The Highlights While at the Charm Farm

Well, I have officially been out of Flight Attendant training for exactly 2 weeks today! I cannot believe how fast time is flying. It feels like life is just flying by me and for the last two and a half months I haven't had a second to sit and reflect on all that I have accomplished and be put through and learned.

So first let me officially say, I am a flight attendant with American Airlines. I know I verbally told a lot of people, but throughout training I had to keep an eye on my posts to make sure I didn't mention American Airlines directly nor mention specifics of what was going on in training, which made it really hard to write any blogs.  So now that I have free time, I'm going to catch up on all the highlights of FA training.

Work Trips

In my last post I had mentioned my base visit and how I had just gotten Dallas as my base. Right after that my girlfriend Gabby and I went onto do our very first "Work Trip". Basically, that's our opportunity to observe what it is we are learning and put what we have learned into action. It was pretty incredible, we went to Ontario California, which I had no idea existed until we found out that's where we were going. We both had a wonderful time working and getting to work together. Not only that but our crew was AMAZING and we couldn't have asked for better people to be with on our first go round.

For my second Work Trip I went to Las Vegas with two more incredible and beautiful people, Melissa and Tiffany. That is one trip I will probably never forget... Talk about how stressed out we were. We worked a 757, it went great. But we ran into some struggles getting on the aircraft, which wasn't exactly the best way for us to kick off our day. BUT IT ALL WORKED OUT! Not only was that morning stressful for all of us, but the night before I spiked one heck of a fever and ended up sitting in class for 3 hours with uncontrolable chills and just all around nastiness. The WORST place to be when your sick is in a classroom, thousands of miles away from your mom and her homemade soup... Just sayin. Luckily, I had an angel in my class that stood in for my mom and got me all kinds of stuff to kick the bug that I had. I more or less broke the fever the night before and then spiked a more mild one the next day. I got crafty and turn my bathroom into a sauna... best idea ever actually, and quite relaxing. By Sunday I was golden and laying out by the pool for 7 hours. Any vitamin C I had missed out on, I made up for that day.

So Saturday was our second Work Trip and Sunday we all had off, and that Monday was Cinco de Mayo but we had our third and final Work Trip Monday so we celebrated Cinco de Mayo a day early by the pool. The hotel staff was the best and helped us get all set up with all kinds of goodies and ice and what not. They really did become our family (since we've moved out of SpringHill, a few of us have gone back to see everyone). Cuatro de Mayo was probably the most laid back day of training any of us had had since we had been there. We had so much fun together on our last weekend at "home" together."

Then Monday came around and I got to go on my third and final trip with my roommate and wonderful friend Grace. We were beyond excited to get paired up together and our trip and crew was AWESOME and absolutely hilarious. All three of the flight attendants were new hires that were still on probation. Which was great because all of their tips and tricks we can actually use on probation, that was extremely helpful. And again, HILARIOUS crew.
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After my first Work Trip I had decided I really prefer flying FA 1 and 2. FA 1 is that Flight Attendant that works first class, and FA 2 is what we jokingly refer to as "The Galley Goddess". The "Galley Goddess" sets up the galley in main cabin and works the cart with FA 4. FA 4 is referred to as the "Princess".
Really I just like how busy those two positions stay. In first class you're always going. Your service starts the second people board and you are doing something for your passengers until you take your jumpseat to land. There's no time to be board or look for something else to do. Not to mention you don't have to use your tablet, which really is a plus. As FA 2 we stay busy for the most part, we have the responsibility of having everything stocked and ready to go. If we run out of anything during the service we run to go restock.
The tablet is a great tool to have, I just don't enjoy using it like other seem to. It's kind of a pain and I feel like it slows you down during your service. Just my opion :)

Easter Away from Home

This was my second Easter away from home. Still not a fan of being away from home for the holidays, however, this year I still spent it with family and my family at home still managed to make it extra special away from home.

My amazing little brother sent me the most gorgeous flowers and the sweetest card a big sister could get.  

