Set Life to Fly Life @setlifetoflylife - Tumblr Blog

I’m lucky, I know...

I have to do this. I have to type this out. I have to release this...

A lot of things have been weighing very heavily on my heart the past couple of months. I don’t expect anyone to understand and I’m not looking for acceptance or approval... But it has to be known.

I’m not the most elegant writer, my words and thoughts get jumbled, and my grammar can be a little off sometimes, so just don’t mind that. Here goes.

The day I graduated from Delta was a day filled with almost the biggest feeling of accomplishment I had ever known. (The only day that tops that feeling was the day I got offered a position on The Walking Dead!). I was so proud of myself for accomplishing 22 tests, countless lessons, invaluable life experiences. The world was at my fingertips. I had fought SO hard to get to that graduation stage. I wanted it so badly. I needed it. But here I am today, contemplating the career choice I fought so hard to obtain.

I have been struggling with this for a while. I’m not looking for encouraging words of “Oh, it’ll get better! Give it time! This is such a good opportunity!”. I don’t need to hear any of that, because I already know it. I know it will get better. I know, in time, things will be much better. And I know how great of an opportunity it is--I fought for it. I applied twice for this position. I spent a YEAR trying to get it. Now that I have it all, it’s not enough.

I don’t want to come off as being ungrateful for my opportunities, because Lord knows He has given me countless blessings, but I know who I am. I know the person God has made me to be. I know who God WANTS me to be. People have told me countless times to “just give it a little more time” or “give it a year”. I don’t know about you, but I’ve always been told tomorrow is not a guarantee, so who wants to wait around for something to get better? Who wants to waste a year of their life doing something that makes them miserable all because “it’s a good opportunity”.

This IS an amazing career. It is filled with amazing opportunities to travel and meet new people. It’s taken me places I never even knew I wanted to go to. So many people love this job. They thrive off of it. They live FOR it. But I’m not happy. (This is where things may get a little deep.) I cry before every trip. My anxiety is through the roof every single time I get ready for a 3 day trip. My nerves are shot. I just want to hide and never come out. I have severe anxiety on the planes. I experienced one bit of bad turbulence while I was doing the beverage service and I haven’t recovered from it. I think about being hurt on the plane all the time. I think about all the possible things that can go wrong. I think about terrorists. And bombs. And knives. And plane crashes. And heart attacks. And seizures. And panic attacks. And sexual harassment. And derogatory remarks. EVERY SECOND OF EVERY FLIGHT. And it’s is driving me crazy. It is making me depressed. And I can’t deal with it. I am a very happy person. But this job is changing me.

This is a very good job... for some people. Some people are okay being away from the families and those that they love days at a time. Some people are okay being alone ALL the time. Some people are okay with serving others for a living. Some people are okay with traveling the world alone... but I’m not one of those people. I will probably never be one of those people. So for the people that are trying to shove me into this mold of person I will never fit into, I’m sorry.

My days are filled with misery and I feel so disconnected from this world. I feel like I’m a time traveler. When I’m gone, I feel like I’m stuck in time but the world keeps moving. Everyone else’s lives are moving on and I’m stuck. I don’t expect most people to understand (or read) all of this. But it is weighing so heavily on my heart, I had to get it off.

I know what brings me joy. I know what makes me happy. And for all of the opportunities God has placed in my path since I’m come to this realization, I know He supports me and I know He will be with me every step of the way.

This is not meant to be negative, but instead be meant to motivate. I hope this motivates whoever reads it. I hope you begin to realize the world is yours to take. You don’t have to settle for a job that makes you miserable. You don’t have to settle in a situation that makes you unhappy. The road to happiness and success is not always going to be the one that’s a straight paved path. There are going to be hills and mountains and holes and floods you will have to get through, but at least you know you are taking a stance for what YOU want and what makes YOU happy.

“Another airplane. Another sunny place. I’m lucky, I know. But I want to go home.”

