Going back to work after 2 weeks off is never easy, even when you are fortunate enough to love your job. I'd got settled back into my lazy routine, started going to the gym and grown rather fond of sleeping in. The time had come and I was forced to return to my version of reality. Since I had a Monday morning 6 am check-in, I figured my best option would be to spend the night in Calgary, shortening my commute by an hour and a half. Sunday afternoon a massive windstorm caused havoc in the city, closing portions of the highway due to overturned semi-trucks. I decided to give it a couple of hours for the chaos to clear, but a couple of hours later a blizzard swept over, making the roads icy and terrifying. I contemplated my options before deciding to stay home and leave in the morning. Perhaps snowploughs would go over the highways by that time.
I wanted to break my beloved iPhone when the alarm on it went off at 2:30 am. Was I absolutely insane?! I'd brushed the snow off of my car before bed, but it was covered in a fresh powdery layer. Reluctantly, I got ready and set off for what would be a long and nerve-wracking drive to Calgary. White knuckled the entire way, I eventually made it. I was exhausted and stressed, but I was safe. It was going to be a long, long day, and I hadn't even started work yet. I met my crew, among them, Trace. We were both in the same training class and it was so nice to see a familiar face.
We set off for Vancouver! It was an easy, quick flight, and Trace and I ran the back galley like pros. Once there, we strolled through the airport in search of customs, walked for a good 10 minutes in the direction that we'd been led, and then realized it was the wrong way. The rest of our crew was nowhere to be found as we turned around looking like the newbies that we were.
We found customs, eventually. Coffee in hand, it was off to Phoenix. Imagine our joy (sarcasm, folks) when we discovered that the flight was being audited by a safety inspector. Sure, we all knew our job and exactly what we needed to do, but seeing as how we were both alone in the back for the first time... it was rather nerve wracking. We did everything as we've been taught and passed with flying colours. We waved goodbye to the inspector as we turned back for Canada! It had been 12 hours after we'd left Calgary, and I'd been awake for longer than I cared to think of. My 4 hours of sleep the night prior weren't doing me much good at that point, and I'd never felt so relieved to check into my hotel. As the rest of the crew made plans for dinner, I immediately excluded myself. I had a date with my amazing comfy bed. Ahh, bed.
I slept for approximately 11 hours, woke up, and got ready for the next day. I could hardly wait... we were off to Maui!!! As we boarded the plane, I excitedly waved hello to a friend from Red Deer. She was with her brand new husband and they were off to enjoy their honeymoon!
The flight over was busy, but nothing that we couldn't handle. We landed in Maui and nothing else mattered. Aloha!
I began to think of my plan of action for the evening. First off, it was Tuesday, therefore Taco Tuesday, therefore stuffing my face with delicious fish tacos was entirely necessary. Myself and the other flight attendants happily strolled to pick up our tacos before returning to eat them by the pool. They were delicious, just as we'd anticipated. It also happened to be happy hour, which made us very happy indeed. I ordered drinks with tropical names... Ocean water and Kihei Seabreeze. Delicious blue concoctions, but quite potent. We sat around the pool chatting and telling stories... because as a flight attendant, you are always full of stories. It was cooling down as the sun began to set. We proceeded to the beach to snap many, many photos of the gorgeous sunset over the ocean. How lucky we were. I had my millionth "wow" moment since beginning this career, and as long as I keep having them I'll know that this is exactly what I'm meant to be doing. I'm happy and I love my job... how many people can honestly say that? As night fell over the island, we returned to the pool. The rest of the crew went out for dinner as Trace and I relaxed in the hot tub beneath the silhouette of palm trees. We decided to head to the grocery store to stock up on some Hawaiian goodies before calling it a night. I loaded up my basket... coconut M&M's (amazing, in case you were wondering), coconut water, macadamia nuts, Kona coffee, and an entire pineapple. Since my fiancé has commenced "Operation Healthy Eating", I knew that my little brother would absolutely love me when I came home bearing all sorts of yummy gifts. With all of my purchases I retreated to my hotel room to call it a night. I'd hoped to wake up bright and early the next day to make the most of the time I had left in Maui.
I was up at 6 am to the sound of birds singing outside my balcony. I snacked on some pineapple and threw on my gym clothes. I'd be crazy to go to the gym in such a beautiful place, but I did go for a nice morning run on the beach. It was short-lived, but better than nothing at all! I wandered for awhile before returning to the hotel for some pool time before the flight back.
The rest of my crew was there as well, and we sat basking in the sun and loving our lives. We went for a quick walk to get some last minute snacks, and then we headed to our respective rooms to get ready for our flight. Just as I was about to leave my room, my phone rang. It was the first officer, informing me that we were delayed.... 3 hours! I stood around for a few minutes wondering what to do, before changing out of my uniform and back into shorts. 3 extra hours in Hawaii?! I'll take it!
With a bottle of coconut water in hand, I wandered to the outdoor markets and browsed through the pretty touristy items on sale. I strolled along the beach and enjoyed the warmth for awhile before I'd successfully wasted a sufficient amount of time. It was time to go back. I put the uniform back on and sadly said goodbye as we drove to the airport. I crossed my fingers that our guests would be in good spirits despite the lengthy delay. Before leaving, I carried on the tradition I'd began last flight and ordered a mocha coconut frappuchino from Starbucks. Amazing.
We were off on our way to Vancouver, and the flight back felt like it took forever. None of us had been prepared to arrive at 1 am, and we were practically sleepwalking by the time we reached the airport. It was straight to bed, and since we didn't depart until later the next evening, I planned to sleep until my body told me it wanted to get out of bed. That ended up being around 11 am. I put on my gym clothes and headed next door to the fitness centre. I spent a good hour getting a great workout, grabbed a Jugo Juice, and returned to my room. I had an afternoon of watching TLC ahead of me. By the time I had to get ready to leave, I'd watched enough of "A Baby Story" to convince me to never get pregnant, and enough "Say Yes to the Dress" to make me even more proud of the low price I spent on my wedding dress. It was time to fly home... finally!! A quick hop over to Calgary and I'd finished another pairing. I got in my car and drove back to Red Deer where I was surprised to find Ryan hiding in my room! We'd been engaged for exactly a year, and to celebrate, we headed to Canmore for an evening of sipping hot chocolate by the fireplace in our suite. I couldn't have asked for more.
My one day off went by far too fast, and before I knew it... it was time to go back to work! That's a story for another post!!
PS... I tried my best to upload more photos but Blogger wasn't being very cooperative!