month, homeless era, streak of bad luck? All of the above?
Tomorrow I move into my new apartment in Charlotte with my 3 flight attendant roommates! I'm very, very, very happy about this after a month of living in hotels by the airport feeling like I was half alive. I'm also working on finishing up my Turkish final tonight. So, I guess there is another thing ending.
This week has actually been great. A friend flew through Charlotte and I got to hang out with him at the airport, I got this apartment and then all my potential roommates agreed to the price and living there, I got a really good trip-- a 35 hour layover in Phoenix. Even though I hate being in the desert, having a full 35 hrs to luxuriate in a Sheraton was great. I got a good start on my Turkish paper AND a good tan. The flights were easy--especially the red eye back where everyone was sleeping. I'm pretty sure I drank more cans of soda and juice in the back than all the passengers combined, ha ha.
Right now I'm hanging out for the last night in the Ramada with my friends. We are actually here for free tonight because I had 5 punches on my points card-- amazing.
So, tomorrow we move into the new place... and I begin another move, my stuff from Florida to Charlotte, NC. This new apartment is probably the nicest place I've lived since my mom's place... its going to be so nice not to have to pack up all my stuff every morning and have a life.
Change of luck?
After a month of living in hotels and get dumped and getting shit-canned by my old office...
Side story: remember the post the other week about getting that surprise email telling me that I was no longer needed? Well, I went in to the office to confront my old boss and ask her why this was done, why I was not given an explanation and why I was let go so unceremoniously. Her response left me dumbstruck---she said that she heard a rumor that I had be bragging about logging hours for the office without doing any work. WHATATATAT??! I didn't see that coming--mostly because I would never and had never done or said these things. Apparently a rumor heard 2nd-hand is enough to fire someone without even investigating whether or not the implications could be correct and take away their email account of 7 years with NO notice. Man, I had STUFF in there. I'm not sure what, but I would have liked to be given the chance to transfer any info or contacts.
Merely the fact that my former employer could even believe that I was a liar and a thief (I am not--I might be 1/2 insane most of the time, but I maintain that my work ethic is very good) cut me to the core. I cried for 2 days over it.
But in perspective-- I guess if suffering an injustice results in being relieved of duties at a job I didn't like working for people I didn't like at an institution I didn't believe in isn't the worst thing in the world. I don't need them. Plus, if being homeless means hanging out with friends in hotel rooms, that's not all that horrible either.
BUT! Things are looking up! I found an apartment that I really like in a great location and I was able to get it! Yes, that means I now have my name on a 3rd apartment lease (I should be stressed, maybe, right?), but this signals the end of being a total homeless gyspsy-airport-rat come May 1. Now I won't have to go and hang about the Charlotte Airport all day just because I have no where else to be. Also, this might be the nicest place I've ever lived (certainly the most expensive); it has a washer&dryer AND a dishwasher INSIDE the apartment! Oh, the unbelievable luxuries! Plus the rooms are painted colors (my first non-all white wall living space EVER)
I just set up the electric, the gas and the internet. Now I just have to secure roommate(s) and start the moving process again...for the 5th time this year. yea!
anniversary
With all my complaining I forgot about my eye-anniversary. April 11th was one year since the surgery. Its been wonderful to be contact and glasses-free for the past year. But personally, I like to think of this as the event that marks the change in my life... from going to a person who was mostly happy just to sit at home and wait for her husband to get home with the car and dream about buying a home.... to now..... new everything; new job, new city, new life.
Too much change for one year if you ask me
playing through the sand
This is the part that sucks, I guess. The transition. I was in a poor mood most of the day today. I've been in Charlotte (my base) on duty, waiting to get a call for a flight for the past 3 nights. No luck. So I'm just here wasting time and NOT working. Meanwhile my friends are all at a birthday party together. I don't mind missing things as much when I'm working, but I'm not actually working and I can't go anywhere either. I hate the feeling that I am just wasting time, paying for a hotel room and not getting anything done.
I've been dragging my friends around town all yesterday and today trying to find a place to live. It is very frustrating. I really, really need to find a place here for my mental health though. On top of that, I got my first paycheck and it was a very small surprise and I got a casually worded email from the girl who replaced me at work that I'm not needed any more. Thanks for showing me NO respect, old workplace. And if I'm not needed then... why is there still all this work I'm getting?? And why wouldn't the boss email me. Just poor disrespect.
All these things add up and make me feel very disposable... in relationships and career wise.
ah, two tears in a buket
Here's a video that is perfect. Two Koreas and great lyrics; "I'd rather be alone"
two days in town
Besides all the other errands I had to run while I was home, I replaced my shower curtain and bath mats, I washed my sheets, my comforter, my throw blanket, the other blanket, my pillow case and the case that was on the second pillow that I bought because of him... even the mattress liner. I washed all of them and rotated the mattress so that not even the slightest indent or particle would remain.
