"On Reserve."

On Reserve. What the airline industry calls my current schedule. I like to say I'm "On Duty" because I feel I can relate to that more. Residence Life won't leave my side yet. So this reserve deal, I can work up to six days in row, but must have the seventh off under our contract. I can work no more than 14 hours a day, but there are certain exceptions to work more. I can work no more than nine "legs" per day (back and forth trips). I must work a minimum of 40 hours a month to get my contracted pay of a minimum of 75 hours. Did you catch all that?

On Reserve. Starting tonight at midnight. 24 hours. Until this upcoming Monday at midnight. I'm not sure what to make of this new schedule and new lifestyle. I have no trips declared on our online scheduling site, but they don't have to put the trips online in advance. Sometimes, the trips don't need to be filled until the last minute, hence where I come in, a phone call away. Waiting, prepared to leave at a moments notice. So, for now I wait.

I wait in my classy uniform that I love. The blazer fits perfectly; no boxy shoulders, phew. The shirts are all still crisp and bright white, just being opened out of their package. My new black shoes could walk me all around the world if needed. I love wearing the uniform. From the moment I leave my car in the parking lot to the moment I return, I feel so proud to wear the wings I earned over the past month. I walk with extra excitement in the click-clack of my heels, for I am a flight attendant. I never, in my wildest dreams, thought this would be my current life.

01 02 18

Navy with an accent of red.

Uniforms. I am pro-uniform, I really am. In high school, I would have LOVED to be in uniform and not worry about what to wear each day or have the stigma that attaches with what you wear. Now, I have a uniform. And some parts I like, some parts I don't. I was told today, multiple times, that the uniform is a 'classic' look. Uniform standards are set because we are an image-conscious company. Our customers perceive us based on our looks. Truth.

What I don't like: blazers. I will get my uniform pieces tomorrow hopefully so I can't say I hate it. But get this little known fact: the shoulders are suppose to extend to your outermost arm muscle. Basically, this means you are a box. Take my lovely paint picture below, my actual arms are outlined but the blue is what I'll look like. Real cool, real cool.



The red is suppose to be a scarf. No injuries to the neck peeps.



Granted. I may grow to like it, or I may grow to only wear it when neccesary: boarding, landing, walking through the airport...so basically always. Hm. The blazer challenge begins.

01 02 18

"Soaring Eagle"

Mesaba means "soaring eagle" in Ojibwe. Just one fun fact I now know about this regional airline. My story of the process goes something like this, alright it goes EXACTLY like this:

I love airports. I love to travel. But it never occurred to me that a Flight Attendant (FA) position was in reach. I love the part in Love Actually that takes place at the airport: happy faces, smiling people, tears of joy, and individuals from all over the world. I even applied for a job at a jewelry store that was at the airport in high school, but then realized I had no transportation there and couldn't commit to the hours, so I didn't get it obviously. But I have always been intrigued by the airport. Before 9/11 when you could simply walk into the airport without needing a boarding pass and barely even go through security, my dad and I would watch the planes leave from the windows at the terminals. I always thought, how in the world do these huge creatures (yes, creatures) fly.

Well. Now I'm a FA. What in the world. I am still in shock. My mom showed me the ad in the Sunday paper on October 2nd; the ad was promoting Information Sessions for Mesaba Airlines that upcoming Tuesday and Wednesday. I don't think she realized that single advertisement would lead to an actual career, but my family shouldn't be surprised with my ever-changing life. That Wednesday I took the afternoon off from work and attended the session at the Hilton Hotel in Bloomington. I thought this session would include steps to be able to apply, but to my surprise, it was a stepping stone to current open positions. I had filled out my application online the night before, brought my resume, wore my business casual best, and walked into the room not knowing what to expect.

Along with 22 others, I sat myself down and waited for information. A power point presentation lasted an hour and half full of flight attendant position details. Then, a written test, then an verbal test (yes I got to read a boarding announcement in front of everyone and share a customer service experience), and then the waiting game. The waiting game was in the hallway. Six individuals got called back in the room to be offered interviews. The list was put up on the door and then they shut the door. So this group of 22 individuals stormed to see if they made the cut (although we didn't know we were getting interviews, we were told Mesaba simply had questions to ask us) much like high schoolers seeing if they made varsity. I was on that list. A huge confidence boost went threw me, and as most applicants walked away, I stood tall in the hallway, waiting to be called in.

