We've been through so much together over the past few years. I've shared my life with you, through the good and the bad. It's hard to keep secrets from you. I've wanted to tell you so many times, but the timing wasn't right. The time has finally come to share something that I've been trying to keep to myself for quite awhile. In times like these, it's best to let the photos do the talking.
So it's official. We are bringing another little aviation geek into the world, and we can't wait to meet him or her this September! I've seen the world, jumped out of planes, and lived out of a backpack, but this is without a doubt the biggest adventure of my life thus far.
My most recent pairing was exhausting from the moment that it began. Unlike most overnight flights in which I arrive well rested and ready to take on the long evening ahead, this time I hadn't slept nearly as much as I would have liked to and I knew that I was in for a sleepy sleepless night.
It was a long night, but thanks to a great crew we got through it and arrived in St. John's... finally. We were happy to have landed, especially after bad weather nearly forced us to divert to Halifax.
It was a gloomy, foggy morning, perfect for crawling into my hotel bed for a much anticipated nap. I woke up a few hours later and proceeded to the Tim Horton's attached to the hotel for a little energy boost. Much to my dismay, I didn't win my car as I'd planned to playing Roll Up the Rim. Next time.
I met up with another crew member, who'd spent the night raving about a small restaurant 15 minutes from the hotel. We agreed to venture into the slushy streets to get some delicious snacks for the flight home the next day. Upon arriving, we found it to be closed and left heartbroken and hungry. With time to kill before meeting the rest of the crew, we wandered down Water Street and browsed the shops... including the candy store, where I left empty handed for the first time ever. (I'm giving this healthy thing a shot again. It's so much less fun.) Our feet were soaked by the time that we met everyone at the Yellowbelly Brewery. While the rest sampled the local beer, I sipped water. Beer is gross, but the food was good! After stuffing our bellies it was back to the hotel, where continuing my healthy streak I headed for the gym. A quick run made me just sleepy enough to call it a night.
Unfortunately, I'd been feeling a looming cold for a few days prior to the pairing. It decided to strike in full force that evening, keeping me awake and sniffly when I should have been fast asleep. The next morning came far too soon, and I felt terrible. Luckily for me, the plane that we were to take home was delayed. This meant breakfast for the rest of the crew, and an extended sleep for me.
I'd been completely unaware of the snowstorm that had occurred overnight, and on the way to the airport I was surprised at the amount of snow on the streets. Of course, the snow had also accumulated on the runways and heavy winds were making it rather difficult to clear. Shortly after we'd boarded our passengers the airport closed due to the weather. We sat and waited for hours before our flight was finally cancelled and we returned to the hotel. It wasn't only our flight that was cancelled. The entire airport had closed, making the hotel jam packed with only upgraded rooms left for us!
We knew that the next day would be an early start and extremely tiring, but we were hungry and insisted on going for dinner before bed. It was off to the Keg, where I spoiled myself with steak and left feeling full and ready for bed.
I slept much like the evening prior... awake for hours as my wake up time grew nearer. When my alarm clock went off at 5:15 am (1:45 am my time) I felt terrible, but ready to finally get home. Every single person on the plane breathed a sigh of relief when we took off, leaving the snowy city behind. It would take us over 12 hours, but we'd be home that day. I couldn't wait to crawl into my bed. After a few stops and a couple hours of waiting in Calgary, we flew back to Edmonton and we were done. I drove home, headed straight for the couch and self-prescribed bed rest for the evening. Now it's the next day, and I'm off to do it all over again... here's hoping things go more smoothly this trip! St. John's, I love you, but I love my cozy house more and am not ready to leave again!
This month I've felt a bit like an honorary Newfie, spending half of my month in the gorgeous city of St. John's. There is nothing quite like the fresh air, the sea breeze, and the friendly nature of the locals.
I love everything about St. John's pairings, with the exception of the overnight flights. This year I've been trying to cut back on my usual excessive caffeine consumption, which is difficult enough when I can sleep through the night!
My trips to Newfoundland are generally quite consistent... I land early in the morning, sleep until lunch, force myself awake, take a walk through the slushy, rainy streets, buy some candy, and then meet up for dinner with the crew. Last week I was privileged enough to have a 48 hour layover, which is relatively unheard of these days. I enjoyed plenty of wonderful food, spent time with my awesome crew, and took advantage of some spare time to nap. Outside was a slushy, snowy mess and my feet were soaked every time that I left the hotel, but I didn't care. I'd happily live in St. John's, in a bright purple house.
I'm headed back again tomorrow evening, fuelled by minimal caffeine and a love for my job. It's tiring, it's repetitive, but it's my life and I still love it. Just a few more weeks and I'm on a long awaited vacation with my husband!
After a long month of sitting around on reserve, I was finally headed for my first layover in weeks. It was also my first overnight flight in months, and I was feeling exhausted just thinking of the lack of sleep in store for me. Fortunately, I was working with some great crew and I was excited for a quick getaway to beautiful St. John's.
It was a snowy night as we left Edmonton bound for better weather. We flew across the country, fuelled by numerous snacks and sugary beverages. It was a long, bumpy night. The turbulence was especially rough landing into St. John's, leaving even us frequent flying flight attendants feeling a bit ill.
We were exhausted by the time that we reached the hotel, heading to our respective rooms for a much needed nap. While the rest of the crew continued sleeping, I forced myself to wake up in an effort to enjoy some of the sunlight. I changed out of my pyjamas and headed into the city. It was sprinkling rain, but the weather was far better and much warmer than back home so I certainly wasn't complaining! I headed for Rocket Bakery, a place I've grown quite fond of in my previous travels. I picked up a juice and cinnamon bun to enjoy the next day on the flight home. Continuing down Water Street, I browsed a few random stores and then after a lengthy argument with myself, I gave in and entered the candy store. I tried and failed to leave empty handed, exiting with a bag of assorted treats that I would later eat until my stomach hurt.
I ventured back to the hotel, where I got ready for dinner with the crew. After a bit of aimless wandering we settled on the nearest restaurant. I was immediately drawn to the fish and chips of all other things on the menu. Not my usual pick, but they were certainly delicious! After dinner I led the other girls to the candy store. After I'd talked it up throughout dinner, they wanted to experience the sugar glory themselves. I was happy when they left with their own bags of goodies, making me feel a bit less guilty about my binge earlier that day. We made another quick stop at a convenience store to pick up some drinks that we don't have back home... including Pineapple flavoured Crush! I'm a sucker for bringing back all sorts of treats that are different and unavailable in Alberta.
Finally, it was time for bed. I slept for a total of 11 glorious hours before it was time to get up and get ready for work. I'm not sure how, but I was still tired. In my defence, it was 3:30 am at home and my body was very confused. I was sad to leave St. John's on such a gorgeous sunny morning, but looking forward to having the weekend at home with my husband.
It was a long journey back to Alberta, but finally we arrived in the northern oil sands with only one flight left to work. We'd been ahead of schedule all day and things were looking good until a mechanical issue delayed us by 2 hours. Eventually the issue was sorted out and we were off to Calgary, but we'd officially missed our deadhead flight back home to Edmonton. We managed to get on the next flight home, making for a late night and a grand total duty day of 15 hours! It was straight home to the couch for me! I was relieved to be home and even more relieved that it was finally February! I'll be seeing a whole lot more of St. John's in the coming month!