And now I'll make the sandwiches.
The end of training... and the beginning of this crazy new life
After the last test (aka the last chance to get kicked out) was over, everyone started to relax. The pressure was mostly off and people were actually having a little fun. I would either gulp down my 3 free drinks at the hotel before the 7 pm deadline and then hop in the jacuzzi OR the most fun was to drink 2, take one for the road and catch the shuttle to Target.
Yes, living in a hotel room for a month with little escape made even a trip to Target seem like the most fun event ever.
We continued to wear our uniforms through week 4. Here I am with Martin at the receiving end of first class service training. :)
Finally, it was graduation day. Everyone was so happy. I must have taken about 1000 photos for people. Because I am completely unable to deal with change and goodbyes, I've never really been able to enjoy graduations. Actually, I hate them. I sulked and avoided people. Hence, NO 1000 photos with all my friends for me.
We received our wings at the ceremony. This may have been my proudest graduation to date. Maybe it was because training was so hard or maybe it was because I would be moving on to a job with this graduation (unlike the pit of despair and part-time employment I was looking at after college and grad school)
At any rate, I finally felt like I had accomplished something.
Here I am with one of my besties, Brian.
OK, I found another version of our graduation performance on youtube:
don't laugh. They made us do it!
Our graduation cake, which was awesome!
Our graduation portrait. I'm 4th from the left 2nd row
After having just arrived in Phoenix the night before from my practice flight, I was once again back at the airport ready to go to Charlotte for more training. MORE training after graduation. Argh.
In Charlotte, my mood lifted. I met the CEO, Doug Parker above, by being in the right place at the right time, the trees were all in bloom (below), and I wouldn't have to say goodbye to all my friends for a couple more days.
Plus, we found this great Mexican place by the airport with $2 beers. AWESOME
We all had enough beer that playing with the wall decorations seemed like an appropriate idea.
Everything was fine until the last day. We all had to haul our our stuff to the van AGAIN then check it all in at the airport again. I was beginning to feel like a pack mule. Now I really had to say goodbye to all my friends. It was awful. The worst part is the almost all of my favorite people from training are based in Philadelphia, while I am in Charlotte.
Me, on my first commute back to Gainesville. I'm smiling here, but in about 10 minutes I would be crying like a baby on the plane with some Rilo Kiley playing on my iphone.
I got back in time to totally surprise my friend, Buket. I lied and told her I would miss her birthday, but then burst through the door to surprise her and eat some cake with friends. It was great.
The next day, I stopped into Viva Europe, the festival my old workplace at the University was putting on. Here I am with a Scotsman, because, as you know, I am now Scottish.... and kilts are hot
The festivities continued later with some Turkish folk music
I am not a Turkish folk musician (yet), but I love this instrument-- the Saz
My time at home should have been a lot of fun, but unfortunately it was filled with drama and emotion for me. I'm sure I've stained my public image forever, but hopefully my friends will forgive and forget and I can go back to being the fun party girl that I identify myself as.... I hope.
On Wednesday, it was back up to Charlotte for a day of orientation and then I was to be "on duty" I had no idea what to expect, but I was in one of those moods where I didn't want to be anywhere. I didn't want to be in Gainesville, I didn't want to be in Charlotte and I couldn't think of a single place I wanted to be. Luckily the universe knew the answer was Las VEGAS!!!
My sadness over my week in Gainesville and partings of ways coupled with my stress over not having a salary yet OR a place to live OR any idea how much I would be paid melted away when I stepped on the runway and saw 'The Strip' in the distance.
This job is awesome, I thought. I was already lucky enough to get to take the 4-day trip with my training friend Natalie, but Brian was also in Vegas that night. Amazing luck!
We started the night with Brian's captain buying us all beer and shots and then hit The Strip.
Since none of us have any money to spare, we didn't really gamble (except for me at this penny slot machine), but we did have fun walking around and seeing the sights while drinking giant skull-shaped mugs of liquor.
Stingray sighting!!
It was my first time in Vegas, so it was pretty incredible. I hope I get to go back if and when I ever get some money.
After that we stayed overnight in Ft. Lauderdale and Orlando.
I finished up my 4 day trip and hopped on the first plane back to Gainesville on Monday night. I was only there for 2 nights, but it was nice to sleep in my own bed and do some laundry. I still don't feel like I have my legs under me yet, so to speak. I have to figure out how to live this new life where I'm basically a nomad. I still haven't managed to find a place in Charlotte. I probably could have, but now I've made this agreement to live with some other friends...so I'm kind of waiting for them to come around. The problem is, we probably will never be in the same place at the same time....maybe, I mean, what do I know about this stuff?
I spent last night in a hotel and luckily got called for another 4 day trip this morning. Hooray! That is 3 more nights I can sleep for free This time I'll be in West Palm Beach, DC and Tampa. YES!
