Autumn 2016 Trials, Tribulations, and Travels

Well, I've now officially experienced all four seasons in Chicago; if the month-and-a-half that I was here last winter counts. I have to say, the city comes to life in the summer in a way I have never seen before, what with the rooftop bars and music/art festivals, and although I was sad as always to see summer come to a close, fall has been a celebration as well! Although I'm not even a sports fan, the excitement of the Cubs winning the World Series has been contagious. I was in Nashville the night of the final game, but I watched on TV as my new home-city ecstatically welcomed a monumental moment in history-- 108 years in the making. The bustle of this blue state has only been dampened ever-so-slightly by recent, ahem, political happenings; but as I want this post to be travel-related, I digress...

Last month, I was able to check another country off the bucket list: Iceland! After spending a night in New York, I, along with my lovely friends Cara and Emily, maneuvered our way over to Reykjavik for a few days. Although it rained the entire time and was rather expensive (as the majority of Scandinavia is); it was SO WORTH IT, and worth all the recent hype it has gotten as a newly popular tourist destination. Seriously, the Icelanders were some of the nicest, warmest, most welcoming people I have ever encountered. Getting around was a bit more difficult than I imagined, as public transport is not as readily available in Reykjavik as it is in some other European cities. However, we were able to take a dip in the Blue Lagoon spa the night before I left, and it was quite an experience-- we had an absolute blast. It actually does include a bar that you can swim up to, as well as a mini-spa where you can apply your own mud masks. The only downsides I can think of are: One: I don't have any pictures because I was afraid to bring my phone to the lagoon, considering I have horrible phone luck, and two: the bar actually does tally the drinks you have, cutting us off at three glasses of champagne each. ;) I suppose it's smart thinking: drunk people and large open bodies of water tend to not mix well. Also, if you ever visit, be prepared to strip down naked in front of a group of people, as showering in the open locker room area before entering the lagoon is mandatory. When in Europe though, am I right?!

While Emily and Cara got to experience an extra day, I had to fly back a day early, as I was on reserve the following morning. So, on October 14th I hopped a plane to London to hop another one to Chicago-- that's standby travel life, yo! Anyway, a few Icelandic adventure pictures to follow!

Me, Cara, and Emily in front of the Hallgrimskirkja Church. Photo creds: Some drunk man with a flask in his coat pocket.

 A view of the colorful Reykjavik rooftops from the tower of the Hallgrimskirkja Church

 May or may not have taken one of these menus from The Laundromat Cafe to frame... ;) 

Em and Cara drinking their first cups of coffee in Reykjavik, after pulling an all-nighter of travel from JFK. 

    

And nearly a year later...

Wow, I kept meaning to write an update of my life, and time, as it is wont to do, kept slipping away from me.

The past several months have been a whirlwind, to say the least. Back in October on my fall break, I flew up to Minneapolis for an interview with Skywest Airlines for a flight attendant position; and two weeks later, I found out that I had been accepted into training. So then, I faced the entirely-too-difficult decision of quitting teaching mid-year and accepting my dream job, or grudgingly finish out the school year and hoping to maybe get accepted again at a better time. But, I decided the time is (or was) now, bid an emotional, bittersweet goodbye to my students and coworkers, and hopped a plane to Salt Lake City for a month of training starting January 13th.

After thirty-one long, intense days of safety drills, CPR/first aid training, and what we referred to as "death by Powerpoint," I received my wings and got based in Chicago-ORD with a couple of my closest friends from training. So, I crammed my Volkswagen bug to the brim, and along with my bro-in-law and his friend who drove a U-Haul (hey thanks, Doug and Chris!), trekked up from Tennessee to start the next chapter of my life!

This job has truly taught me so much. In just a few short months, I have met so many interesting people from all walks of life, seen some breathtaking sights (there's nothing like flying over the Rockies on a clear day), and ultimately, learned that you can never be too prepared for what might occur. I have a new appreciation for the Midwest (which I never thought I'd say); as some of my favorite overnight stays have been in places that I least expected to enjoy, such as Omaha, Nebraska! I've seen more of the USA in the past five months than I ever had before, and I truly believe now that the US has the most varied, beautiful, diverse scenery than any other place on earth-- and I've been to Tuscany! :) Plus, you can't beat free air-fare: what other job can you hop a plane to Rome for a couple of days, grab some gelato, and fly back first class for almost nothing? This girl did a couple of weeks ago! :D

Of course I miss Nashville, and Tennessee will always be my number one home. It is home to my most cherished memories, my family, my friends whom I cannot imagine living without. I miss the humidity (yes, I'm a weirdo, I know), the familiarity, and being able to drive places without fearing for my life, haha. But aside from the maniacal drivers, Chicago is a brilliant city with so much to offer: Midwestern charm, Wicker Park, diversity, the beautiful Lake Michigan which I am in love with, and some amazing new friends. I know that I will at least be a part-time Nashvillian again one day-- once I get a line and am off reserve, that is. More on that later, though!

Okay, I'm glad I got to write a brief update of my life; even if I'm the only one who reads this blog. I feel like writing again, and look forward to posting photos and stories of my travels.