Tag: day in the life

24 Hour Guide // Boston, MA – USA

One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things. – Henry Miller

My airport standby surprise resulted in flying to a city that stays close to my heart, Boston, MA. I have visited this city numerous times with my family over the past few years.

With our rich history, diverse neighborhoods, and legacy of arts, culture, and education, Boston has something for everyone. – boston.gov/visiting-boston

Boston as a city is unique; having visited many cities in the US, to this day,  it ranks top of my ‘favourites list’. I tend to find many US cities ‘concrete jungles’, whereas Boston with it’s heritage and contrast between old and new makes it an exciting place to explore.

DSC_0176Breakfast – Charlie’s Sandwich Shoppe

As I had a full day to explore, I decided to start with a proper breakfast. From Back Bay we had a short walk to a famous diner to get our hands on some classic American breakfast.  Charlie’s Sandwich Shoppe has been described as “equal parts old-school diner and neighborhood coffee shop” but among the locals, it is known for its breakfasts…Boy are they right! Getting a seat was hard enough, be prepared to wait…if you’re British bring your humour, they like to tease us a little.

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DSC_0179French Toast, Bagels and Coffee…YUM.

DSC_0183The thing I love a lot about Boston, is that everything is in walking distance. There is the option to ride the T (Boston underground) all over the city, however with the amount there is to explore, you do not want to miss out being underground on a train. Best way to see the city is to follow the Freedom Trail. This takes you to all the prominent history points and there are free tours too, which is a bonus.

DSC_0188The beautiful contrast between old and new, right in the heart of the City. Above is Trinity Church a short walk from Back Bay.

Boston Public Gardens

Continue walking past Trinity Church you will come across Boston Public Gardens. We were heading towards Quincy Market and had the opportunity to walk through this quaint park. Boston Public Gardens is adjacent to Boston Common. We did have a little wander through Boston Common, but came upon a large rally, so we were advised to divert by the police for our own safety.

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DSC_0197Quincy Market / Faneuil Hall / Freedom Trail 

Quincy Market is a shopping district in Boston made up of 3 historic market buildings and a promenade. If you are looking for food and shopping, look no further. We walked though the main market hall (middle photo) and safe to say, it was food heaven! Offering local foods famous to Massachusetts such as: Boston Cream Pies, Clam Chowder and Maine Lobster Rolls – every kind of food your heart desires.  After visting Quincy Market, we were back onto the Freedom Trail onto our next location.

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DSC_0210Christopher Colombus Waterfront Park / Harbour

Down to the waterfront to the historic harbour where the famous Boston Tea Party happened. The New England aquarium is also situated at the harbour front.

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DSC_0223North End – Little Italy 

As mentioned before, Boston is easily accessible by foot. From the harbour, we walked slightly back on ourselves and ended up in North End, Boston’s Italian neighbourhood. It is a maze of narrow streets with some of the city’s oldest buildings. On the Freedom Trail, you will pass historic sites like the 1680 Paul Revere House and the Old North Church, which played a key role at the beginning of the Revolutionary War.

Italian restaurants, coffee shops, pastry shops and delis pack the area, especially on Hanover Street. We stopped off at Caffe Vittoria, the first Italian coffee shop in Boston. Just a few stores up the road you will find the famous Mike’s Pastry shop. You can get your cannoli fix there, just be prepared to queue up… it’s super busy!

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DSC_0237Other Recommendations:

  • Harvard University – Especially if you’re a Legally Blonde fan
  • Boston Trolley Tours
  • Boston Duck Tours – On Land and Water tour
  • Fenway Park
  • TD Garden
  • Salem – If you have time, get on a 35 min train to learn about the historic witch trials
  • Gilette Stadium – Home of the best NFL team, The New England Patriots of course!
  • Prudential Center Boston Skywalk

Hope you enjoy exploring Boston.

Keep up to date with my travels on my Instagram.

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Day in the Life of Cabin Crew

The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page. – Saint Augustine

I am frequently asked by friends, family and even strangers…’What is it really like to be crew’?

Rise and Shine – Like yourselves, crew have to be at the airport approximately 2 hours before their duty. Flights from Heathrow don’t leave before 6am and after 9pm, so from anytime between these hours, lots of crew members will be heading to the airport. Yes, this sometimes means a 3am wake up…gross I know. Been there, done that.

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London at 6am during the descent

However, even at a horrendous time in the morning, we are expected to be polished and tidy ahead of our flights. There is no room for a sloppy appearance. I usually take pride in how I appear and feel it makes us a lot more approachable to our customers as we are meeting their expectations.

Briefing Time – Before we brief, I usually arrive to the Crew Report Centre early to grab a coffee or snack and make it a habit to text my family before I jet off (Shoutout…you know who you are). The pre flight brief is the first time the crew working on the flight will meet. Yes, we fly with a different crew every time. Now and again, a familiar face will pop up which is always fun. Yassss.

The team gathers for approx. 20 minutes as we have a critical path to stick to in order that everything runs on time. A series of Safety and Medical questions will be asked by the Cabin Services Manager (CSM) to ensure everyone’s knowledge is up to date and we are legal to fly. We also cover working positions – each depends on the aircraft type, number of passengers (PAX) onboard and any other information regarding the flight.

To the Aircraft – Once again, we follow the normal routine of any airport and pass through security. This is always the “fun” part begging with the staff to let your liquid through…yeah or not. Once you’ve redressed yourself after taking off most of your uniform, we head to the gate or bus (depending if you are in another terminal). Once onboard, we start all our checks to make sure you are safe of course! Imean I’m not going to put anyone else’s life at risk let alone myself, so this is a key part to our role. We check all the safety equipment is legal and there is no funny business on board. Not on my watch!

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The World truly is my oyster

Here we go, Here we go, Here we go – During boarding we usually stand in the cabin to greet the passengers and give them a big grin…as well as accidentally getting in the way of everyone. #CrewProbs. Once the doors are shut and boarding is complete, standard checks are made. Baggage is put away, seat belts are on, 1A has their champagne, you know the usual. We also have to do the standard cabin crew dance – pointing out exits during our safety demo. Once the cabin is secured, we are good to go.

To Infinity and Beyond – Once it is safe for us to leave our seats and cruising at 35,000ft we begin our onboard service. Starting with drinks and then food. I’m sure you’ve heard “Chicken or Beef” plenty of times. Depending on your flight duration we may serve a second meal nearing the end of the flight. One question I often receive “What do you do in-between services?” Well, my favourite bit. We sleep. Yes! We do. Half the crew will be on first break and then we swap for the second break. While you’re all chilling in your seats, we are snug as a bug in a secret compartment. However, when not on break, you will usually find me doing Sudoku in the galley or waiting to jump into action if needs be.  I’m trained to be a Midwife, Paramedic, Policewoman, Firefighter as well as just being there for the customer. We don’t just serve food!

Touch Down – Ok so this is my favourite bit. Touchdown in one of the many incredible destinations of the world. The world is my oyster and this is my chance to explore.

I love my job as cabin crew and without it I would not have had the many opportunities I’ve come across or met some of the people who mean the world to me (pardon the pun). If ever the opportunity to fly comes knocking, grab it with both hands and make the most of it.

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