And my momma sent the best Easter Basket, Lilly P and wine themed! I mean what gets better than that?! 

Our instructors even went out of their way to leave us with a smile and encouragement before dismissing us for the weekend...

Kiwi Ceremony and Graduation

The Kiwi Ceremony is a small ceremony with your classmates and your instructors. We are given a needle, a penny, and a button and then we polish the wings on the monument. These three items are then placed in a basin and represents the start of our new life and a wish that "We may never be caught poor, unkempt or with our hemline down." 

Graduation and the Wing Pinning Ceremony was obviously very emotional. After 7.5 long weeks, numerous tests, hard goodbyes, stressful and panic filled mornings and nights, the unknown of what was to come after a test, and the sheer bliss of knowing that you just finished the very last test and all sorts of other emotions just kind of exploded as we exited the auditorium. My friends and I all found each other, ended up in a big huddle and we all proceeded to lose it in front of 10 other classes and tons of guests. It wasn't until then that I had actually allowed myself to cry over anything in about 5 weeks. I had told myself to lock it up and get it done. 

For those that know me well, you know I am an emotional person. I will bottle up my emotions for a moment, but at some point I get it all out. However, I've never waited over a month to allow myself a moment to cry. But in that moment, I was with the 5 people I grew closest with, I was saying goodbye to one, and we had all made it through together, and all of it was finally over...

The night before I finally saw my parents for the first time in two months! Graduation day I finally saw Nicholas! I about lost it all over again seeing the three of them and being a family together for the first time in two months. I really couldn't believe how homesick I got while in training, it was kind of ridiculous. 

Not only did I graduate and get my wings on May 7th, but I also signed my very first lease! THose pictures will come later when that part of my life is in order :)

I have officially been out of Flight Attendant training for exactly 2 weeks today! I cannot believe how fast time is flying. It feels like life is just flying by me and for the last two and a half months I haven't had a second to sit and reflect on all that I have accomplished and be put through and learned.
Most people probably think its kind of a joke, "Why does it take 7.5 weeks to learn to pour a coke, run a credit card, and bake cookies??" Really, it's so much more than that. We are trained to be nurses, bakers, salesmen/women, flow control, direct evacuations, and how to protect and provide security to our passengers and even more behind the scenes. It's pretty intense.

Being a flight attendant has always been something I wanted to do. I'll never forget my trip to Uruguay in 1999 for New Years, the Delta FA was absolutely amazing to Nicholas and I and from that trip on being a FA was something that always tugged at my heart, especially because of the travel. Now I may not have worked my entire life to be a flight attendant, I got that, but I have worked my tail off to get to where I am. I really couldn't be more proud of myself for taking the plunge like I did. I gave up everything that was familiar an comfortable. I left a job that paid extremely well, I uprooted myself from my home and I dropped myself face first in Dallas, Texas. And I can say without any hesitation, this was the best decision I have ever made. I've supported myself 100% and I have received incredible support and encouragement from my family and friends. The only crutch I've left myself to lean on is my faith and in doing so I am in a place that I adore, doing a job that I love and I am surrounded by the most loving supportive family and friends. It has been hard, and it has been stressful and exhausting and emotionally and physically draining, but I truly wouldn't change anything. I have never been so happy on my own and with who I am.

Where Do I Start!?

Well, last I wrote I was about to head into uniform fittings... Not much to say about that except, Oh My God. The worst experience, ever. Nothing like someone basically calling you fat in a variety of different ways. But that's whatever. Luckily, I didn't cry that time... At least not that anyone saw haha.

