Je Vous Remercie, Singapore Airlines.
Has it really been over 5 years? Wow. Seems like only yesterday I first received my name tags and uniform. Time sure flies when you're actually... flying. I am writing this two weeks before my last day of service, and already I'm feeling a myriad of emotions flooding within me. There were so many memories during my time in the company, more good ones than bad. I'm sure many colleagues (or rather, ex-colleagues now) can relate.
Training days were bittersweet, and all that mad rush to prepare for graduation. Who can forget the first time on flight, as a supernumerary crew, trying to be on form and not offend the seniors? I'm sure many of us still empathize with those “new birds” now that the roles are slightly reversed.
The long list of destinations that SIA flies to is probably my primary reason for joining the company, and I must say I've been very fortunate to have walked on these foreign soil. Come to think of it, there are actually fewer than five cities that I didn't quite make it to. There were plenty of memorable trips - Houston and driving to New Orleans with both Mom and Dad, Athens and Santorini with Dad on VERY short notice, getting stranded in Venice due to a train strike, various trips to Paris and New York with my lovely batchmates, and exploring Los Angeles with Louis. Besides work flights, I was also lucky enough to go on vacation with my favorite people! I wouldn't have gone all the way to South America, or Hawaii, or Tibet, if not for the available resources that I had. I am truly thankful for these travel opportunities.
Of course, there's probably 3/4 of the globe left for me to explore (I have yet to see the aurora borealis in Tromsø or skydived in Dubai) but that gives me good reason now to do it with my friends and family members. There will constantly be a chase to fly and travel, like what LDV said, “Once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return.”
What will I miss? Are you kidding me, EVERYTHING! All the things that crew do, or not do, I will miss. London's shop-till-we-drop at Primark, West End musicals, and duck rice... Eggs benedict made to perfection at the cafés in Melbourne... Drugstore madness, Ichiran ramen, and the Standing Sushi Bar in Tokyo... the list just goes on! How about the perks of being a crew? Airport discounts, dedicated crew lane when clearing customs, crew room at hotels exclusively for our usage (and our favorite little microwave?!) Saying au revoir to this lifestyle will not be easy but I have decided to, as cliché as it may sound, clip my wings for the better.
My 5-year journey wouldn't have been possible if not for all the wonderful people that I've met along the way. My colleagues, both senior and junior, my batchmates, and serendipitous encounters with locals when I travel. A huge shoutout to everyone on my last flight, all of whom were extremely nice despite the minor operational hiccups. I wouIdn't say I've seen it all, but all the traveling opened up my eyes to many things. Sometimes, different people or incidents force us out of our comfort zone, and it often makes us a better person. The best thing that I got out of this job is humility, and I'm not even relating it to work. There's no point in going into a spiel on that, all I'll say is traveling made me realize that not everything is about me.
By the time y'all read this, I would've started my new job. What lies ahead? Both ambiguity and growth. Will I continue my travels? You betcha, I see no reason to stop. I'll probably blog a lot less from now, but keep checking back once in a while. If it matters at all, please know that this blog entry is not an exposé, it's more of a farewell letter to the company, my colleagues, and this lifestyle. And for the last time, “Thanks for the flight.”
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