I've been living out of my little 20in black suitcase for a month now. I've rolled this thing to 14 different states, 2 countries and 2 continents... Here's what I've learned along my journey so far: 1. You'd be surprised how much stuff you actually DON'T need. I packed my suitcase to the brim with everything you could possibly need. Outfits for every occasion. But I literally only wear about 3 articles of clothing I actually packed. 2. Pajamas are still my favorite thing in the world. My go to jammies consist of an oversized tshirt and oversized Nike shorts. Can't go wrong with either. Nothing like throwing them on after a 4-leg, 12 hour day. 3. Hotel shampoos and conditioners are life. I literally go through so much shampoo and conditioner because I have thick hair. And using hotel shampoo and conditioner saves room in my luggage for all the unnecessary crap I pack. 4. There's nothing more I enjoy than being around those that I love, but this time alone is allowing me to find myself. Discover my likes and dislikes. I'm discovering the person I know God wants me to be. I'm exploring the world by myself, but I'm finding out who I am. I'm becoming a better me. 5. If you walk like you know where you are going, people think you're a local and will ask for directions. I was on Fifth Avenue in NYC and a family stopped me to ask for directions. As soon as I opened my mouth and my southern drawl seeped out, they literally turned around and walked in the opposite direction. They knew they made a mistake as soon as I started talking 😂 6. Make sure you carry cash everywhere you go. In Amsterdam you have to pay to use the bathroom. Legitimately pay real money. To use the bathroom. Actual money. To pee. Also, there is nowhere to pee in the city in New York. I think that's why some New Yorkers are so sassy. 7. When I feel alone in a strange city or country, I know God is there. When I start to doubt my decision to join this crazy (yet amazing) career, I look to Him. I pray. I sit in my hotel room and just have a conversation with MY God. I cast my anxieties to Him. I thank Him for everything he has blessed me with. And I ask that He guides me wherever I need to go. Trusting in God with everything you have is hard. But He is the one in control. Always. 8. Home is where the people I love are. There is nothing like coming back to Atlanta and seeing familiar faces, doing familiar things, and going familiar places. There is a sense of calmness every time I step off the plane in Atlanta. 9. Being away is teaching me what I value most in life. There are some nights when I'm in a strange city all by myself and I would do anything to just grab some Mexican food from home and watch Home Alone with my people. 10. Time is a valuable thing. Being in a city for 24 hours or less doesn't give you much time to dilly dally. You have to make the most of every minute you can get your hands on. If you want to go explore, do it! If you want to lounge around in your pjs in the hotel room aimlessly watching tv, go for it. It's your time. Do what you want with it. 11. In high school, our vice principal would always end the morning announcements with "make it a great day or not, the choice is yours". This statement has stuck with me for years. And it's so true in life. You are in control of your happiness. I promise if you find to positivity in every situation, you'll be a much happier person. 12. I'm more comfortable flying 30,000 feet in the air in a metal tube than I am being in a cab in NYC. 13. You are in total control of how you feel and how you perceive everything. You can try to find the good in everything that happens or you can be depressed about it. Life really is what you make it. That's all for now! If you have an idea of a certain topic for my next blog, I'd be more than happy to consider it! :)

FA Life

Well. Since referrals have just opened up, I have gotten SO many questions about my life as a flight attendant. I wanted to write this so people could see every aspect of my job. I do enjoy my job. I love the opportunities that I have been given. But at the end of the day, you have to decide what you value most in life and what you are willing to sacrifice in order to gain! I wrote this to one of my Facebook friends and thought it would be helpful to all of those that have asked about my job and have thought about applying. This is just a small recap of my short time so far, and I have probably left out a lot of things, but hopefully it is informative. Grammatically incorrect, but informative.

I started this journey with my airline because I didn't know what I wanted to do with my life. I thought that I would just apply, travel the world for a year at the most and then in that time I would have gotten my stuff together. Well... as soon as I got to training, I fell in love with my airline. I loved the way they treated their employees, I loved their benefits, I loved my classmates, I loved all the opportunities that were at my fingertips. Training was hard but fun. I absolutely fell in love with the environment. I started to really think about having a CAREER at my airline. Not just a YEAR at my airline. I started to think about actually teaching the training classes one day. I planted that little seed in training and it hasn't left me yet. I now have a two year plan that includes me applying for charters, doing special assignments on the ground, and eventually becoming an instructor.

As far as the job goes, people think we only serve drinks and snacks on the plane. Granted, that is ALL you see us doing, but in training we learn so much more. We learn how to save lives. We learn how to fight fires. We learn how to outthink a hijacker. On the plane, physically all you see that I do is serve cokes and peanuts and pickup trash. But mentally, I'm analyzing every second of the flight. I'm picking out the people that I would want to help me if the plane unexpectedly started going down. I'm thinking about all of the evacuation drills I learned in training. I'm reciting the commands we learned to takeover a hectic cabin in the event on an emergency. I am practicing in my head CPR and how to use a defibrillator. But all you physically see me doing is serving cokes and peanuts.

The hardest part of the job for me is commuting from Atlanta to New York. I was given the choice of Minneapolis or New York and i chose the wrong one. New York is too much for this southern girl. I hate the transportation. I hate having to go to three airports. I hate being in a crashpad. Which is a two bedroom, one bath apartment with 12 other people living in it. BUT I love my job. I love the passengers. I love serving cokes and peanuts. I love interacting with fun crews. I love my classmates. I have turned to my classmates more than anyone else during this entire time. We are all going through so many emotions and it just feels good to know someone else feels the same way that I do.

