Asheville

There's something about Asheville.


I first heard of this city on a cross-country train trip that I took in 2009. I met a girl who was moving there in a few weeks, and I was mystified that such a city could exist and I had never heard of it.

A few years went by and the name kept popping up in random occurrences, and finally, after reading about it in Eric Weiner's Geography of Bliss , I decided to put it on the top of my list.

After talking to a co-worker and friend about travel, I mentioned I was planning on visiting Asheville in the near future. It turns out, she also had Asheville on her mind and wanted to visit a friend, and as fate would have it, we had the same days off, so we booked our hostel and signed up for the flights.

I was planning on visiting for a few days - I wanted to see some bands play, get to know the city and just explore. About 5 days prior to our trip, I had something come up that couldn't be rescheduled. After thinking about it for awhile, I decided I was just going to call the trip off and go another time - take the loss of the hostel cancellation and just hope that I'd make it to AVL in the near future. As I was on the phone with my friend explaining this, she got a call from her friend, and told me regardless, she was going to go. I then decided that I'd go too - after all, my obligation wasn't for a few days and I could probably swing a night there.

Just one night. That's all you need in Asheville to make you want more. Do you like beer? This city is for you. Do you like mountains? Live music? Good, local food and businesses? Nice weather? Nicer people? Consider this your next visit.

Not only is getting from AVL (the airport) to downtown easy, it's $1 on the bus. (Check the bus schedules, they only run every hour or so until 6pm. We waited 45 minutes, but that beats a $45 cab ride.) Accommodation is incredible - we stayed at the Asheville Hostel & Guesthouse ($40 for one person/two beds, $50 for two people/two beds) which was incredible. It is clean, quiet, has a full kitchen, and the owner, BJ, was so friendly. He even called us to make sure we weren't lost, and met us halfway from the bus station. The hostel is located downtown, and it's a 5 minute walk from the Orange Peel, Wicked Weed Brewing (a new and really fantastic brewery) and 11 minutes max from everything else.

We had a drink at Thirsty Monk, where I tried their Chile Beer ("The brew is a blend of Asheville Brewing's Escape Artist Ale, with 127 pounds of smoked jalapeno peppers added. Not macho enough to try a pint?! Why not mix a half pint of Fire Escape with your favorite Stout, Porter, or whatever?") and had great conversation. It was here I decided on my 2013 Halloween Costume (stay tuned- also, if anyone has any dvd rewinders let me know, I need one) 

All in all, the 12 hour visit I had to AVL was amazing and I can't wait to go back as soon as possible, I need to spend more time in the Blue Ridge Mountains! Plus, I didn't take hardly any photos, and I'd be a terrible blogger if I didn't go back and get some good ones. The things I do for you people!! 

If you're trying to find your next weekend trip, I have found it for you. You can thank me in beer, or a home for my foster cats.

flying in

At Wicked Weed, they have a pretzel/mustard station. Amazing. 

American Girl in London

The other day I decided to go to London, so I did.

I hopped on the 9pm flight from Chicago, knowing it was wide open and I could probably get a row of seats to myself so that I could stretch out and sleep. Upon arriving at O'hare, I discovered the 6pm flight was seriously delayed due to mechanical, so they were re-booking everyone onto my 9pm flight. What! So unfair! I even tried to volunteer myself to go on the delayed flight just because I knew it'd be wide open.. but alas, they ushered me onto the 9pm flight, inbetween two English men, including one who kept his shoes off the entire flight. Gross. We can smell your feet, my friend.

I took some melatonin (the best thing ever) and actually drifted off to sleep, even in the middle seat! I woke up and the sun was shining which REALLY confused me.

Upon landing in London, I stumbled around until I found the ATM and then the Tube. Following instructions I received from the guesthouse I was staying, I was to take the Piccadilly line to the Victoria line, then walk. No big deal! I still look pretty good after that 9 hour flight! I can walk in 3 inch heels, it's totally fine!

After I figured out how to buy a pass, I got on the train and when I got to my transfer point, I discovered that London just decided to shut down service on the Victoria Line. Okay. So I walked upstairs to find this:

Protesting/shutting down the streets

AND THIS! 

My new home. 

After wandering around some more, desperately trying to hail a cab but being so freaking confused about the wrong-way streets in London, I finally flagged one down and he had no idea where I was trying to go, but still accepted the challenge. 

the cabs in London have jumpseats. Just saying.

