I decided to come out. Not of the closet. Been there, done that. But there is something else I’ve been all but hiding for years. I determined that before Corona was over, I would “go public” with this side of myself, the only “Must do” on my long list of quarantine goals. I would come out to my family and friends and acquaintances, old and new. I’d let you all in on my little secret. And since this Sunday will be my first day back to work full-time, it looks like time’s up. So here goes…

I may be going back to working the skies in August, but things are far from “back to normal.” I have been looking back at some of my awesome past travel experiences, in part as a gratitude exercise—like "Damn, I really took advantage of my travel benefits"—and in part for something to look forward to—as in “Can’t wait to be exploring and doing all this fun stuff again.” Today I’m reminiscing about…whales.

If you know me at all, you probably know I’m a runner. I’ve run all over the world, in Singapore, The Netherlands, in Mexico & Colombia, and in several US states from Utah to Florida to Maine. My next upcoming road race, which was supposed to take place in September in Hawaii has officially been cancelled due to COVID. No one is surprised, but since I was looking forward to it and the news is fresh, I wanted to focus a little on one of my favorite “hobbies” and highlight my Top 5 Favorite Races.

I love quarantine. No, I’m not kidding. I’ve been enjoying my time off in quarantine so much that I requested to take another month of voluntary leave for August. I figured I may as well “round out the Summer,” enjoy the best of New England, keep carving out headway in the various projects I’m working on. But the universe had other plans for me. Schedules were published for August and, as it turns out, I’m going back to work.

When you travel, how much time do you spend learning about local culture, history? The plight of the people? Class relations & socioeconomic conditions? Do we have an obligation to do so even when we’re “getting away from it all”, “escaping reality”, off for some R&R? A recent travel experience made me think about these things. The three days I spent in Mazunte, Mexico in January were some of my favorite days in all my time in Mexico.

Do Flight Attendants get homesick? A lot of flight attendants talk about how this job has made them appreciate home. How living this crazy life in airports and hotels and different time zones makes them crave and savour the little things. Small pleasures like your own bedding, that fancy coffee maker you got last Christmas, sounds of footsteps of those you love or live with, the subtle but distinct smell when you walk through the door—the smell of home. A good number of my coworkers have told me how when they’re off they don’t want to be traveling or jet-setting. They just want to be home. They want to rest, to be with their loved ones. Or alone with their belongings, their space, their piece of peace.

Have you ever looked up a country’s laws to find out if your relationship was illegal? Have you ever scoured an Airbnb host’s profile, searching for an indication of whether they are gay-friendly? Have you ever suffered anxiety before a TSA security checkpoint, knowing the impending humiliation you’d have to suffer? If you don’t know what I’m talking about, welcome to traveling while LGBT.

Father’s Day is just around the corner! Mother’s Day and Fathers’ Day are my favorite Hallmark holidays. I feel so lucky to have landed with the parents I have, and I love this extra day to tell them that. I also find holidays to be good excuses for eating sweets, so that doesn’t hurt. Being a full-time Flight Attendant, I’ve got some unique gift ideas for the pilot, flight attendant, and world traveler on your list.

I'm a flight attendant and writer. I write travel stories. I write funny posts about flight attendant pet peeves and (hopefully) useful travel tips. So stepping into the arena to talk about racial justice may seem out of the blue and on-trend at best, and convenient at worst. But it isn’t. In light of the recent public incidents of the killing of black people, at the hands of both police and vigilantes, and in light of the protests sweeping the nation, I feel compelled to speak up loudly and from the heart. I stand with Black Lives Matter. I believe in equality in actions and not just in words.