My wings; The beginning

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I haven't been introduced to my - what some people would call it career, I would personally call it a lifestyle - the traditional way. Usually people would finish their bachelor degree and begin their journey of finding the suitable job for them. I always wanted to be a doctor, I worked so hard to get myself into Med school, eventually I made a mistake selecting major priorities when I applied for university - I didn't know they select the 1st option you've typed in - So eventually I ended up studying Forensics, I did not hate it, I always fancied criminal labs and the work they do. It's just it wasn't what I wanted at that time. So a year and a half goes by, I still had hope I would change my major to medicine. I was so desperate to be a doctor that I had applied to a university in Strasbourg / France to study Medicine. The only problem was the language. so I started taking French classes, I set a timeline, in a matter of two years I would be ready to move to France. I started selecting my lectures carefully so they would be counted for me in Strasbourg. Everything was going fine and according to plan. I was that kind of a person that has to set a plan to everything, I hated the unknown. So I had to know EVERYTHING! But things don't always work out the way you want them to. 11 pm 11th of July 2011 my father passed away. In a second I turned into the person who has to be responsible for bringing food to the table. paying the rent, the bills and pretty much all financial issues. I did not have a degree yet. I couldn't possibly be hired anywhere with a good income in such shape. I took a first job as a translator, but it did me no good. I was barely able to provide the monthly rent. I had to find something else, accidently I met an old friend of the family. who had worked for X airline. He managed to get me an interview. I passed it. And I have been a cabin crew for X airline for around 4 years. Currently im working for Y airlines and I had moved out of my hometown to the Gulf. I have always been responsible. But moving out and living in another country away from all of your friends and family is yet another challenge and another level of responsibility. not only are you responsible for your family also you are responsible for yourself, financially and psychologically. The load is even heavier, you only have yourself to comfort yourself, you can only count on yourself, you can ONLY trust yourself, and I learnt that the hard way. Aviation isn't for anybody. Some people cannot handle the stress, instability, the lack of social life, different sleep patterns, the psychological and physiological changes that happens to your body. Jet lags, waking up in hotel rooms, missing important dates and events, having no love life - whatsoever. Aviation is not for the weak hearted. But i realised after all this time, fate has pushed me into this field unwillingly, that this is the only thing that I can and want to do! Sometimes I still fantasise about Med school! and wish I could still study Medicine, or even Forensics. But living the life that I live now, with all it's disadvantages, is what I really want. I am born to fly :D



Salma

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