I know it's been well over a month since I've last published a blog post. I'm sure some of you may have thought that I've completely abandoned my blog; that's truly not the case. I've been MIA for good reason. But before I move forward, I do want to thank my loyal readers for your continued support. It means more to me than you'll ever know.

To those of you who are new to my blog, I welcome you to the hectic, yet exciting world of a flight attendant. The whole month of April went by too quickly for me. Where have I been? What have I been doing? Let Me ExPlane...

I last left off sitting in first class in a 777-300 with my lovely mother twenty minutes before departure anxiously waiting to take off for Tokyo. Moments before posting my last post, 8 Reasons Why I Love Japan, I couldn't help but to surrender to the utter excitement of all the possible ways my list could grow.

Trust me, I left Japan last month completely overwhelmed with all of the amazing experiences and unforgettable memories created. It was difficult for me to choose the ultimate highlights of my trip because they all hold a special place in my heart and soul.

Every time I come to Japan my love for this amazing country continues to grow and I leave a piece of my heart behind each trip. I stand strongly by the fact that my 4th time in Japan happens to be the best trip I've had there yet. Why? Well, it's always been a dream of mine to see Japan during sakura season. Oh, what a sight to see!

On top of that I've finally had a chance to venture outside of the hustle and bustle of the metropolitan area of Tokyo. One word: Shinkansen. I'll go more into depth about my experience traveling in this awesome streamlined, high speed bullet train up and down the southern half of Japan in another post; I'm excited to write about that one. But honestly, I miss the shinkansen. Best mode of transportation ever!

Many of us each have our ultimate dream destination(s). That one place you must absolutely visit before you die, and visit over and over and over again. You may even find yourself dreaming of possibly living there one day. We all have our reasons, and these reasons are more than enough to bring ourselves back to that one special place. For me, that special place happens to be the beautiful country of Japan.
2. O-mikuji

Pacifica, California

 
     At the start of 2014, I was a brand ambassador doing marketing promotional gigs in the San Francisco Bay Area. It was towards the end of the month of January when I applied for a trainee flight attendant position for American Airlines. This was the start of happiness for me. Fast forward through the year long hiring process of waiting, waiting, waiting, video interview. Then waiting, waiting, face to face group interview. Then waiting, waiting, waiting... more waiting, waiting, waiting. Then finally, scheduled for training. Yay! The longest hiring process I have ever gone through, but well worth the wait.


     Onwards to January 05, 2015 when I had my very fist day of training at the headquarters of the American Airlines flight attendant training center in Fort Worth, TX. There I met a group amazing people from all over the US. We were strangers at first and now we are all good friends till this day. I see them as my extended family; my brothers and sisters from another mother and mister. It was a "short" 6.5 weeks of long training days from early mornings to late nights, however, it was the longest 6.5 weeks of our lives of late night studying and practicing drills, after drills, after pickles.

  Pickles=An empty diagram of an airplane model on paper in which trainee flight attendants must correctly identify and fill empty boxes of emergency equipment: first aid kits, fire extinguishers, flashlights, etc. for memorization purposes in preparation of exams using plastic sheet covers and dry erase markers.


     Even though we all almost lost our minds, we worked hard towards the very end together. We never gave up! We've bonded and became closer as friends after each high five given after every exam. Then became closer as family as the day drew near of when we all would part ways to our designated bases. It was crazy to think how fast 6.5 weeks went by. Now, I'm thinking of how quickly 1 year has passed as we approach our 1 year mark on February 18, 2016. We were warned of how quickly time flies as a flight attendant. Boy, they were right about that! What day is it again?



     It's only fitting for me to write about my journey from the day I've submitted my application to now. A San Francisco(SFO) based new hire flight attendant closing in on her 1 year anniversary in less than 3 weeks and I happen to be on my reserve month rotation this February. I wonder where I'm flying to next. Who knows? I'm just glad that I finally held a reserve line that I bid for. It was my 15th choice, but hey! Not bad for being based at one of the most senior bases--but without a doubt the best base--there is after only 9 months at SFO. I'll take what I can get.

     I honestly can't complain because I'm lucky to be based at home after only one month based at Dallas/Fort Worth(DFW). Mostly because that whole month I was commuting back and forth between SFO and DFW was definitely not easy. Red eyes to DFW only to work a 3 day trip with a 0700 sign in that morning. Let's just say, I am very thankful to be based at home. But at the time, I had to do what any new hire flight attendant on probation had to do; anything. I'm glad I've passed probation and now approaching my 1 year anniversary.

    Reaching my anniversary on the line only means one thing, recurrent training. Every year flight attendants have to re-qualify in order to remain active on the line. Is it weird for me to say that I'm excited for recurrent training? My favorite part about training were the drills. I had so much fun doing drills in training, but I hope and pray that I will never ever have to evacuate an airplane and execute those drills on a true occurrence. But if it ever comes down to it, I am properly trained by the best of the best to make sure every single passenger and myself evacuates safely, quickly, and efficiently.

