Confessions of an Ex-Airline Slave

My brother who hates traveling (gasp!) dramatically informed us that he changed his mind and would love to travel too.  About time!  I've never understood how he can be contented in staying in one place and not gasp in awe about waterfalls and unicorns but I do see his point about the endless immigration lines and packing.

I'm not so delusional as to think that I'm alone in this wanderlust, travel bug, thirst for travel restlessness.  I grew up in an mid-income household where both of my parents worked to make ends meet.  Add 6 kids and two house helps, a mortgage to be paid off and reasonable luxuries (like a pack of Chips Ahoy!) to the mix, we get frazzled parents and disciplined kids who know they won't always get what they want.  But we always, always got to go on those yearly summer trips to a beach resort no matter what.  

Then I worked for Philippine Airlines for 7 years after college.  That fed my wanderlust even more as I took advantage of it to the best of my abilities.  Imagine eight people traveling together as non-revenue passengers (that means free in airline-speak) to LA and SF from Manila.  I was always unhappiest before these trips because I absolutely can't have one of us get bumped off a flight.  Stress and pressure could've killed me then.  Oh, the things I've learned to do to ensure that all 8 of us get on those flights.  And I didn't even have to touch anybody.

Trekking All The Way to Pinatubo

So we just did Pinatubo and it did us right back with the rain and the cold and my brain all rattled up and misplaced with the 4x4 ride up the volcano.

Got up at an ungodly hour of 2am so we could make it for the 3am call time. Wtf? But it turned out to be a good idea (pat on the back, Russell!) since I can be such a slowpoke when I'm not comfortable. We reached the summit and the surreal crater lake at 930am and had 3 hours of staring at it and dipping my screaming pink-pedicured footsies in the surprisingly warm water.

Traveled on the 4x4 with Kai, Russell and Chinese AIM student Dan, Manong driver and Manong helper, who had the greatest seat in front of the truck.

No man's land

You can tell who the most experienced climber is. Me!!!

The road to redemption looks just like this.

A great no-no in travel photography. I just ruined the view, sorry.

Worked for Tickets

If it hadn't been for some recent tragedies in my life, I'd bet my yearly Philippine Airlines ID 00 international tickets that I would still be working my  lazy ass off in the Reservations and Ticketing department of the oldest airline in Asia.

I loved working there, if only for the tickets and the friends I've made.  We were (and I bet my friends still are) working for pennies but the almost monthly trips that I took all over the Philippines, Asia and beyond more than made up for the less than $400 a month that I took home.  Couldn't care less about the salary, as long as I had tickets to anywhere PAL flies to.  Jeez, good thing I was living at my parents' home and still slightly dependent on my father.

The biggest problem I'd had was where to go to next and who I can drag along with me who hadn't been, or who's willing to go back, to the place I'd set my heart on for that month.  I had a seven-year love affair with Philippine Airlines.  We had our ups and downs but to me, it was mostly love because PAL took me to paradise beaches and the most exciting locales.  My lust for travel had been satisfied over and over again by this crazy, old, proud and haughty Philippine flag carrier.

The succeeding entries would be reminiscences of a woman in her more carefree days who enjoyed everything that her young life and low-paying job had to offer.