I am OFFICIALLY based out of DFW Airport following graduation. Our instructors were amazing and had the Easter Bunny come in early and tape Easter Eggs under our chairs and apparently they were there all day long! So after dinner we were finally told and our airport codes were inside and tons of screaming, squeal, crying and laughing happened all at once. I was in tears and everyone thought I was upset, haha. One of my instructors came up to me and attempted to comfort me and said "look at this as an adventure opportunity, Dallas is great to be at!" Haha so I told her, "Oh no these are happy tears!" I am so excited to be close to family and incredible friends out here and have people I know I can turn to I case something comes up. I start indoc on May 8th, I'll spend a few days moving into my new apartment (once I find one) and then I'll be heading back to Virginia on May 11th! I cannot wait to graduate and come home and see my friends and my puppies and my bird! Haha, it's the little things. Never mind the fact that my room with be empty and I'll end up on an air mattress.

Last week we got our uniforms! And this week we started wearing them! I'm sure everyone has seen the selfies posted all week lol. We pretty much feel like Ms. Trunchble from the movie Matilda, our only redeeming qualities are our hair and make up haha. But such is life and they are slowly growing on me/us I think.

This last weekend was AMAZING. Lilly, Kala and I got to enjoy all that Uptown has to offer, pretty much love the Dallas night life. Lilly and I spent Saturday looking at apartments and exploring Dallas. We found our favorite Sushi spot! And took 3 other girls with us on Sunday. What's better than getting out of your hotel for sushi and shopping!?
As of right now I am Super 80, 737 and soon to be 757 qualified! On Saturday I will be going on my very first work trip. My girlfriend Gabby and I will be heading up to Ontario, California for the afternoon. We are so excited to finally see it all in really life and hopefully even get a chance to help out!

We had base visits yesterday! All the bases, DCA, LGA, MIA, DFW, ORD, and LAX, send out representatives and they talk about the base and what to expect, where to live, the different programs available for new hires. It was a wealth of info and their presentation left us all tears eyed and full of excitement to join the DFW family. Seriously, cannot wait!

Being here has been incredible, incredibly stressful, incredibly exciting, and emotionally draining. I had NEVER experienced being homesick before this, and I have had the worst case of it. But accepting the job offer and taking a chance was the best decision I have ever made. Seeing so many people come back to say hi to instructors and old friends, and hearing that people have been around for over 30 years just blows my mind. One of my instructors just celebrated her 38th anniversary this week and she brought in her best friend that she met while she was in training. It was so special to see them together and see what the job does.
The various opportunities a flight attendant has to branch out is so overwhelming and exciting. I can't wait to see where God takes me after training. There are so many possibilities, I'm so anxious to see what awaits! 

What a Whirlwind ( I will add pictures later!)

Hi EVERYONE!!

So sorry I haven't posted in weeks. I wrote a post on the 16th when I left for Dallas but then I never had time to post and since I've been here I haven't had any time to write and post for you. The only time I have is devoted to studying, commuting (yep, still commuting), and sleeping. The weather has been absolutely gorgeous. It's actually Spring here, I don't miss DC weather one bit. If I never come home, I'll be okay with that! Everyone is welcome to come visit! Haha.
Where to begin...

First of all, I have to say thank you to all of my beautiful friends. My girlfriends for taking me out to a going away dinner! And, spending so  much time with my niece Ava and having her come out for her first girls night with all of her adopted aunts!

My favorite Life Group girlfriends for being the incredibly beautiful women they are and making me the sweetest going away card and the most adorable and delicious cookies!

The last two weeks I was home were an absolute whirlwind. Between packing boxes, and suitcases, getting rid of junk, donating, errands, seeing people last minute and of course snuggling as much as I could with my puppies, I was literally all over the place. But because I have the best brother ever he helped me keep my head on my shoulders and get it all done, how incredible is he?!

So 2 Sundays ago, I was on a plane at 6 AM and I was in Dallas, TX by 8:20 AM CST and I have been here ever since. Kyle picked me up from DFW and we went to church and then spent lunch time with my Uncle Dick and Aunt Lucy and Steven and Brandy and their girls Olivia and Sophia. We had a fabulous lunch and I cannot wait to go see them again! I love being here!!