Finally, after paying way more than I can afford to get to my hostel, I ARRIVED! And I was still looking halfway decent! When I made it up to my dorm, I met a friendly girl from France named Eloïse and she invited me to go to Notting Hill, so of course I accepted! 

However, the protests/demonstrations continued to disrupt the streets and tube service, so we had to figure out a way to get their via bus. It proved to be incredibly difficult, and there was a language barrier between Eloïse and I, so much of the time we were not sure what each other was saying but we still had a blast. At one point, Eloïse found Burger King and I think she almost passed out from excitement. 

Somehow this place will get us to Notting Hill. 

Burger King makes dreams come true.. apparently. 

Sure. 

About six hours later, at dusk, we arrived at Notting Hill to find that the markets were all closing shop. There we met up with two of Eloïse's friends from Brazil who wanted to go find pubs and drink Guinness. ACCEPT. 

Once again, however, the streets were confusing and buses were confusing and I don't even know where we ended up or how we ended up here but it happened and it was great: 

dance floorrrr!!!!

 

The hostel made us wear those bracelets but then we discovered they gave us magical power. Or not. 

Eloïse  and I decided we were NOT dressed up for the club so we tried on the dresses I bought in Notting Hill. I think she looks great but she wasn't happy so we changed back into our street clothes :( 

The next day, our guy friends ditched us so we ventured out again, this time to Camden Street for more shopping. It was Eloïse's last day :( 

Camden street is a mixture of boutique/street markets/things I can buy in Asia for a fraction of the price. In fact, there were so many things that I had JUST seen in Bangkok for sale for triple the price! It was hilarious. There were also so many signs that said "no photography". And there was also this: 

Yep, and there was also this which made me happy. 

 After this fun day, Eloïse had to go back to France and the guys went on to Amsterdam. And truthfully, I was exhausted! From the moment I left my door in Chicago until the morning all three of my friends left London, I was out and about. The last day for me in London was filled with wandering around, sight-seeing, looking for Harry Potter at King's Cross, and eating food. I was ready to go home and I was happy to find that my plane ride home was empty and I finally got a row to myself :) 

real life flight attendant

Are all days the same for flight attendants? oh hell no.

here's a great example of something that can happen on just a regular day of work.

I decided to pick up some extra flying before I began my 4 day trip. Two nights ago, before I went to work, I swear I had this weird feeling about the next day. I couldn't help but wonder if I was actually going to make it to my 4-day, including my layover in Bozeman (my favorite place!).

The first flight should've been an indication: we were going to be arriving in Hartford 20 minutes behind schedule because of headwinds. We ended up arriving just five minutes late, but as soon as we began boarding our next group of passengers, the real trouble began.

just chillin in the hotel.. 

Not only were ATC towers (or something) down, our airplane had a mechanical issue where the pilots had to do everything by hand. It's not worth getting into those gritty details because surely they're not important to you, but it was a pain, took forever and we were weight restricted. We ended up leaving Hartford an hour behind schedule and with a plane full of infuriated people who were going to be missing their connections. I was working in the cabin, so I was the flight attendant who had to calm everyone. I spent the entire 1.5 hour flight to Washington D.C. talking to almost every passenger, delivering the bad news but still trying to instill hope in them. I showed several people the diagrams of the airport, told them what to do once they got to D.C, and showed remorse when I knew they'd miss their flight. I truly felt bad, especially when I found out we were going to be arriving in a gate light years away from 90% of the connections.



By the end of the flight, I had several people thank me, and I could tell a lot more were relaxed or had accepted their fate. Being a flight attendant truly requires very, very thick skin. You have to let things roll off you - including insults (of course, there's definitely a line, but you have to decide when it's crossed.), snarky remarks, unhappy passengers, etc. We, the crew, know the reality of the airline industry. It's rarely perfect. Most things that happen truly aren't OUR FAULT, the airline, it's just the fact that sometimes there's a lot of traffic going into O'hare so we have to wait extra long to get released, or there's a storm on the way so we have to go around it which means our flight is longer, or maybe operations at whichever airport we're at isn't working correctly. So many people say "I HATE THIS AIRLINE!" and I just shake my head. It's not the airline telling us we can't take off yet, and we certainly are not responsible for the storms. Yet it almost feels like so many people need to find something else (or someone) to blame. It's wrong, yes, but again, we're used to it - it's just part of the job.

what my hotel rooms look like. crap everywhere! 

