A Very Kind Seatmate

Rick....what a nice guy! Flying home on a Friday I'm trying to finish up work so I can enjoy my weekend...balancing the computer and papers....Rick offers to put up the armreast giving me more room to "spread out" - made life much easier!

As it turns out - Rick and I both went to Alfred (1 year apart) - living in the same dorm complex. (small world?)

Again - I get an education - this time about the food industry - as Rick works in Wegman's distribution....fascinating how everything gets managed behind the scenes so I can easily get whatevere I want at the store.

Life of a Flight Attendent

Although I was flying the usual Jet Blue, my seatmate was an airline attendent from American Airlines. Joanne was on her way back to Rochester (home) after being gone for only 3 days to Tokyo. Her schedule sounded crazy at first - leaving home Monday early morning to "report for work" in NYC. Her commute is drive to the Rochester airport, hop a plane - and voila - she's at work in JFK! Her day starts with a 12 or 14 hour flight to Tokyo.....then some sleep, food, reading, sleep and back to work for another 12-14 hour flight back to JFK - then the 1 hour hop to Rochester. Whew - I'm tired just hearing about it! But....she continues to elaborate - and now she has 8 days off.....not so bad now is it?

In our conversation we also realized our connection - a mutual friend, Chris, she knows through church and I used to work with at J&J. Small world again!

Mariam from Pakistan

What a curtural education I got talking to Mariam. Originally from Pakistan, she was flying back from a month of visiting her family. She has been in the states for 4 years now. As is the custom in pakistan - her marriage was arranged - she is now married to her mom's best friend's son. He was born here in the US but spent summers visiting his mom's friend and her daughter (now his wife). Just fascinating to learn about an aspect of a culture that is so different than my experience.