June 8, 1993

Day 1

Back in training, there are some shining stars here with me this time. Here is an actual conversation between a classmate and an instructor:

Instructor: “We have a dress code, it is business attire. Suits, skirts, pants are all acceptable. You may not wear T-shirts, flip flops, shorts….

Fellow Classmate: “Ummm…excuse me, excuse me!!” (bouncing up and down with hand raised)

Instructor: “Yes?”

FCM: “I have a pair of shorts that are dressy, can I wear those?”

Instructor: “Are they shorts?”

FCM: “Yes.”

Instructor: “No, shorts.” As I was sayin…..

FCM: ” Ummm, I have a pair that look like a skirt, can I wear that?”

Instructor: “Are they shorts?”

FCM: “Yes.”

Instructor: “NO, shorts!”

FCM: “What if it is long and flowy?”

Instructor: “Is it shorts?”

FCM: “Yes.”

Instructor: “Noooo…shorts.”

FCM: “Even if it looks like a skirt under a blazer?”

Instructor: “Shorts?”

FCM: “Yes.”

Instructor: (gives look to FCM, rolls eyes) “No shorts, moving on….”

And, I was the one sent home!

On a good note I love my new room mate. A fellow Bostonian. The only problem is she doesn’t know I was here before. Can I tell her I was here before? This is part of the conversation I had with the recruiter during my re-entry interview:

Me: “Will I be able to tell people this is my second time in training?”

Recruiter: “Hmmm…Would we ever tell you that you couldn’t tell people you were in training already? Absolutely not! Would we recommend you tell people you were there…..No.”

That answered that question. I was not going to do anything to risk being sent home again. The problem I had was Janie, my new room mate was freaking out because she wants to know how I knew to pack all the right clothes and why I seem so relaxed. I help her as much as I can without letting her know. There are four others from my original class here and I’m not sure how many other repeats but I know there are a lot.

June 15, 1993

A week in and poor Janie is freaking out because I am getting a 100 on every test without studying. The rumors are flying about the “repeats” but nobody suspects me because I’m not giving it away like some people. We read aloud in class and some people are pronouncing terms that you wouldn’t know unless you were here before. For example, FSM, ISM and FFA. If you weren’t here before you would just say the letters out loud but those who were hear know to pronounce it out, Fisim, Isim, and Faaa. That’s how most people figured out who was here before. (flight service manager, international service manager, and first flight attendant)

I’ve been able to work out almost every night because I don’t need to study. That has been a huge relief because it is helping me relax and sleep better.

We’ll see how I feel in couple of weeks when I have to pass the “service drills!” Time is moving very slowly, it is going to be a long six weeks.

*Note to younger self: The poor “shorts” girl doesn’t make it.