Anyway, after we arrived in D.C, I, too started to accept my fate that I probably wouldn't end up in my amazing hotel room in Bozeman. I still clung to hope, but that hope died when we landed in St. Louis and I found out our flight to Chicago was cancelled and we'd all be staying in STL for the night. The rest of my current crew flew out this morning at 5am, and I'm still here, in my hotel room, waiting until 3pm so I can go to the airport, deadhead (fly on a flight but not work it) to Denver, sit there for 4 hours and then re-join my crew to work the last flight from DEN-BZN. I feel lucky because even though I was upset about not being in Bozeman (BZN) last night, I actually had 2 layovers there right in a row, so I will be there tonight.

All that being said, this is what it's really like for us. There are months that go by where everything goes according to plan - but then you get trips (or a month in my case) where things get incredibly jacked up, things go wrong on every leg and you just sit in your hotel room contemplating what you're really doing with your life. You lose money, you lose time, you lose a lot. But at the end of the day, you go to sleep knowing that you still love your job. You love zooming around in space, talking to hundreds of people a day, flying around the world for fun, going out with your crew family and living out of a suitcase.

So even though I'm supposed to be just waking up in my hotel in Bozeman, surrounded by mountains, I'm okay with my not-so-nice hotel room in St. Louis with a view of a highway. It's trips and events like this that bring me back to reality. If I can still be happy with my life and job after a month like this, then I know I'm still on the right path.

tales from 38,000 feet.. part 1

Our four-day trip was relatively smooth until the last day, when we had one leg to Austin at 6:20am.

Our first class was ridiculous. As I stood in the back, I watched as one of our passengers held up the entire line. I couldn't believe how long it was taking for her to sit in her seat - and it was one thing after another. After we got up in the air, my other FA told me what was taking so long. Our first class passenger needed her insulin refrigerated, couldn't understand what "gate check" meant, and insisted on trying to fit her bag in the overhead bin. Gently, my co-worker removed the bag and gate checked it. The passenger also made clear that she's a very inexperienced flier, which is no big deal but we didn't realize how inexperienced she really was.

I started to do my service. As you may recall, aircrafts have tiny aisles, and only the beverage cart fits in between the seats. This means you cannot pass while the flight attendant is doing her service. I get to the first row, and after I tell a disgruntled cowgirl (literally, she had boots, jean skirt and a shirt that said "TEXAS" on) that we couldn't offer her milk or lemons in her tea, I step back to retrieve her hot water and one of our other passengers in first jumps up and tries to go past my cart.

The operating of a beverage cart is not impossible, but I don't recommend you try to touch it when the flight attendant is 2 rows away. I calmly tell my first class passenger that there's no way to pass to go to the bathroom, and here, let me move my cart out of your way before someone gets hurt.

As I complete my service (having to go back to the galley again because our passenger came back from the lav..) my FA tells me, frantically but in a good way, that she had to open the liquor. "I was NOT anticipating opening this liquor! I can't believe I have to count it. When they ordered their drinks, I was like.. 'you want.. you want liquor?!!!' "

Because, remind you, it's 6:30 AM on a Wednesday and they're drinking - no, downing - bloody mary's and baileys. We don't usually judge, but this was just bizarre.

Since I was finished with my service, I got the full experience of our first class group. Our lovely lady who held up the flight during boarding was just out of this world. I watched as she helplessly tried to figure out her tray table. (My co-worker and I decided we weren't going to baby her. She had to learn on her own!) Then, as I was glancing at a magazine (because FA's don't read, of course!) I all of a sudden hear something crash and fall. Our lady has gone and spilled everything on her tray table - and her dentures have fallen out of her mouth. My co-worker went over and helped her pick up the trash and I saw her pause as she realized what that.. thing.. was on the ground. Our lady just laughed and laughed.

As I walked by to check on my cabin, she stopped me and asked me quietly.. "do you have any special secrets on using the lavatory?" and my mind could only come up with one answer. "WHAT?"

And again, as I walk by to do another check, "Could you tell me, because I have an connecting flight to Europe, where the best United Lounges are?" "Oh, I'm sorry, I'm not sure - we never go into the clubs" "Oh, that's right! You don't go into the clubs because You don't work for United!" "No, we're flight attendants. We don't go into the lounges." (I have this reoccurring problem of answering peoples questions bluntly and obviously. Yes, I know where all of the lounges are, but I have no idea which ones are better and if there are any differences. I tend to not offer any more information than I'm asked. My co-worker was much smarter than I was, and directed our lady to the nearest club, knowing that they're all probably the same.)

