Being called in for your Adays for 2 long layovers in Spokane, Washington and Salt Lake City, Utah = Good.
Leaving from Newark, NJ at 5am = BAD.
Another dreaded Newark trip. The trip started out waking up at 2:30 am to catch the van while people are still up drinking. This included avoiding the obnoxiously drunk man screaming on the corner yelling vulgar things at all the flight attendants walking by that also had to make the awful trek so early in the morning.
Anytime you are assigned a Newark trip you must give yourself at least 2+ hours to get there, because for some reason people who make the schedules at my company don't realize JERSEY is another STATE! Riding in the van to Newark at 3am is the only time I have had the pleasure to enjoy the lights of Manhattan at night. Pathetic, I know.
Lights of Manhattan = Good.
Drunk obnoxious man = BAD.
The trip actually didn't turn out to be so bad. I actually had a great time and made a new really great friend. Besides a few minor details that I could have lived without, I actually enjoyed the trip.
The first day we had a long layover in Spokane, Washington. BEAUTIFUL. This is one of the things I love about my job. There would not have been a time in my life when I would have just wanted to pick up and go on a journey to Spokane. I mean let's be real, it took me an entire day to even say the town right without sounding like a complete redneck. But that's okay. I just blamed it on the fact I was from Atlanta and everyone suddenly thought it was cute. Apparently it's "SPOKE-CAN" and not "SPOKE-CAIN." Either way, the passengers knew where they were going.
One of the other crew members and I decided to go on an adventure and explore this city we would have never adventured to anyway. It was the cutest little town. Everyone seemed so happy and healthy. People were walking around in the park with the entire family, actually enjoying each other's company, not worried about things like what their next clever Facebook status would be.
Our day started with a sky bucket ride over Spokane Falls. It's amazing what a little fresh air and a beautiful waterfall can do for your spirit. After a plane full of awkward people ordering ginger-ale and even more awkward smells, a little sunshine and non-recycled air is a beautiful beautiful thing.
After just basking in the sun and enjoying the mist on our face we walked up the river to enjoy the view from the bridge. This is where we found an awkward Catholic mob protesting, carrying signs, and singing some really creepy song. We didn't stay long. In fact, we ran.
We ventured farther into town and came across of the most beautiful hotels I've even encountered. The Davenport. Even the name sounds elegant. And I don't know about you, but I can't say it without wanting to sound like a debutante. The Davenport is a very old, very well preserved historic hotel in the heart of Spokane. They claim, "In all things, the hotel sincerely tries to so well please its guests that they will be glad they came, sorry to leave and eager to return." This is exactly what happened and I only sat in the lobby and peered curiously in their many ballrooms. My new friend and I instantly felt like royally as we walked around on the mezzanine level and enjoyed all the archive photos and artifacts. The hotel has been guests to just about every president of the 20th century, royalty, and a handful of famous people over the years and every corner you turn has a new exquisite detail for you to gasp and awe. As you walked in every ballroom you felt like a princess, I couldn't even imagine how amazing you would feel if you actually had your wedding there and you were actually were dressed as a princess. My two personal favorites were the Marie Antoinette Ballroom and The Peacock Room.
After a pleasant afternoon at The Davenport we walked back to our not so glamorous Doubletree Hotel to enjoy our wonderful sleep number king size bed. I'll take it. The next day's adventure would take us to Salt Lake City. Another beautiful city that I wouldn't really have a chance to visit. My wonderful day was started by a woman who insisted who use the bathroom at take off, and by use the bathroom I mean REALLY use the bathroom and a child on his first airplane ride who got sick on landing because of the turbulence. Pair this with the man who decided not the bathe, I don't know probably EVER, and you have yourself a very unpleasant airplane ride.
The fresh air of Spokane Falls = Good.
The smell of an airplane lavatory and vomit = Very, Very, Bad.
The stay at Salt Lake City was equally as enjoyable. Beautiful weather, amazing sunshine, and a lovely outside mall complete with a fountain for the kids to play in. The fountain was built for the site of the Olympics hosted in Salt Lake City and it reminded me a lot of Centennial Park in Atlanta were the 1996 Olympics were held.
Perhaps the most memorable part of my trip was the last leg home. And by home I mean first to Jersey in the middle of the night, then eventually on a plane ride back home after waiting standby for hours. The last leg started off with a 2 hour weather delay. This made the passengers already extremely enjoyable. Not. After a crazy boarding we began our 4 hour plane ride back to the east coast. Because of the delay I would already be getting back to my crash pad around 2:30am, right where my entire trip began. Wonder if the drunk man would be waiting on me? Well I guess fate did not want me to meet my drunk friend again. This would be because of the mechanical problem that caused us to have to go back to Salt Lake City before we had even reached 10,000 feet. And not just any mechanical problem, but a mechanical problem that caused our airplane air conditioning to break and only produce heat. I don't know if you realize how uncomfortable a hot plane is with 200 people on it with the air conditioning working... but imagine literally getting baked to death on a airplane blowing 120 degrees into the cabin. I'm not even kidding. The captain said the air was blowing 120 degrees into the cabin! I literally felt like I was in Hell. People started getting sick because of the heat, once again another pleasant smell.
Sitting in Salt Lake City with the warm sun on my skin = Good.
Sitting in a jumpseat with 120 degree air blowing in my face = Very, Very, Very Bad.
I had never been so happy to get on the ground. It was actually a very scary experience. My first scare on an airplane that's for sure. No one got hurt, everyone was fine, people still waited to get on the next plane. Everyone was actually quite understanding. I mean a plane is a machine, and sometimes machines break. Not a big deal. Just extremely uncomfortable.
So finally, after 2 airplane changes later, a bunch of really pissed off people, and a full duty day flying in the air I was even more ready to be home. And by home I mean first to Jersey early in the morning (4am to be exact), sleeping in the flight attendant lounge, and then waiting standby for my 6am flight back to Atlanta.
Being baked half to death on an airplane, angry passengers, Jersey at 4am, and no sleep = BAD.
Finally making it to Home Sweet Home after enjoying the refreshing mist of Spokane Falls on my skin, the lavish Davenport hotel, and a outside fountain reminiscent of home = Very, Very, Very Good.
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