Foto © Silas Zindel, silaszindel.com
One year ago, I said goodbye to my legal career and started training to become a flight attendant. After having worked as a lawyer for eight years – four and a half thereof at Swiss International Air Lines – I felt compelled to do something completely different. It took me three months of hesitation, of evaluation and of wondering “what if” before I was able to take that leap of faith and jump into the unknown. This move scared the hell out of me. And yet – it was and remains the best decision of my professional life.
A wonderful profession: so much to gain
Simple gestures
The best part about my new job is that I can brighten someone’s day with a simple gesture. Whenever I have an exceptional encounter with a passenger, I write a card for them and add a small gift (they usually care much more about the hand-written card than the gift). This puts a smile on their face, which in turn makes me happy. What goes around comes around, especially in this exceptional environment high above the ground. Rarely ever have I had difficult encounters with passengers during a flight. It takes so little to make a difference.
Visible contribution
While working at the office, there were days where the only thing I did was navigate between meetings and e-mails, trying not to drown. On these days, I left wondering how I had spent my time, since my inbox didn’t seem to get any emptier no matter how fast I replied. It seemed to be a never-ending story.
This has changed dramatically. At the end of a trip, I know exactly what I have done: I contributed to getting our passengers to their holiday destination, to having them visit their friends and families or to helping them conclude that important business deal by making sure they get to where they need to go in the safest and most comfortable way possible.
Understanding operations
Becoming a part of our operations has sensitized me to topics I lacked understanding for when I was working in the office. Why make such an issue about the location of a crew hotel? Spending a lot of my nights in hotels, I now see how important that is. Why be upset by the reduction of free days after a certain rotation? I now get that maintaining a social life isn’t an easy task with this job. Why complain about the length of the data protection e-learning module I had specifically adapted for cabin and cockpit crews? The amount of information we need to process during our recurrent trainings, I agree now, is challenging indeed. I would never have gained this understanding if I had stayed in the corporate environment; no theoretical knowledge of these issues can compare to experiencing them first-hand.
Cultures and languages
I have always loved foreign cultures and languages. Ever since I was a child, my parents have taken me on adventures around the world, and so, receiving a desert rose from Tuaregs, eating Chendul for dessert or waking up to a lion’s roar was a part of my growing-up. This lead to a profound interest in other cultures, which now helps me be tolerant towards behavior I might see – but not fully understand – during a flight. Whenever I can, I try to engage in a conversation with our guests in order to learn more about their culture. How exciting!
In addition, for the first time in my life, I get to use all the languages I know at the same time: I welcome passengers in German, make announcements in French, explain the immigration process in Spanish, sell coffee in Italian and talk to station managers in English. From there, it’s just a matter of courtesy to learn how to wish a good day in Portuguese, say thank you in Mandarin or goodbye in Hebrew. I love it!
Our home from above
One of the most fascinating sides to flying for me is seeing the planet from above. Be it the eternal ice of Greenland or the dry and dusty canyons around the Colorado River: I get chills every single time I witness the beauty of our home. As an avid hiker, I also fell in love with America’s National Parks. Sleeping next to a campfire counting shooting stars or going on seemingly endless road trips with my crew mates is something I wouldn’t want to miss. Yosemite, Joshua Tree, Lake Tahoe and many more have blessed me with unforgettable experiences. Their remoteness and their wilderness are unlike any other.
People
I have met remarkable people on the way. Cabin and cockpit colleagues who show passion, courage and true commitment. Who are dedicated and inspiring leaders even in the most challenging situations. Passengers telling me about their heartbreak or their fiancé waiting for them on the other side of the world, giving me a glimpse into their lives. Locals who showed me the way when I was lost or taught me valuable life lessons, like that homeless man in San Francisco I visit every time I am there, that barber in Tel Aviv who cut my hair without understanding a word of English or that cycling guide from Soweto who proudly showed me around his neighborhood. They all opened my eyes and my heart to what it means to be human in different corners of the world.
It’s not all glamour: the price I pay
Jetlag
Not everything is glamorous about that “jet-set lifestyle” though. Being a flight attendant comes with paying a high price in terms of physical health. Sleep is fragmented, working through the night and regularly being sleep-deprived has become an integral part of my life. Laying wide awake in the middle of the night, has, too. It usually takes me up to three nights to adjust my internal body clock when I come back home from a faraway destination – only to leave to another time zone yet again.
