something against the rules by eyes of the public. It was quite irritating not to be able to share what I am doing daily (yes I am a social media freak of this generation) and to be honest I wish I didn't care like most of my colleagues, but I do. And I also wanted to avoid controversial and stereotypical questions that I didn't think I could answer well. Now I am fairly ready to handle them so here I am :)
It has been... a crazy journey thus far (don't worry I'm not quitting, yet!), with all the ups and downs from people and situations both. I would say mostly ups, as I am enjoying my work so far. It was the best decision I've made, and even though I actually didn't get in on the first attempt at the interviews, the decision to try again was one of the pivotal points of my life. I look forward to work almost 95% of the time and that says a lot doesn't it? "Monday blues" come and go sometimes but I am mostly excited to prepare to go to work even if I slept late after a night out with my friends at midnight and have to get up at 3am in the morning to go to the airport.
I was already travel-savvy, I can say that without feeling shameless because ever since my family and I moved to Singapore when I was maybe, 2 or 3 years old, I was already traveling to and fro Hong Kong frequently. I live in Hong Kong for a few months then back to Singapore, that kind of thing before I started studying in school. I think I had started flying alone without my parents as young as 7 years old. My relatives (usually my grandpa yeye or my grandma mama) would pick me up at the arrival hall and send me off to the airport staff at the departure gates. The staff would escort me through immigrations and boarding the plane etc. And after that, I take yearly if not semi-annual overseas trips with my family and then I did a wonderful 7 months trip to USA. It was the most amazing experience, learning how to live without parents; the cooking, laundry, utilities, chores, etc. Meeting people from all walks of life at work, and fellow internship colleagues around my age but from all over the world, and working in the happiest place on Earth, Disney World. :)
After that trip I became even more eager to travel, taking monthly trips to countries in South East Asia, wherever my then-limited savings could take me. I was a girl who'd rather spend all her money on experiences (travel, food, lifestyle) than clothes, shoes, bags etc. I did not care much about how others were comparing their new watches and latest bag collections, I was busy looking for a new beach to explore in Malaysia and Thailand.
I guess that was also why I picked Tourism as a course to study in Singapore Polytechnic. And learned even more about what I can do and where I can explore within my means. I fell in love with learning about different cities' cultures, food, history, people and their languages.
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Of course, now that travelling is mostly look upon as a task, duty and job than a typical holiday that I used to be able to enjoy with friends and family, it is quite a difference and honestly not what I had expected in the beginning.
The biggest challenge I learned to overcome is to explore cities alone; to stay safe whilst taking in the beautiful sights and to find my way around and make sure I don't get lost even without roaming data or wifi on the streets. I realised I have no one to depend on most of the time, and I have accepted and embraced the fact that being alone doesn't mean I am lonely. :)
I do hang out with colleagues too, and it is always so fun to hang with like-minded people, taking photos, rides, buying quirky souvenirs, trying new food etc. There are just people you simply cannot click with, and I think I have mastered the skill of avoiding them or simply working cohesively without starting a fight or an argument. I always thought, why are they so weird? And some others will agree with me, but in fact we are just different and I know people think I am weird too. This is what happens when you meet a few hundred people on a daily basis. You just have so many personal interactions with so many different type of human beings and it widens your perception of humanity. I keep in mind that I am someone with professionalism and I take pride in whatever I do, expecially at work, and that has helped tremendously in so many occasions that I almost lost my cool at some insensitive passengers and/or colleagues.
The other challenge is to manage my fatigue as I grow older over the years yet continue to work full time in this physical job. My metabolism is still not too shabby but I am definitely not as nimble on my feet as compared to my sporty days a few years ago. And this is accompanied with the jet lag I deal with every day, from the time differences because I fly everywhere. I could be in London GMT+1 on Monday, and then back to Singapore GMT+8 on Friday and then Delhi GMT+5.5 on Sunday. Or Amsterdam GMT+2 on Monday, Singapore GMT+8 on Thursday then Auckland GMT+13 on Saturday. Or Manchester GMT+1 on Sunday, Houston GMT-5 on Tuesday, Manchester GMT+1 on Friday then Singapore GMT+8 on Monday. There is practically no time to get used to a time and I just have to eat, shit and sleep whenever I want to, pardon my language. There is also no time to fall sick, have facial breakouts, repay sleep debts etc. So taking great care of my health has become a very vital and crucial part of my life ever since I started flying. I can't just go "chiong" and then die with hangover the next day or fall ill as and when my body needs to break down and release the toxins I chose to take in because it is fun to stay out, fun to eat junk food, fun to quarrel with someone and lose sleep. I had to "adult" before I was one.
I think I managed. So far so good.
Let me know if you have any questions :)
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