Hi, My name is Brenda and I'm a frequent traveler (it's part of being an adrenaline junkie after all!).
So just some thoughts that crossed my mind as I was walking through the airport this morning... In case you don't know, I have a parent who works in the airline industry so flying is something that is just a common as waking up in the morning to me. I've been doing it since before I can remember and have been some really neat places before. And believe it or not, my favorites are in America! Seattle, Boston and Maine stand out on that list greatly. The parent has been some awesome places too including Russia, Nicaragua, Venezuela, and Germany (I sooo want to go to Germany one day!). The parent has actually been with the company for 1 month more than I am years old... they started in September of the year I was born and I was born in October. Anyways....
Through the years I have seen some major changes within this industry. I remember the days of the airline industry when you could just walk through security and people watch, one of my mom's favorite pasttimes (and still is, but then again, have you seen some of the people in the airport? There's some characters!). Then... one day changed it all. I flew September 18th 2001... that's right, 7 days after September 11th. I'll never forget it. Momma Clark, (my great-grandmother) had passed away and we were flying to her funeral in Tennessee. Suddenly, the world I knew was shattered. Stricter security, men standing around with guns everywhere, my mom had to watch us board the flight from the outer terminal as she wasn't flying that day so she couldn't enter the terminal past security. The airport wasn't somewhere you could go to the gate and cheer as you watched your relative's plane come in... it became a place of fear, pride and a reality check in a matter of minutes. I also need to touch on one other memory of mine it shattered. Before September 11th, as long as my parent accompanied me, I could go anywhere in the terminal. I got to go in the hanger (which was sooo cool), in the basement of the terminal, we could just walk through one door (didn't even have to go through security!) and go to the credit union in the terminal.... it was cool being an airline employee's daughter. I got to see so many things that most people will never see in their lifetime. After September 11th, that was of course thrown out. Flash forward to the summer of 2002, one of my favorite family vacations. We first flew to Washington D.C..... I loved it! While waiting for a shuttle to our rental car, my dad nudged me and asked me if I knew who was sitting beside me in first class on the way to Washington D.C. I immediately shook my head no but my interest was peaked. Well, since my dad saw them going in and out of the airport, he knew who the air marshalls were.... and there was one right beside me!! Then it hit me, even the skies aren't safe anymore. Then we flew onto New York City after spending a few days in Washington D.C. We walked through the airport to get to our shuttle to the hotel we were staying at in Times Square (the Crowne Plaza Times Square... it was SWEET!). There they were... National Guard Soldiers standing at ready in the terminal with large guns on the shoulder.... and since then, with the ban of liquids, the new scanners (I saw it at ATL today and was terrified it was going to be used on me... not a fan of it), the air marshalls and the removal of your shoes before you go through the metal detector.... things will never be the same.
And by the way, I always used to picture me meeting the man of my dreams while waiting for a flight... he talks about his interesting travels, I talk about mine, we exchange numbers, fall in love and travel the world together.... a girl can dream.
So one last thing on this note. People ask me why I have such lofty education goals. I don't ever see me going into aviation. I would kill to be a flight attendant, pilot or any other job that would allow me to fly constantly but.... let's be honest. The aviation industry isn't the most stable for new people. So, I want to have a job (As of right now, the highest I want to go is nurse practitioner) that will help me finance a lifestyle in which my children can experience the lifestyle I did as a kid, getting to travel and see so many places. I'd love to own a vacation home in the north one day, it's been one of my goals for a long long time. But I will make sure I do everything possible to make sure my kids have the opportunities for travel that I do (and even better if possible!)
So, here's to me going back to trying to rest before my flight... B
