A Caribbean Cruise Changed the Trajectory of my Career and Lifestyle

Like most people, I enjoy traveling. I immerse myself in the excitement of exploring new destinations. Regardless of how many vacations I went on, there was always a feeling of post vacation blues on the flights back home. It was because I knew it would be at least another year before I would be on a plane again heading off to some new or a favorite destination. That’s about how long it would take my husband and I to save enough money to satiate our wanderlust.

But that was fine, because I could always work overtime to earn extra money to put toward our travel budget. I enjoyed my job as a Secretary, that’s the term that was used decades ago. I was good at what I did, I enjoyed the social nature of the office and I was fortunate to have employers that embraced my creativity. However, I always wished I had more disposable income to fund more frequent travel. Aside from this, I was satisfied with my job. I really didn’t have any complaints or desire to change careers.

During one of our annual vacations, a Caribbean cruise, I met a fellow cruiser. After the normal pleasantries, most of the conversations usually turned to what we do for a living. Kimberly mentioned she and her husband were Flight Attendants and they traveled all over the world and got paid for it. She also mentioned they were able to enjoy deeply discounted travel discounts for leisure travel, including the cruise we were both on. While listening to her, I was intrigued, especially the part about not having to go to work every day and having the opportunity to have five or more days off in a row! This could be accomplished without having to request vacation days. It was at this moment I was hooked. Over the remaining days of the cruise, I asked Kimberly a ton of questions and because of her, I was able to get an insider’s narrative of what the job as a Flight Attendant truly entailed. She was able to paint a picture of a new travel career which I never seriously considered prior to boarding that cruise ship.

One the flight home, I paid particular interest to everything the crew did onboard. I was envisioning myself in this sky-high workplace. Once I returned home, I was excited at the possibilities that a new career may be in the cards for me. I enthusiastically started the process of researching online forums and devoured information about the interview process. I also connected with two other individuals during these in person sessions which ultimately became my colleagues. They were instrumental in sharing tips and strategies on what to expect during the hiring process. Within four months of taking that cruise, I was on my way to attend Flight Attendant training with the now defunct US Airways.

I attribute this chance meeting as a defining moment that changed my life for the better. Because of that Caribbean cruise, a casual conversation with a stranger offered me glimpse into a career I didn’t know was possible for me. Being a flight attendant is not just a job, it’s considered a lifestyle. I still enjoy this career lifestyle to this day. The personal travel perks, the flexibility and freedom from a nine-to-five job, and getting paid to travel as well as opportunities to interact with people whom I would never have met working in a corporate environment has provided me an opportunity of a lifetime. 

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