    I must admit that my first year on the line was amazing. I've learned so much, met many great people, and had the opportunity to visit many beautiful destinations. Some places I've never thought of ever visiting, but because of my job and those crazy reserve months, I did. I never thought about visiting Norfolk, Virginia, nor did I think that I ever will. But because I was scheduled on a 3 day trip out of DFW with one layover in Norfolk(ORF), I was blessed to have seen one of the most beautiful east coast sunsets I have ever seen. It was a sunset that I will never forget and I was lucky enough to have witnessed it.

    As luck continued to be on my side, scheduling approved several of my requests to move around my duty free periods(DFP), in other words, days off. Thanks to scheduling, I was able to attend important gatherings with friends and family, and the opportunity to visit Tokyo with my best friend and Sydney celebrating my parents 32nd wedding anniversary with ample time to enjoy both international holidays. But I must admit, I wasn't always approved of my scheduling requests and have came across some rather interesting situations while on duty.

   These rather interesting situations I have encountered while on duty are stories that you just can't make up! Situations that make you title your head to the side in confusion, squint your eyes, and push your eyebrows together so hard you end up giving yourself a headache. The type of situations that make you want to cover your eyes or mouth in utter shock and disbelief. I've seen and heard the craziest things, you will not believe. But that's a whole other posting on its own. I'll get to those later down the line.

     Some situations even involve me on the state of fatigue causing me to greet every passenger, "Hi! Welcome Aboard! How are you?" while everyone was deplaning. It took me almost 1/2 of the plane to realize that we've already completed the boarding process 3 hours ago. Another occasion on the verge of exhaustion was when I completely forgot to take my apron off before putting my blazer on as we prepared for landing. As we get to the gate and passengers deplane, I greet them, "Goodbye! Thank you for flying with us! See you Soon!" not realizing that the reason why everyone was so cheerful with a huge smile on their face was because I failed to realize that I still had my apron on about 3/4 into deplaning. On the bright side, at least I was able to give my passengers a good laugh as they leave on a positive note. But rest assured, I do try to catch up on sleep when the opportunity arises. It's hard to adjust when you have early morning sign ins and 12 hour+ days on your feet on top of the different time zones you have to battle.

     I've also been blessed with occasional surprises of seeing old friends back from high school come on board my plane as I'm greeting passengers while breaking down ice in the galley and all I hear is, "OMG, Audrey?! Is that you?!" Even seeing flight attendant friends commuting home or back to base is always a great feeling. But the best feeling of all is the exchange of big, warm hugs and smiles. As corny as that sounds, it's still one of my favorite perks of my job. Just being able to make sure they have a pleasant and safe flight matters a lot to me. When frequent fliers who fly the usual routes come on board and recognize who you are and tell you how happy they are to see you as their flight attendant again is always a definite plus. I also can't forget the celebrity encounters I've had on my flights: Chris Rock, Reba McEntire, Alicia Keys, The Big Show, Wilmer Valderrama, Gloria Estefan, just to name a few.

    Overall, 2015 was the best year I've ever had filled with unforgettable memories that will last a lifetime. I've learned a great deal especially about myself. I definitely count on doing the same for 2016. I am excited to see what's in store for me this year and the many destinations that I may end up. The fact that I don't know excites me! This is one of the many reasons why I love my job. The fact that being a flight attendant is an adventure all on its own and the spontaneity of it suits me well. Adventures are what I live for and every day is different. I'd say I found my calling and I'll never let this go. Why let go of something that makes you happy when happiness is all we ever want in life? I've learned that if you're happy, then you are where you need to be. Happiness for me all started from one click of the 'Submit' button.


 
Follow my blog at Bloglovin
Follow my Facebook Page
Follow me on Instagram
Follow me on Twitter

You're probably thinking in your head, "Does she even realize that she misspelled the word 'explain'?" Well, allow me to 'explain' the reason why I've spelled it as 'explane'. If you have yet to notice, I'm a flight attendant for a major commercial airline. I am closing in on my 1 year mark on the line and I must say that I've fallen in love with my job. I couldn't have asked for anything better and I've been the happiest I have ever been ever since I've started. I feel truly blessed to have such a rewarding career. Of course, some days aren't as easy as others and adequate sleep is much harder to come by, so I take what I can get. I juggle between super early morning sign ins and late night arrivals, and attempt to tackle the rush hour commute on top of that. Coffee in the morning, or even at night, is a must for full functionality and lunch hour for me is that extra 10-15 minutes I have in between each leg(flight) quickly, but graciously power walking to our next gate. I have also yet to conquer jet leg and I honestly don't think I ever will. Everything that I encounter on a day to day basis whether I'm 32,000 feet in the air taking breakfast preferences for my first class passengers or at home trying to figure out what to cook myself for breakfast, is responsible for the meaning behind my blog title. However, It wasn't I who thought of any part of the name at all.

