Every time I fly, I think about how it must suck to be the
flight attendant and deal with customers like me who attempt to listen to music
for every single minute of every flight.
Plus, the job is repetitive and airplanes are cramped and
uncomfortable. And right now, I’m
pissed at myself for leaving a library book on the plane. Somewhere out there – maybe – there’s a
flight attendant learning about the history of financial speculation.
Flight attendants are people’s fantasy for a lot of reasons
– being up in the air is kind of sexy (er, if you’ve never flown), and flight
attendants are worldly, wear cute outfits, and have an endless supply of mini
wine bottles for you and only you (it’s your fantasy, so anything’s a go). Travel is such a fantasy and such a
cliché. Some people are happy to
never set foot out of their state, others will just feel so bad for you if
you’ve only been to like, 3 of the continents. Travel is a currency – experiences, food, photos – we share
and show off and grow from it.
I have it so good – I’ve got my health, my friends, pajama
jeans, and my youth. But if some
envy others’ wardrobes, relationships, job perks, or tans – I really envy your
vacations. I also like people who
like to travel. I often hear my
coworkers joke that to enjoy your job as a consultant, you need to really like
your coworkers because that guy who’s mildly annoying will seem to much worse
if you’re stuck in the [insert shitty airport] airport with him, and your
flight’s been delayed 3 hours.
Traveling is hard because there’s less of a routine – you don’t know
where you’ll be eating, who will be around you. These factors are largely controllable at home, and a
routine provides a level of comfort that you’re unlikely to get in a new
place. Being flexible and being
open can be so hard – but the people who can encounter an obstacle and keep
their humor are the ones I want around.
At any point in time.
I also have another, weirder, travel-related curiosity. Train conductors – who are they? What did they do before conducting? Maybe their job’s not that interesting –
they’re taking people’s money, giving them change, placing tickets on seats,
and going back and forth between two locations all day. But it’s cool that they’re a part of so
many people’s travels. When I get
on the train, I wish there was a bubble on top of everyone’s head (like in a
cartoon) that would tell me where they’re going and why. Especially when I’m taking the metro at
an unusual time (late at night or the middle of the day on a weekday, early
morning on a weekend (ok that one doesn’t actually happen)) – I always want to
know where everyone’s going. It’s
probably all mostly boring, so maybe it’s for the best that life isn’t a
cartoon. I would not turn down superpowers, though.
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