Hey Travelers,
A few years ago, my mom’s old colleague, Sean, left his
corporate job with Goldman Sachs to become a commercial airline pilot. Learning
to fly at a young age after his pilots both worked in the air travel industry,
he had always been drawn to flight and knew he would eventually pursue a career
in the business.
As it relates to my travel blog, I sat down with him to ask
some questions pertaining to his time as a pilot, as he has had the opportunity
to see some incredible cities in just a few years through his time in the air.
- What is your favorite thing about being a pilot? The feeling of flight is absolutely indescribable. There is nothing that compares. Every time I go wheels up I feel like I am on cloud nine, literally! It is very hard to put into words, but I am eternally grateful that I get to do something I love so much as my day job. When I left my job at Goldman I struggled initially to find structure in my life, as when you are a pilot there are very strict regulations as to how often you can fly during the week, so I was a bit bored. But I found quickly that I was able to use my time more efficiently and now am able to avoid jet lag when I travel abroad, which happens multiple times per week, every week!
- What is your favorite city you have ever visited? This is always the toughest question, and to be honest, I never have a concrete answer. I’ll give you my top three though: Seville, Spain; Sydney, Australia; and London, England. London really never gets old, I fly there two or three days a week there now. Seville is an absolutely amazing city, the food there is second-to-none and you won’t find a city where the people nap more. My kind of people.
- What is the least favorite city you have ever visited? Bangkok, easily! I hate Bangkok. Honestly, I personally think its gross, it is incredibly crowded and the traffic is horrific. It is always exceptionally hot and because everything is so cheap, there is evident gross negligence towards caring for the environment and the city that so many people call home.
- What would be your advice to someone looking to travel from a young age? I definitely think the easiest way is to find a job where you have to travel often, but this definitely comes with a price. It is an easy way to see new cities and explore new cultures, but you have to be willing to lose some sleep over it and push through the always evident jet lag. Other than that, there are a lot of great programs for younger people that are very affordable and provide a slightly more structured experience for those who many not want to explore as independently at first.
After spending his morning with me, Sean immediately headed
to JFK to embark on yet another flight. I’m lucky to have spent even a few
minutes with him to hear about his experience and learn more about his time as
a true world traveler.
Until next time,
Annika
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