a northern halloween.

It was Halloween, and unlike the rest of the population, I had no plans of parties or handing out candy to the neighbourhood children.  I originally had the day off, but when a fellow flight attendant asked me to take her shift, I considered the reality... I'm 26 years old and I have no children. Did I really need the night off?

I agreed to accept the shift, which would take me to Yellowknife for the evening.  Fortunately for me, my friend and fellow classmate Kevin would be joining me as crew. It would be the first time that I'd work with anyone that I'd trained with! Rather than dress in costume, I donned my uniform. People dress up as flight attendants every year for Halloween, I was just far more authentic and far less revealing.

I packed my bags and proceeded to the airport after some last minute puppy cuddles. Niko always gets extra affectionate right before I go away for a night, which I'm certain is a plot to make me feel guilty. I promised him many treats on my return as I reluctantly headed out the door.

I was early to arrive at the crew room, as per usual. Kevin wasn't far behind, and we caught up on life and flying and wondered why it had been so long since we'd went for coffee.

Our pilots and other flight attendant arrived, and we were not surprised to hear that we were delayed. Welcome to winter in Canada. Our aircraft had an issue, so we were stuck waiting for an hour and a half for another one to arrive. When we finally boarded, we had a whopping 22 passengers. What a tough night! I've been at this airline for a few months now, but coming from the A380 I'm still amazed at those days when we have so few passengers onboard.  

That evening, I wasn't feeling all too healthy, which is always wonderful during mild but constant turbulence. I don't get sick often, so on those rare occasions I feel as though I must actually be dying. I survived and we landed, getting to the hotel just in time for bed. I said goodbye to Kevin and the rest of my crew, as they'd be continuing on for 2 days while I was lucky enough to fly home the next afternoon. 

In my room I was quick to put on my pyjamas and fall into bed.  With so much time in Yellowknife and so little desire to be outside in the cold, my mission was to get as much sleep as I could.  Mission accomplished. I slept until 10 am, a feat that I hadn't been capable of in many, many months.  I lazily got ready for my day, showering and texting Kevin as the events of his day unfolded. He was stuck at the airport, delayed due to mechanical issues once again.  It sounded like a rather frustrating morning, and I was happy to be in my hotel room.   I bundled up to head into the cold, donning long johns, mittens, a scarf and my cozy parka. 

I needed to return a couple of items I'd purchased for Niko on my last visit. The Canada Goose dog jacket (as adorable as it was) made it impossible for him to move his tiny legs.  I found the pet store and waited patiently as the cashier processed the return. On my way back to the hotel I passed by a cafe that I like and contemplated stopping for a latte, but as I was still not feeling 100% I figured coffee probably wasn't the best thing to consume on an empty stomach. Besides, it was a cold and windy afternoon and despite my many layers of clothing. 

  Instead, I ate the salad that I'd packed and dined in the comfort of my room. I packed up my bags early, ready to go back home as a passenger.  

Kevin sent me a message, informing me that his flight had now been cancelled. He returned to the hotel and we sat in the lobby chatting and drinking hot chocolate until he met his crew for dinner and I ventured to the airport to catch my flight.  Not wanting to be the odd one out, my flight was also delayed.  I waited patiently in the crew room of the Yellowknife airport, nearly falling asleep in my massive parka.  Eventually it was time to board, and we waited even longer as we had to de-ice. Have I mentioned how much I despise winter?  On time departures are a thing of the past, thanks to yucky conditions everywhere that we fly.  

Once we'd landed, I was happy to be home but not looking forward to the drive to my house.  Earlier in the day the city had been pelted with freezing rain, which was oh so lovely to scrape off the windows of my car.  Actually, if we are being honest, I gave up soon after realizing that my scraping was getting me nowhere. I started the car, blasted the heat, and went inside to wait for the ice to melt on its own. It seemed to take forever, but eventually I could see inside my car and I was able to brush the remaining chunks of ice off.  I drove home extra slowly as the roads were covered in that same thick layer of ice as my car.  Home sweet home at last, my evening consisted of cuddling my puppy, watching TV, eating far too much chocolate, and sipping tea. I hate it when my husband is out of town, but Niko and I made the most of our night!  Now for some highly anticipated days off.... and (judge me all you want) Christmas decorating!