If I haven't used the word "love" enough, I'm IN LOVE with my new career choice. I couldn't be more in my element. I haven't been so happy or felt so fulfilled like I do here. I realized in the last couple of years I really lost myself and being here I feel more and more myself. It's so hard to explain. Just know there isn't a second of the day that goes by that I am not sitting with a smile on my face. After all that I have been through in the last year, I can vividly see how God had his hand print in every step that I took, and as hard as some of the thing were that I went through it was for a greater purpose that all led me here. And I wouldn't trade where I am right now for ANYTHING.  I have made friends quickly and I am pretty much in love with my roommate.

Speaking of roommate, her name is Alejandra, and if you haven't seen any of our pictures... your missing out. I swear it's like we've known each other for, well always. Everyone in our class was sure we knew each other before coming to training. Nope, just two peas in a pod, lol. My other girlfriends are all amazing, and I love them. I can't believe how quickly and how easy it was to make such great friends being myself, no holding back. Yes, I mean the loving, loud, obnoxious, sarcastic, sassy pain that I am... people tolerate me and some of them are just as sassy as me, it's fantastic.

Our Room:
We are sharing a really nice sized room at a hotel off campus. It's working out really well... especially since you have two girls sharing a two foot pole for closet space... yes, two feet for TWO GIRLS... We make it work tho!

As for training itself, I got a 100% on my very first test!! GOD IS SO GOOD! From here on out we pretty much have tests every day now. Unfortunately, I am not allowed to go into detail about training and what I am learning, but just know it's intense and Flight Attendants go through way more than way the passengers see.

Well, I am off to UNIFORM FITTINGS!! Crazy that I am already being fitted for a uniform!

An Empty Cube

Over the last few months (really in October when I received my tentative offer), I've been slowly weeding through the last five years over paperwork I have carefully organized and hoarded. As of today... everything is either in the trash or neatly placed in a single box. I limited myself to one box for a reason, really what am I going to do with boxes filled with paperwork I will never look at ever again and am I really going to pay to relocate this stuff and have it sit in the back of my closet for months and last, Mom will kill me if I inundate her house with one more box.
Shout-out: Thank you to my sweet and patient momma and my dad for allowing me to keep an entire apartment worth of furniture and stuff in your basement! I love you both!

Going through all these drawers was bittersweet. Bitter because I weeded through documents of my very first PMF Job Fair. I had NEVER expereinced such an event, the planning and prepping and the managing. OH MY GOD. No one will ever truly understand the amount of effort that goes into events such as that one.

The very first local event I ever spoke at at George Mason, where I almost tripped over a cord in front of 50 people.

 My first out of state outreach event in Detroit, MI where I met the Director of the Department of Veteran Affairs, Secretary Shinseki, stayed in a gorgeous casino and had the opportunity to experience what it really meant to be a public servant and how passionate I am about working with people. I'll never forget sitting with my buddy George who was a former veteran for two hours and helping him go through his resume and helping to make himself marketable.

 I found my files for NOVA and the first official form I ever filled out that would pay for one of my college classes, instead of pulling out a loan (because of the graciousness of my office and my agency I was able to pay for my associate degree out of pocket), WOOOP! NO DEBT!

 I found pictures from various team building events, pictures at EMDC and the Orientation we held in Gettysburg; my very first a three day event (out of state) I will never forget. I'll never forget singing Karaoke with my team or leaving the training center and attempting to go to the near by outlets to pick up a birthday present for a colleague because I felt bad that they were celebrating away from home and I knew I personally would have appreciated the gesture, in the end I just turned back around because I was scared I'd lose my job if anyone found out I had left the site for too long (Hahaha!).

So many memories, blood, sweat, tears and hard hours put into the last five years. And now it is all coming to an end. HOWEVER, the sweet part is knowing that although I spent a good number of hours, days and sometimes week, even months frustrated and tired I loved all that I have been privileged to do.
 Second, I know that I am making the right move. Although I love what I have been doing, going through everything just excited me even more. I am excited to see where God takes me in the next month, the next year and I am anxious to see where I am at and how I look back at things in the next five years.

