Ready For A Change

Articles

Holly Winter
Living The Life Of Holly

Ready For A Change
Mar 20, 2003

I dont know. Maybe I was ready for a change. Why else would I quit my job, sell my house, send my dog to my sisters and sell most of my belongings? Yes. I wanted free buddy passes. Come on. Bet that you have thought about it too. About becoming a flight attendant so that you can hop on a flight at whim and go somewhere warmer and beachier just for fun. Well. I actually did it. It was a last minute decision that stemmed from me procrastinating pruning my trees and wanting to be out of debt. Well. My trees now belong to a nice family with a big car and my debt disappeared. I have an official airport id for jetBlue Airways that flies out of JFK in New York.

Now rather than sitting in a classroom with emotionally disturbed children in Thornton Middle School, in Thornton, Colorado, I sit on a plane with people who are constantly asking if we are there yet. (Um. We will be there when the plane lands. Till then) I have become pretty good at balancing the drink tray up and down the aisle. I know. It doesnt sound very hard. But throw in passengers shuffling past to go to the bathroom, feet stretched out into the aisle and, of course, the ever popular turbulence that flares up during service, and tray balancing could become an Olympic sport. I have gotten to practice my mean-teacher-stare on kids who travel alone and decide right about take-off time that it is time for a game of musical chairs. Um. No.

Now I have a favorite sushi restaurant in San Francisco, a favorite curry restaurant in Washington DC and a favorite diner in Florida. I think that finding good food is essential, dont you?

I am loving the diversity of people on my flights and will never tire of their stories which they happily tell while standing to stretch their legs. My favorite story so far was from the blind woman who talked of the repair man who came into her house without knocking and was held by her seeing eye dogs teeth digging into the meat of his butt. We laughed until we cried as she told that story. She said that it was the only time in her life when she truly wished that she could see. If only she could have seen the look on his face. You see. He didnt think that he needed to knock, because she was blind. Um. No.

I am based at JFK, stay in Queens where I share a three bedroom crashpad with eleven other airline people. I know. Living with so many is a story in itself. I am finding it impossible to stay organized when I have so little room, and impossible to break away from the great conversations to put myself to sleep at night. Everyone here has such great stories, and since our schedules are so different, we have to chat when we are together regardless of how little sleep we will get.

I spend most of my days off traveling anywhere I am invited. I have hit France, Vegas, Key West, Phoenix and still found time to visit with my family in upstate New York. I know. I know. I have always loved to travel. Now I get to travel more. What could be better?

I am still officially living in Denver and have just moved into a tiny apartment in the downtown area. Hey. If I am going to nest a bit on my days off, it might as well be within walking distance to my favorite independent movie theater, the Mayan. My new pad is amazingly small and quaint and though it isnt in the best part of town, it isnt in the worst part of town either. I am proud to live in a place where a friendly homeless man brushes his teeth in MY parking lot and then sits to read the newspaper in the sun. The homeless like it here. Hey. That is no little thing. Because being a flight attendant is a bit like being homeless since I commute to work, from work and for work.

Probably the best part about this job is collecting stories. Man. There are so many stories out there. And. I seem to be in a writing mood. So. Pull up a chair and grab a cup of tea. I am Living The Life of Holly...

About the author: Holly Winter is a teacher and a writer and a flight attendant living in Denver, Colorado, USA. She can be reached at her website or email: Holly@livingthelifeofholly.com

------------

Comment on this column in the forum.
------------