Upon deplaning, we're cleaning up and getting ready to go end our trip. But before we go, we marvel in what first class has left for us. Trash, newspapers, dirty magazines and more trash. They couldn't have the decency to hand them to us one of the many times we walked by asking for trash. Couldn't be bothered, too busy living the good life I guess.

traveling tips for infrequent fliers.

Most days, you'll find me like this: 

I am usually a very happy flight attendant. But some days, I look like this: 

Travelers and crew members have those days too, you know? Especially when you find out that those three flights you were gonna work are now cancelled because the plane decides not to work correctly. 

Moving on, there are many different ways and things I bring with me when I go to work to cheer me up when things like that happen, or I have a loooooooooong day of flying ahead of me. While airline crews do get a per diem to cover food expenses, it really isn't healthy or practical to buy every meal at the airport. I've come up with a list of must-have items that help me save money, eat better and make me happy. 

1. You need to drink water! Water is the single most important thing to me when I fly. I'm walking around for hours at 37,000 feet so I lose a lot of water. Short story time: a few months ago, on the 3rd day of my trip, I started to get a sore throat. I decided to drink green tea, but only half a litre of water. I woke up the next day practically immobile. I could barely walk, and I couldn't drink or eat anything. I went to the doctor the next day, and I was dehydrated. That's it. The sore throat, headache, fever -- it was all because I had practically no fluids in me whatsoever. That just goes to show how necessary water is - especially when you fly, even if you are just a passenger. 

Save money and bring your own, empty reusable water bottle. Fill it up at one of the many water fountains once you get past security. Water in the airport costs at least $3 a bottle and bottled water is a gimmick anyway as well as terrible for the environment. 

2. I love coffee and tea.. a lot. Starbucks is an awful rip-off, and the airplane coffee is kind of a last-ditch effort for when caffeine is absolutely necessary.. so I fill up at the hotel and bring my own instant coffee as well as my own reusable coffee mug. If you're an obsessive caffeine drinker like myself, bring some of your own tea packets (make sure you bring your favorites! Chai Green Tea by Stash or Jasmine Blossom are my two absolute favorite types!) and perhaps a reusable coffee mug (the amount of starbucks coffee cups people throw away on any given flight disgusts me!) and just ask the nice person behind the counter at any coffee place or starbucks for some hot water. It's free! Starbucks in particular is pretty relaxed about giving you hot water. Dunkin' Donuts or Tim Hortons might be a little stingy with it.. which makes no sense. You can also ask the flight attendants on your flight for hot water, too. This goes for instant coffee as well - Starbucks Via is really not that bad if you pour just the right amount in and use just the correct amount of water. 

3. Please bring snacks. The food in the airports is notoriously expensive and greasy. With a few exceptions, I really won't touch anything in half the airports we go to. (The exceptions are Heidi's in Denver and PotBelly's in Dulles.. as well  as Starbucks but I'm trying to kick the habit!!) Almonds and mixed nuts are always a good choice. Make and bring a huge fruit salad and call that a meal - because it really fills you up! (plus you can feel awesome about your healthy choice all day long!) The bottom line is that airlines rarely give out snacks these days, and you'll be better off by just bringing your own food. 

4. Cold? Bring a blanket. I never travel anywhere without my tiny travel pillow and a blanket. Take it from me: It's hard to control the temperature on an aircraft. I get so many requests on a single flight about the plane being cold. I have asked the pilots twice to warm it up, which they did, and if it's still cold, oh well... it's out of our control. I get so annoyed with people who complain about  not having blankets and pillows on the aircraft. When was the last time you boarded a plane - a regional one, at that - that had a blanket and a pillow on every seat? Oh and we're given blankets - but the same people complaining are the ones who steal the blankets and ruin it for everyone else. So to be safe, just bring your own. Less germs that way, too. 

5. Don't be afraid about your green tagged bags. Our plane is a lot smaller than those 747's and most carry-on items need to go in the cargo compartment for the flight. Therefore, you're handed a green tag and told to leave it on the jetbridge. Most people do this with ease and understand the process, but some people skip the jetbridge altogether and bring the bag on the plane. You're more than welcome to try and fit your bag, but if the flight attendant tells you it's too big, it's probably too big. We practically live on that airplane, you know. 

After your flight, they bring the bags back up to the jetbridge and you basically pick them up where you dropped them off. All you have to do is wait a few minutes against the wall and you'll be on your way. It's no big deal and yes, it's free! 

Anything I missed? Leave a comment! Happy travels and if you have any questions send them my way!