Confined within these four walls

Any traveller will have experienced the post holiday/travel blues, and what’s the best cure for this? Well to book the next one of course!

So when I returned from my 6 month stint in South East Asia and Australia and began my job search, I thought what better remedy for my after subsequent depression than to get a job that feeds my travel addiction!

I’d worked as cabin crew for a year prior to commencing my teaching career, I loved the job at the time so figured what better solution than to return to this line of work! The airline I worked for before had only a few routes, therefore limiting the exploration I could do, but this time I would venture longhaul and the world would be my oyster…or so I thought!

So today I sit by the pool in Accra, listening to hustle and bustle of African life beyond the high concrete walls that surround me. I am desperate to escape, to explore Ghana, to explore Africa, to explore the world. But I can’t, I’m not allowed. Confined within these four walls I feel totally and completely trapped, and as an independent, free willed traveller, this is incredibly frustrating.

You would think that being Cabin Crew I would have the opportunity to travel and explore, but in reality, such chances are few and far between. There are three reasons why when visiting a destination I am not normally able to explore and to fulfil my travel ambitions;

1)      We have such a short amount of time in the destination you are too tired to go out and explore, and if you do venture out it’s not enjoyable because you are so tired

2)      Leaving the hotel is frowned upon due to ‘safety’ in the local area and you’re only allowed out in groups, but the ‘groups’ are too scared to go out

3)      Leaving the hotel is forbidden as the area is deemed dangerous

The greatest love of my life has, and always will be travel. I love to explore, to see the unusual, the different. I love to taste the local foods, to meet the local people and to see how the indigenous live. I thought flying would at least in some form, help facilitate this. It doesn’t. Not at all.

In previous jobs I would save up for weeks, book my upcoming trip and count down the days until I’d jet off. I would plan, and research and build up my excitement to unprecedented levels.

Now, I feel that travel has become a chore. The flights there and back are long and tedious and tiring. Instead of being excited to reach a new destination I am excited to reach my comfy and welcoming hotel bed. Rather than going out to the local bars and restaurants the crew will religiously meet up and hunt down the nearest English/Irish bar. The crew will order pizzas and burgers and will be completely unaware of what the local dishes might be, let alone try them. The primary activity for crew whilst away is to go shopping.

This is not me, never has been and never will be.

I always used to count down until I went away, but now it is the contrary. I don’t feel I have lost my travel buzz, but this job has certainly dampened the flame. I never get to travel to places I want to visit. I can never make friends as I work with different people every day. I can never see my existing friends at home as I’m never there.

Many Cabin Crew will tell you that they have visited all these places across the world, but what they actually mean is that they have seen the airport and the hotel. I remember one colleague of mine writing on his Facebook status that he had just returned from Ghana and it was an amazing country. When I asked if he had left the hotel he said no. Many people, and I won’t say all, that are crew are actually fed into a false illusion; they genuinely believe that they are travelling and seeing the world, whereas in reality they are simply sampling the worlds fine hotels and Irish bars.

After 6 months flying this is why I have decided that I will return to teaching. I am currently applying for jobs and I will update you all on my progress. This trolly dolly is no more, I will ensure that my travel flame is burning bright and strong again very soon and I will follow my travel dreams…

So….where next???

I could be anywhere in the world…