The Five Cities I’ve Called Home

So I know it may seem like I have lived EVERYWHERE, but I have truly lived in 5 cities! 4 of them being for my job as a Flight Attendant. Then of course my hometown. Hint: the corn state. I have thoroughly enjoyed living all over, but I am definitely ready to find the town I’m meant to be in and settle down.

Side Note: If I wouldn’t have lived across the country, I would NOT have the amazing lifelong friendships I have today. I’m forever blessed.

1st: Des Moines, Iowa. (1995- Current)

Des Moines is my hometown where I was born and raised. It is hard to separate myself from this city since this is where most of my family and friends are. The weekly farmers markets and all types of food makes living in Des Moines even better. On top of that, I have worked at the same hospital on the same floor since I was 18 years old, and it would be hard to separate from my patients and my amazing coworkers. Des Moines brings me family, friends and the feeling of home.

2nd: New York City, New York. (2016-2017)

Where to begin? New York is New York. I got based out of LGA (New York’s LaGuardia airport) right out of training. We bidded for our top three bases, and what we got was what we got! I lived in a crash pad, which is; a place for crew members to sleep for a single stay or temporary stay in order to report for duty in that city. My roommates were Robin and Bri (who are still really good friends of mine.) We experienced New York to the FULLEST. Times Square was a weekly occurrence, others included; the Bronx, Coney Island, and of course all the tourist spots! This was the first time I had truly been away from home other than Travel & Tourism school, which was only 5 months. It was SUCH an eye opener, and I am so glad I did it. Piece of advice: Be financially stable. Everything in New York is expensive, so it’s okay to be over prepared.

3rd: Miami, Florida. (2017-2018)

For beaches, hot sticky weather and partying, this is your city. I moved here directly from New York once I got rebased in MIA (Miami International Airport.) I was still only a year into flying so I was pretty far down on the seniority list, therefore I was on RESERVE. Reserve (in airline terminology) is defined as; an employee not needed for immediate use, but is on call and available for work when called, a duration of 12 hours a day. I was on 3am-3pm, which means I couldn’t plan to do anything until I was released. If I were to estimate, I was called around 75% of the time. It is is extremely difficult to have a life, especially when you are on call for 6 days in a row. On my days off I would go explore Key Biscayne, different parts of Wynwood, kayak with friends to party cove, or have a few adult beverages. A year I will never forget!

4th: Fort Lauderdale, Florida. (2018-2019)

My next move was just 40 miles up the coast. Miami and Fort Lauderdale are both a part of South Florida BUT they are NOTHING alike. I LOVED Fort Lauderdale and occasionally go back to visit friends! To me, its more homey, people are more loving, everyone is happy. The weather, just like Miami, is beautiful and yes still hot and sticky. Fort Lauderdale brought me a few of my best friends; Courtney, Whitney, and Tommy that have made a huge impact on my life. I added a few pictures of them below! They helped me get through difficult times and have always had my back. The beaches are a lot more quaint, plus the party scene is very present either downtown or the beach bars! I highly recommend visiting there if you haven’t already!

5th: Corpus Christi, Texas. (2019-2020)

Corpus Christi is located on the gulf coast of Texas. Just a few hours away from South Padre Island and 3 hours to Houston. I got rebased in IAH (George Bush International Airport in Houston) and it just so happened one of my best friends from childhood, Amanda lived in Corpus! I went there to visit once and fell in love with the small town atmosphere. Houston was only a 45 minute flight, so it made getting to work super simple. While I was living there, I started a serving job to make some extra cash. Then the PANDEMIC happened. Unfortunately that changed everything, I lost my part time job, a few major life changes and I made the decision it was best for me to go back home and focus on school. I miss the Texas beaches and early morning shelling adventures, Corpus Christi will always be a part of me.

There you have it! Those are the 5 cities I’ve called home. Thank you for reading! As always, pictures are below. Any comments or questions email me or DM me on Instagram! Tata for now XOXO

The Five Cities I’ve Called Home

Wyoming 2020

A Day in the Life of a Flight Attendant; September 25, 2021.

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