Not every day is a good day. But nothing beats a long day of flying than going to a clean layover hotel room, getting in your pjs, and mindlessly watching tv. I have learned a lot about myself since graduating with my airline. I love being alone, and I think that has helped me with this career. But there are some days that I just wish I was at home in Atlanta with my boyfriend and dog eating at our favorite restaurant.

One of the perks though is that our schedules are not set in stone. You can move your schedule around. swap trips with other people. or even drop trips you don't want. I move my schedule around so much to fit what I think is best for me. This past month I would work 4-5 days, be off 4-5 days and then repeat. The end of this month I had TEN days off in a row. And so i picked up a couple of trips out of Atlanta. The pay is a story for another day. :)

I hope this post helped a few of you! If you have any questions, please message me and let me know!

#airlines #air line #air lines #flight attendant #flightattendant #flightattendants #flight attendants #pay #referral #application #apply #work #training

Energizer Bunny

My whole life I have always felt like what I was doing was never enough. I don't mean that in the sense of it not being GOOD enough, but rather it not be fulfilling enough. This is what has always driven me. This is why I never give up and why I never settle. I have worked my butt off to get to where I am today. Someone called me the "energizer bunny" the other day but that's the exact opposite of what I feel like. I feel like I HAVE to keep moving and I HAVE to keep pushing myself. Otherwise, I'm not living up to my OWN potential. NOT the potential others have set on me. I can't even count how many times someone asks me why I'm not married yet or why I don't have kids. For other people, that is the exact path they were meant to take. It's what they wanted. But at this point in my life, I have so much I want to do. I have so much to prove to myself. I have to make ME right before I tie myself with someone else. Or have someone else depend on me. I want to be the best me I can be. This is what drives me. I am happier than I have ever been. And I'm proud of myself. I've worked my butt off to get here. I still struggle but that pushes me even harder. And I am going to keep going and pushing and being the best I can be.

setlifetoflylife

All the info you need on how to become an extra in the Atlanta area. If you have any other questions, comment them below! Stay tuned for my next video on wha...

Do you think Erin Thompson is a) the prettiest person you know b) the funniest person you know or c) all of the above?

I would like to go with C) All of the above. Final answer.

All the info you need on how to become an extra in the Atlanta area. If you have any other questions, comment them below! Stay tuned for my next video on wha...

#setlife #set #acting #extra #background #background artist #backgroundartist #atlanta #youtube

I finally got all of my luggage pieces for training. I have to admit though....

I think my suitcase is cheaply made.

I think my crew tote is too big.

I think my lunch box is too small.

The struggle is really real, guys. If you know anything about flight attendant luggage, please feel free to give me some advice!

My suitcase is originally $260 but I got it for $50 from Marshalls. My crew tote is from a company that sells a lot of flight attendant luggage so I THINK it will be fine. And my lunch box is from another company that sells flight attendant luggage. I just don’t know how much I will actually use it....

#luggage #fa #flightattendant #flight attendant #falife #faluggage #airline #airlines #advice

Studying Hard or Hardly Studying?

I have been trying to prepare for flight attendant training as soon as I found out my training date. The main thing that there is to study before we get our manual is Airport Codes. THERE ARE SO MANY. My airline only has about 200+ but we have to know all 200+! I have studied every way possible. Quizlet. Rewriting them in a notebook. Flashcards. Studying with someone else. Studying alone. And I just have to say.... I AM READY. I am so proud of myself and how much I have learned so far. These are things that seemed so daunting at first but I’m finally getting them. It feels good to prepare for something you want so badly.

Signing out from ATL... :)

#study #studying #airport #airportcodes #airport codes #flight attendant #flightattendant #fa #falife #fa life

I decided to cut all my hair off in preparation for training! I have thick, curly hair and it is so hard to manage when it is long. I wanted a haircut that I could wear straight, curly, or up in a ponytail and not look like a bum! I think my hairdresser did an AMAZING job and I absolutely love the finished product!

I was a little discouraged about the cut at first. Before I went to my salon I posted this status on Facebook and as you can see the support was nonexistent. But I did it anyways. And I couldn’t be happier!

#haircut #hair #cut #before #after #beforeandafter #before and after #facebook #airline #flightattendant #flight attendant #fa #falife

Did you apply online to be a flight attendant? Or what steps did you go through to get an interview? I know you can't reveal the interview process but what about the application?