On Monday the 24th my paperwork was processed confirming my resignation. I can't pick the words to describe how it felt to open that email.

Only 3 days to go... No turning back now.

Notice & Looking Back

Well, on January 28th I officially gave my notice of resignation!! I sent the email at 9:06 this morning and received a response from my supervisor at 9:08 asking if there was any way she could talk me out of it...
We talked that afternoon and I explained that after quite a bit of praying, meditation I came to the conclusion that leaving my current position was the best thing for me. I don't want to get comfortable and complacent, and right now I am comfortable and that means its time to move on. Not to mention the idea of traveling and flying for a living gets me over the moon excited. I told my team this last week on February 6th. I don't think I could have been more nervous. Even if pretty much everyone already heard, it was now 100% official and there was no looking back at that point.  After over four and a half years, my government career is now coming to an end.

Looking back on my last four and a half years is such a mix of emotions. Not many people know this but I had originally enrolled on Liberty University and had every intention of going the Fall of 2009. Unfortunately, financial hardship hit my family and those plans fell through a month or less before graduation. What I didn't realize at the time was God had just set the stage for something huge. On a Friday in May I had set up an interview with Off Broadway at Potomac Mills for the following Monday. On Sunday I received a phone call from an incredible woman that has been like a second mother to me asking if I was at all interested in an internship with the Government, Oh! and it was a paid internship with career potential... OF COURSE I WAS INTERESTED. So I sent in my resume, had an interview and that was it! I graduated from High School on June 13, 2009, turned 18 on June 14, 2009, had my wisdom teeth pulled on June 15, 2009, went to Indiana on June 18, 2009, and started a full-time job with the Office of Personnel Management as a SCEP (Student Career Experience Program) on June 22, 2009.

At 18 years old I was working full-time for a Federal Agency and paying my way through college. In the spring of 2010 I worked my very first high end Job Fair. I had never seen anything like it. It was during that Job Fair that I managed over 50 GS-09/10/11/12 volunteers. Talk about scary, but it was such an experience. At the age of 19 I bought my very first car with my very own money and I didn't need a co-signer (the interest rate is brutal, but it happens), and I gave my very first public presentation to a room of 50 students at GMU; talk about nerve racking, I was absolutely terrified I'd have a former classmate in the room. Luckily, that was not the case. At age 20, I graduated from the Northern Virginia Community College with an Associates in Psychology and not a penny in debt. It may have taken me three years to get an associates degree but I take pride in knowing that I busted my tush for three years going to school full-time and just barely working full-time for OPM. I was granted time off to go backpacking with Nicholas through Europe for exactly a month ( a month with my brother that I wish cherish for life). I was sent on "Detail" to the Department of Veteran Affairs and assisted in standing up their new intern on-boarding initiative. I got back to OPM and then I was sent to travel for a week and a half around Texas and California giving presentations on Pathways into the Federal Government at colleges I wished I could have attended. Some of the schools in Texas are incredible! My favorite one to date is UT Brownsville, by far the most gorgeous campus. At age 21 I was given the responsibility to run and co-run 4 different sites across the US for 2 months, only seeing my family for max of 24 hours during the In Person Assessments. As a 21 year old GS-5 I was trusted to run and lead the Houston assessment center assessing a couple hundred people, keeping a schedule, and making sure I had enough GS-14s showing up to run the site in a weeks time. I've had my cell phone stolen twice on the job, once by a middle schooler and once by house keeping at a hotel. I quickly learned how to use the Find my iPhone app (I encourage everyone to load this onto your phones, LIFE/MONEY SAVER) I recovered my phone at least once.

Since the age of 19 I have been routinely going and giving Find and Apply Presentations to my peers at Colleges and Universities, to agency personnel, and to special interest groups. I have been afforded the opportunity to travel to 5 different states and 10 different Universities. I found my passion for public speaking, and my disdain for data entry. I found a career the blessed me in so many ways, how many other 22 year olds have a resume that is pushing 3.5-4 pages?