I was offered an interview the next day, which, I had to work, but I wasn't saying no to this opportunity. I took a sick day (because actually I was sick, and if they hired me with my nasal-y voice, apparently they must really want me) and went to the Eagan office. I got called on Friday but was working all day, and when I called back at 4:30 p.m that day, the office was already closed. So Monday, I got the phone call, offering me the position. And I accepted with a huge smile on my face.

I filled out paperwork on Tuesday morning with Mesaba, all while keeping it silent from the mall. I notified close friends to share my news. I was so shocked, so excited, yet nervous for the unknown. My last day at the mall was Saturday, October 22nd. I started classroom training on Monday, October 24th. And now, with only nine days left until I graduate with my wings, I can confidently say, I work for Mesaba Airlines as a Flight Attendant.

Classroom training has been intense. Exams just about every other day, equipment competency checks, a city codes quiz, and homework worksheets and readings each night. I know the insides and outsides of three different planes that Mesaba operates: the SFR340, CRJ200, and CRJ900. I am now CPR, First Aid, and AED certified, I have learned self-defense, security measures, customer service, safety, and much more to come in the next nine days. The feeling of being in the classroom setting is powerful. I am familiar with the classroom setting and very much enjoy it, however, having 52 other classmates gets on my nerves some days. Some of whom aren't very inclusive to each other, and to the diverse population that exists in the world. I have had to bite my tongue a time or two in conversations in class; my experiences gained throughout college has truly shaped who I am. Working as a RA and working with international students has opened my eyes to so much, and I only wish each and every person in the world could experience such a thing. I know this is a perfect fit job on paper, and the week of Thanksgiving, when I start flying, we will see if it's the perfect fit in action. Til then, it's early nights for me, studying flashcards and guides, and absorbing every word my instructors say.

Here's to being able to travel the world for my career, I can't wait to start. 01 02 18

Goodbye Mall of America, Hello Mesaba Airlines.

Two weeks ago marked my last day at Mall of America as the Events Intern. It was definitely bittersweet. I have never quit a job before. Yes, I have held quite a few (alright many) jobs in my lifetime. But none that I have quit. Either it's been the end of the season, end of summer, or end of the school year. So my preparation of how to go about this was limited. I constantly asked myself the dreaded what-ifs. What if I was making a mistake. Where would have this internship led? I will never know. I tried as hard as possible to push those thoughts from my mind. Yet, constantly they recirculated.

I put in my two weeks notice on Friday, October 7th. I had known all week long that I had the job, I even accepted it without any hesitation, leading me to believe I was definitely making the right choice. But I did not know how to tell the mall. I enjoyed each and every day there. Each day was something different. Who can say they've met Anne Burrell, worn a Babar costume head, and seen the nooks and crannies of MOA, just to name a few neat perks of the internship. Well, I could say those things. And I miss them to this day. From standing in the middle of a full Rotunda, watching screaming fans cheer for Hilary Duff, to breaking down boxes in the Christmas storage room on the complete West side of the mall isolated in a huge concrete room. These are things I miss.

But I got great experience within the short month and a half time I was there. Learned SO much about event planning, the hard work that goes into events, and the long hours that it takes to get the job done. I learned that the cubicle life isn't for me. Maybe an office with a window and door, but not a cube. Hearing the person next to you cough, hearing every phone conversation, and having my eyes glued to a screen is not for me. Granted, I would totally do Event Planning in a non-profit setting if that opportunity ever arises. For the passion would exist in that position for a common cause versus a corporate routine planning to get the job done and move on to the next one. But that's a story for perhaps the very far off future.

For now. I've moved on to the next chapter in my book: Mesaba Airlines. And that's what the next post is dedicated to. For anyone reading, don't be afraid of change. There is some stat out there that young people will change careers/jobs/etc a certain number of times, a relatively high number, in their lifetime. Well, I'm a prime example of this. Do what you want, whether it be successful or not, you won't know until you try. 01 02 18