Hello! I actually have a friend that works for an airline. Last year around August she sent in a referral for me at the airline she works for. I waited for the referral to go through and once I got my referral number I applied online with the airline. Once I submitted the application I had to take a short assessment. Once I did that I got an invitation for a video interview. I got a TBNT email a couple of days after submitting my video interview. This time around, the same friend submitted another referral in June. I went through the same process as before except this time after the video interview I got a phone interview and then I got an invitation for the F2F! I hope that helps!!

My official email from my airline came a few days ago!!! I got my training start date! The waiting process that happened between receiving the CJO and actually having the position offered was so stressful. The background and employment verification took forever and several of us had issues with the third party company that was handling the verifications! I sent one document 4 times and they kept saying they didn't have it! But luckily it all came through in the end! I have 2 months between now and my training date. I'm going to try to save as much money as possible during this time because once I start flying we will go a month without pay because it is a month behind for flight hours! I wish I could say I was completely stress-free, but I would be lying! I am so stressed about my living situation, where I will be based, and my finances! BUT I HAVE FAITH. I know it will all get taken care of and everything will fall into place. :) Words of encouragement would certainly be helpful ;)

#interview #airline #airlines #FA #flightattendant #fainterview #flightattendantinterview #concerned #Faith #training #fatraining #flightattendant training #flight attendant

Hey! First of all, I'm so sorry that people made you feel badly about trying to help people out. I can tell you have the best intentions, and I want to thank you again for being so amazing and offering guidance! I was actually thinking about my interview coming up and i had another question! haha! How did you go about making conversation with the flight attendants? I usually have no problem with talking to ANYONE lol but did you just walk up to them and just start chatting? haha

Thank you so much for the kind words!!! I'm still going to try to help as many people as I can lolBut as far as making conversation with the current flight attendants:I had a list of questions in my head that I was going to ask any FA I met. 1. Where are you from 2. Where are you based 3. What profession did you do before this 4. What made you change careers As far as approaching the FAs, I literally just walked right up to them, stuck my hand out and said "Hello! My name is Jessica!" And the conversation flowed from there! Make sure not to interrupt them if they are talking to someone else. If they are in a conversation you can either jump in if you see fit or move on to the next person.I hope this helped!!

I am old enough to be your mom, and I have been an FA before. I am still in the running with DL, what advice can you give me?

First of all, good luck!!! There were 50 people at my interview. 14 people were given CJO and 2 of those people are current FAs with children of their own! The thing that set everyone apart in my hiring group was we all stuck out in the crowd! We all asked questions during fireside chat! I think that is the biggest part. Asking questions. Engaging in conversation with the flight attendants. The two woman who are current FAs that got a CJO were very genuine. They had a very welcoming demeanor! They were so helpful during the entire day and extremely positive throughout the entire process! I can honestly say everyone in my hiring group had something special about them. They stood out from everyone else. They are the ones that spoke up and spoke confidentially but not cocky! There were some other current FAs that did not get hired because they felt they already had the job because they were a FA already. The two ladies in my group were very humble and spoke highly of the airline they were with AND highly of the airline they were interviewing for. Calm your nerves and let your personality shine through. I am the biggest nerd and so awkward, but I used it to my advantage. Be confident when you go in there. I hope this helped a little bit! Good luck and I sincerely wish you the best!!

thisisthestoryofchloe-blog

Excuse Me?

As I have stated in a past post, I appreciate all of the information and connections I have made through a certain forum I’m apart of…BUT I feel like too many of them feel like the know better. I’m excited to meet everyone..just not certain personalities. Some people have already proven themselves to be the “know it all”. Please humble yourself. Certain people LOVE to steal the shine of others and I do not see that as fair. I’ve had the same thing happen to me. I shared my excitement on the forum and the person basically told me that I had nothing to really celebrate just yet. BOY BYE! This is definitely going to be a learning experience.

setlifetoflylife

Can we be best friends? Please?? Lol thanks for the kind words darling! I can't wait to meet you!

And the post that killed it all. Am I wrong to feel as if someone has dulled my shine just so the could shine brighter?...

The Interview

Due to certain regulations brought up by another FA who received a CJO, I "cannot give out information to jeopardize the integrity of the brand" of my airline. I am so sorry for those that have come here for help. I am literally heartbroken that I cannot leave the blog post up. In just under 12 hours I received many messages thanking me for my post and informing me how much it helped them. I am so sorry that some people can't see the true meaning of my blog. I'm sorry people can't see that the intent was only to help those that needed a little boost right before they had the interview of their life. I'm sorry they felt this was a bad thing. To those that have an upcoming interview with any airline: good luck. Be yourself. And have fun. Don't let anyone dull your sparkle. Don't let anyone make you feel the way I do right now. I'm so sorry. I feel as if I have failed you. From set to the sky. j.bird

Trending Blogs

Recently Viewed Blogs

Set Life to Fly Life