Financial struggle
Earning only a third of what I had earned before, I struggle financially. My salary doesn’t cover the costs of living for an independent, middle-aged adult. Once rent, insurances and food are paid for it’s all gone and, to this day, I live partly off my savings.
I knew that money was going to be an issue. I accepted that challenge and I take full responsibility for my situation. While in some areas, like eating out, I have been able to cut down on my costs, in others I am still learning to adjust. I truly hope that our financial situation will improve soon in order attract more career changers into this wonderful profession. Different people with all sorts of backgrounds representing all age-groups are the building blocks of resilient teams. They are the ones who will be able to handle literally any challenge coming their way.
Loneliness
While I was aware of the physical and financial challenges coming with this career change, there is one topic that wasn’t on my radar: loneliness. Yes, it’s great to go to the gym on a Tuesday when the place is empty. Yes, it’s nice to take a walk along the river on a Thursday when no one else is there. But it’s not that easy. I like spending time alone. However, hardly seeing my friends anymore is tough. And there are days where I miss coming to work knowing everyone, not having to remember new names every day, being part of a permanent team. None of this applies any longer. In a buzzing environment full of people, I have become a lone fighter.
Sometimes this feeling of loneliness gets so strong it almost tears me apart. I curse these moments because that’s when my demons come out. Those internal voices that infuse self-doubt into us when everything else is silent. They tell us that we are not enough, that we are unworthy (and they are more painful than any hater comments I will ever get). We all have them, but we are very good at silencing them by distraction. When I come home from an eventful trip there is no distraction though; there’s just an empty apartment awaiting me.
I have made the decision to no longer fight these demons but to welcome them as my teachers. To try to understand where I am hurting and why. To try loving myself more (why is true self-love so damn hard to achieve?). To try to forgive myself for the wrongs I did and the situations in which I failed the people I love most. To accept the fact that being human means making plenty of mistakes. And to embrace the beauty of that very fact. And as difficult as this experience is, therein lies a huge opportunity to grow stronger and wiser.
More than a job
Speaking openly and authentically about my career change, the good and the bad, has always been important to me. Not because I want admiration for my achievements or pity for my struggles, but because I know there are people out there who are thinking of doing something similarly radical. People who want to break free from a career that no longer makes them happy. People who want to become true to themselves but haven’t had the courage to do so – yet.
Documenting my journey on Instagram and holding keynote speeches on my career change have been and still are one of the most exciting and humbling experiences of my life. Almost every day I get messages from strangers telling me how much they get inspired to follow their own heart and actively create their own future by reading or hearing my words. Messages full of hope from people who often have gone through a great amount of struggle. Knowing my story has a positive impact on another person’s life outweighs any difficult, painful moment I experience. Being able to encourage others and connect with them in the most honest and vulnerable way gives my life purpose. It makes me truly happy and fulfills me like nothing has ever before. These are the moments where I lay in bed awake not because of jet-lag – but because my soul is lit.
Had I not been a corporate employee for Swiss International Air Lines before, I might not have started to fly. However, regularly challenging myself, radically pushing myself outside of my comfort zone, doing things that scare me, gaining new perspectives and experiences is a huge part of my dream life. It’s part of the very essence of me. Opening my arms, mind and heart to new things and people puts that spark into my eyes, makes me feel incredibly alive. Despite all the mistakes I have made and will make, despite all my flaws. I want to learn. I want to grow. I want to share laughter; I want to share tears. I want to authentically connect with others, without wearing masks. I want to tear walls down and build bridges instead. I want to know what it means to be human. And that, all that, is what this career change allowed and allows me to do. It’s not really about a job. It’s about life purpose.
Proudly serving you
One year ago, I concluded my announcement with “I will proudly serve you”. I have. And after one year of full-time flying, 143 takeoffs and 672 hours up in the air, I will continue to do so with all my heart.
Here’s to one year of being a flight attendant. One year of collecting unforgettable memories all around the world. One year of overcoming challenges, of learning, of personal growth. One year of getting closer to discovering what my purpose is. Here’s to having the courage to change, for change is what the river of life is made of.
Here’s to what is yet to come.