All credit is due towards my best friend, Jayne Rio, who came up with the amazing word play of my blog title, 'Let Me Explane'. It's ironic that the title suddenly popped up in her head while she was actually in a plane, seated and ready to take off for Chicago on business. But that's just it, her genius light bulb of an idea was absolutely perfect and I immediately fell in love with it the moment she told me. The time and location it had occurred to her is a bonus. Right time, right place! Whenever we have the chance to catch up regardless of our busy schedules, and life in general, I always tell her about my trips and explain to her about certain things I've gone through or have encountered in and out of the plane. It's only fitting to 'explane' the contents of my daily life as a flight attendant as oppose to 'explain' them since my new office is yes, you've guessed it, a plane. Get it? Clever wordplay and choice of spelling, if you ask me. It definitely makes perfect sense and she knew, without a doubt, that I would get it and absolutely love it. Kudos to you, Bestie! I guess it's the BFF intuition that best friends possess, eh?


The time has finally come and I am glad to announce the official publishing of my new blog. A blog that I've always wanted to do and being a new hire flight attendant is the perfect foundation for it. Here, you will read about my daily life as a flight attendant and everything that comes with it: how my new career affects my life outside of my job, traveling to different destinations whether for business or for pleasure, the people I meet topped with the wonderful conversations I have with them, the amazing food I eat, the beautiful sights I see, and the random thoughts that pop up in my head whether I'm sitting in the jumpseat or flying first class towards my next adventure after my prayers have been heard by the non rev Gods.

However, that's not all I want my blog to be about. I want my blog to be deeper than it's perceived. I want the content of my blog to be meaningful as well. I want it to be more than just a photo of a beautiful golden Hawaiian sunset while sitting on the warm, soft sands of Kaanapali Beach with the island of Molokai and Lanai in the horizon. Or a moonlit walk on a gorgeous spring night along the Eiffel Tower without a single cloud in sight, and every star twinkling upon the midnight sky can be visible as far as the eye can see beyond the Parisian city lights. The fact that I've been blessed with the privilege to travel often doesn't make me anymore superior than one who isn't graced with such privilege. I want to be able to inspire others, especially those who hold that same privilege, to open their eyes and heart beyond taking that selfie while camelback riding as the Pyramids of Giza appears behind your shoulder. Of course, there's absolutely nothing wrong with taking selfies; I take them all the time! So by all means, take all the selfies at your heart's content, but also do something meaningful during your holiday by taking part in giving back to the community or even mother nature.

I highly encourage those to enlighten themselves further by digging deeper in self exploration by making a difference in the world around them. Volunteer to wash and feed the elephants in Thailand instead of riding them. Help an underprivileged family in a provincial area in the Philippines by buying them groceries to last them a week or even giving them the clothes off your back. Your clothes are just materialistic items and can be replaced, anyways. It can even be as simple as making a difference by enriching the lives of family, friends, and loves ones who you haven't seen in years and taking time out of your life just by paying them a lovely visit. Not only does it make you feel good, but it will make them feel good especially since you're providing them the most precious gift that anyone could ever receive, quality time.


What I'm trying to say is that life is short. You have one chance at this lifetime, you may as well live a fulfilling one and do it right. You may take what I'm saying lightly, or completely disregard it. It's completely all up to you. I am in no shape or form more perfect than anyone else. I just want to live a purposeful life in such a way that I feel is right and suits me best. I invite you to do the same, but approach it in your own way. As long as you expand your horizons, continue to evolve, and see the world and its people for the greater good. Understand that you have a privilege, use that privilege to make a change. Even if don't possess that same privilege as flight attendants do, all that matters is that you do what you can regardless of how big or small of an impact it may be. Your efforts will never go unnoticed.

With that said, I'm very excited to have you all tag along on my adventures and begin this journey with me. Witness my efforts of giving back to the world and doing what I can to make a change. To be able to give back to the community, mother nature, and most importantly make changes within myself as I continue to evolve as a woman of society. I'm excited to share my travel stories, tips and tricks, and experiences in and outside of my job. To be able to put my heart and soul into writing something that means so much to me. This will be the hardest thing I will ever do only because by doing this blog, I am exposing who I am inside and out. It doesn't matter if 100 people read my blog or if 10 people do. What matters to me is if I've inspired someone to follow their heart, be who they truly are inside and out, and to fearlessly travel the world at their heart's content. Most importantly, I hope to inspire others to positively make a change in the world and within themselves for the better. To inspire others just like the many amazing travelers, flight attendants, and the people in my life who have inspired me. No matter who you are or where you're from I would like to thank you from the bottom of my heart for taking the time to read my blog. Thank you, this is for you. It means the world to me. Let Me Explane...


Follow my blog at Bloglovin
Follow my Facebook Page
Follow me on Instagram
Follow me on Twitter