one last east coast adventure

Last week I jetted off to St. John's, Newfoundland for one last east coast adventure before I go on maternity leave later this month. I was looking forward to the trip, as I'd found myself with a selection of some of my absolute favourite flight attendants that I've met during my time here. We would have a great time... if only we could get past the overnight flight.  

I'm normally great at sleeping during the day when I know that I'll be up the entire evening.  I close the curtains, curl up in bed, and indulge in the fact that I can sleep during the day while everyone else is busy at work.  Naps are great when the conditions are right.  Unfortunately, that day was the day that my neighbours decided to finally build a fence. This was no quiet task. Added to the fact that it was a warm toasty day with temperatures in my house soaring, there was no sleep to be had. I may have managed a couple of hours, but I was feeling less than eager when it was time to head to the airport.

We started off our evening delayed, after a quick but intense thunderstorm rolled through the city. We'd make up for it en route, until we arrived in Ottawa and had a mechanical issue with our aircraft. At 3 am local time, there were few people around to fix the issue and we had to wait patiently for the maintenance crew to arrive.  We were exhausted and our enthusiasm was lingering as we faced the prospect of a potential night in Ottawa instead of St. John's. Fortunately, it was a quick fix and we were once again on our way east.  

By the time that we arrived, our entire crew was eager to get to the hotel and snuggle into our beds. Few things are more satisfying after a night flight.  Seeing as how it was my last time in St. John's, I had high hopes of a day of fun, but those plans went out the window when I tried to wake up a few hours after arriving. I wouldn't climb Signal Hill or venture to Quidi Vidi that day. Instead, I'd press the snooze button repeatedly until finally forcing myself out of bed to go for a dazed walk in search of food.  

I was joined by the lovely Caitlin for the second layover in a row. We strolled to a small place called "Happy Hummus Hut", which has stole my heart with its delicious, unusual, healthy menu. We loaded up on treats for the next day and then walked back towards the hotel via Water Street, stopping in a few shops along the way. 

As usual, we had dinner plans with the crew. Seeing as how it was my last trip here, conveniently during lobster season, I was on a mission to spoil myself.  I was in luck, as the restaurant we chose had a nightly special of lobster chowder and a lobster grilled cheese sandwich. I was sold. Both contained huge chunks of delicious lobster and I ate until my stomach hurt... which doesn't take much these days with a baby occupying space formerly reserved for meals.  

Despite my attempts to embrace healthier eating in the days prior, no trip to St. John's is complete without stopping in Freak Lunchbox to load up on candy. As usual, my crew tagged along and couldn't resist leaving with their own treats.  I refrained from purchasing everything in the store and left with only a small bag of sugary goodness. (I also forced Cait to pose in front of the store...)    

By this point of the evening I was struggling to fight the fatigue and couldn't wait to get back to my hotel room. It may have been an uneventful trip, but I was too tired to care. 

The trip home was a long one, but with my awesome crew and extremely light passenger loads we eventually made it back to Edmonton. I can honestly say that I am beyond thrilled to be officially finished with working red eye flights!

After my trip I drove down to Red Deer to spend the weekend with friends and family. A few days later sleep deprivation and my lowered-by-pregnancy immune system have got the best of me... I'm now nursing a cold that makes flying far too hard on my poor ears. I guiltily called in sick today for one of my few remaining days of work!  Maternity leave is fast approaching and I feel as though it will be bittersweet. Life as I know it will soon be a thing of the past!