 In the last four and a half years, I have met some of the most incredible people that stepped in as mentors, friends, networks that I have turned to for assistance. The experiences that I have had and the people I have met have all impacted my growing up and they have each had a hand in raising me up during my young adult life. I cannot thank the people I have worked with and met along the way enough for being who they are and being there for me and with me through this part of my journey through life. OPM has been my home for the last almost 5 years, I am scared to leave my home, but I know that it is now time to set my fear aside, cling to my Lord and step outside my comfort zone and continue to grow and learn in a new environment.



-Cassie

Kicking Off 2014 with BIG News

Hello Everyone! 

I have been toying with the idea of starting a blog for a while now and yet another year has come and gone and this year God put it on my heart to start documenting my life in 2014. There is a stir in my spirit that this year will be truly life changing and one that I will never forget.  

I already know of a few changes happening within the next two months, one that I already know I will have to keep everyone updated on so I figured what better way to document life and keep everyone up to date than starting a blog! 

So here it is! 

I decided not to do “New Years Resolutions” this year, they really suck and I haven’t kept any to date. Instead, this year I made “Goals for 2014” both personal goals and fitness related goals, and of course I have rewards for myself for when I complete those goals. Gotta have something to keep me motivated, and really what motivates a city girl more than a man/pedi, a new outfit and a fancy dinner at Fogo de Chao?!

As most have already heard, either from me or through the grapevine, I will be leaving my job at the Office of Personnel Management at the end of February. I am shutting down my computer and trading in my Ann Taylor and Banana Republic business clothes and my 3-4 inch pumps to work towards being issued a Flight Attendant Uniform and 2 1/2 LifeStride kitten heels! Not even kidding. I leave for 8.5 weeks of training in Dallas, Texas on March 16^th and I officially start training on March 17^th and God willing I will graduate and get pinned on on May 14th. Crazy, I know!

Back when the government shut down in October 2013 my girlfriend Rachel was just a few weeks away from leaving and told me that I should really look into it, so I did. I filled out the application, did the personality assessment and a few days later I was asked to do a video interview with a computer (the most awkward situation). A week after that I received a phone call to fly down to Dallas for an In-Person interview and a week after that I received a tentative offer pending a medical exam. A month later I was back in Dallas and I was being drug tested, poked, prodded, weighed, measured, and hooked up to a machine. Two weeks later I was officially given a training date! 

The entire process has been incredible, a whirl wind and almost not even real. I couldn’t believe I was looking anywhere outside the government, who would leave a cushy job like the one I currently have?! Apparently I would. But again, the process was incredible and I really felt like the whole thing was just touched by God. The In-Person Interview didn’t even feel like an interview. I truly felt like I was sitting and talking with a room full of old friends, it was amazing. The interviewers were so genuine and they all agreed that they each loved their job just as much as they did on their first day, which for me was mind blowing. Because after five years with OPM, 8 supervisors, 4 floor moves, and too many hours spent commuting to DC in rush hour traffic I’m exhausted and I’m looking at my job as a means to an end. At 22 years old, it is way too early in my career to feel the way I do about my job. So it is time for a change.

I feel so incredibly blessed to have the opportunity to do what I love. I get to travel, fly and work with people on a daily basis. Now I know there will be ups and downs, such is life, however, I am too excited to do something that I used to actually dream of doing. I was sitting in the interview room and I was listening to what the interviewers had to say and I had this flash back to 2000. The family was on a Delta flight to Montevideo and I told mom that I wanted to be just like the pretty flight attendant and travel the world. Well, come May 14^th after I officially graduate I will be employed by one of the largest airlines with the newest fleet in the world. I am not sure where I will be living after training; I won’t have that information till April time frame. So stay posted and I will be sure to keep everyone up to date!

XOXO,

Cassie