Imagine being able to go almost anywhere you want in the world in the spur of the moment. If you're related to anyone in the airline industry, this is a very real thing.
We live a very privileged and fantastic life. Most people save their entire lives just to go on one big trip. We can go for free whenever we have the chance. Many people don't understand how it's possible to just get on a plane and go. "What do you mean you're going to Hawaii for the day? How do you do that?"
Because of my "connections" (aka my kick butt mom), my family gets to use her "passes." This means that we fly as SA's. Which basically means that if there's open seats or some poor soul misses the check in, I get to steal their seat. Ya snooze, ya lose, right?
Granted, it's not always unicorns and rainbows. Sometimes I don't get on. It happens. Last week, I went to O'Hare with my family thinking I was going to be #blessed enough to get on my mom's flight to Honolulu and the flight ended up being weight restricted. So, while my mom got to go sit on the pretty beach, I, sadly, had to stay back in Chicago.
One time, when I was younger, my mom, brother, and I flew out to San Diego to hang out with my dad on one of his business trips. It was over spring break and we couldn't get on a flight for four days.
My mom has worked for the airline industry for over thirty years. Due to this, I've been able to travel all across the globe and I absolutely love it. I swear I know O'Hare airport better than my own school. I could walk through that place with my eyes closed and know (almost) exactly where I am. Traveling the world has opened up so many amazing doors for me. Over the past nineteen years, I've been lucky enough to travel to six international countries, nineteen states, and one territory.
By the age of nineteen, I've already walked across the Great Wall of China, seen the Eiffel Tower in France, hung out with the royal guards in London, and seen the Sydney Symphony at the Sydney Opera house. I mean, how fabulous is that?
After traveling around the world, American food just doesn't taste the same. Hershey's chocolate doesn't even come close to the chocolate in Belgium. Don't even get me started on the butter from France. Something about it just makes it taste 100 times better. I swear.
Kids who have parents in the airline industry are so incredibly well traveled. We're all so lucky to have parents who have such great jobs and that we're allowed to go on trips with them,
"Taking your kid to work day" has a whole new meaning.
