Welcome to the World of Me!

Welcome to my amateur and technically-challenged attempt at writing a blog!! I have minimal experience with both reading and writing them, so I hope that this turns out to be not too boring for those few of you who might read it.

Why write one then, you might ask? Because I completely SUCK at keeping in touch with people, it seems. I've been living in the Middle East for 7 months now, and on a scale of good to bad, my contact with home has been beyond the crappy end of things. I swear, if it wasn't for facebook, half the people I've ever known would have forgotten I exist, over here in this desert land! So, here is a blog. Where I can plop down all of my adventures, experiences and stories, and the people who have been wondering what I am up to will know. It might even give some of you inspiration for your own travel plans. Plus, this way I won't feel so guilty about neglecting the emails.

So to catch you up to date on the last 7 months:

- I'm living in the sticks of Dubai. It's actually more like Pakistan than Dubai, if you ask me. I had an amazing roommate and friend here with me which made it bearable, but she has just buggered off back home to Canada to get married and left me here. Some people are so selfish!! So I should be getting a new roommate fairly soon...could be interesting but of course I will have to keep you posted on that. I have great friends here in Dubai who will be popping up and rating special mentions throughout my tales, seeing as we seem to have enough adventures of our own without leading the lives that we do.

- I'm working as Cabin Crew for one of the biggest airlines in the world. They have nothing to do with this blog except for the fact that the things I discuss in my blog will occasionally occur onboard their planes. The views, opinions and feelings discussed are completely my own and not endorsed or supported by the company. Alongside this happy disclaimer, I will add that this has to be the craziest job in the world. I love to travel, and to see the world, and meet new people, and that is why I came here. My overwhelming positivity was somewhat dampened when I discovered that negative aspects to the job exist as well - fatigue, diet problems, image and, of course, the major disappointment of my onboard existence: passengers.

- I am probably being unfair to class all passengers as evil because not all of them are that bad. In fact, many of them are very nice, some I would even call pleasant. But those 'special' eggs, the ones that really make your blood boil, or who have no manners / hygiene / consideration, they are the ones that you remember. And, for some reason, the ones I seem to encounter more often than anyone else I speak to! Honestly, other crew are astounded at some of the things I have dealt with in such a short period of time - medical emergencies, attitude problems, complaints, drunks, grown men wetting themselves and of course... lots and lots of regurgitation.

- The experience is worth it. The places I get to see (so far London, Paris, Sydney, Auckland, Seoul, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Beijing, Hamburg, Manchester), and the fact that I am PAID TO TRAVEL makes me appreciate how lucky I really am. Which is what I keep telling myself every time I am elbow-deep in vomit. I've toured the Tower of London, climbed the Great Wall of China, eaten Korean barbeque in Korea, sat under the Eiffel Tower with only a chocolate and banana crepe and my camera for company, played with tiger cubs in Thailand and sank pints on a German footpath. For these kinds of experiences and many, many more, all at the company's expense - not my own - I think that a little bit of vom is a small price to pay. This will not stop me from complaining about it in future blogs, though, so toughen up those gag reflexes. God knows I've had to.

For now, this will do as a start. I am heading back to Paris tomorrow, so should have something interesting to write about. Even if it is only bread, cheese and red wine, it will be the most delicious bread, cheese and red wine ever written about because it will be from PARIS!!! (Yes, I still get excited even though I have to be up at 4am with a full face of make up and a big red-lipstick covered smile. It's Paris!!)