A huge part of travel for me is the people I meet and the friends I make in the places I get to experience. Some of, well most of my best friends are people I have met while living overseas & the number one thing we have in common is that we get it. Get what? This whole travel life. The coming & going frequently, the moving towns often & regularly. The fact that we will rarely live in the same place for long. And the feeling of saying goodbye/reuniting with each other. So when I meet people who share this same passion I immediately want to know more about them and where their adventures have taken them.
Sometimes someone slides into your DM's on instagram & it's not weird or creepy or spammy. It's more & more rare these days and I cant remember exactly when ti was but that's how Amy & I were able to connect. Fast forward to the start of this year after many failed attempts at meeting up & I found myself jobless & in ned of an adventure & Amy found herself with a layover in London. The rest is history really! We bonded over our love of London, visited some attractions I'd never been to, & basically got on like a house on fire! She is a lovely human and I'm so excited to be sharing more about her as the WanderWoman for March!
First things first - flight attendant or airline hostess? And what brought you to the job?
At Emirates we use the term Cabin Crew however flight attendant is also fine with me! It is quite a funny story in regards to joining Emirates. I had a 9-5 office job that I was quite content with, one day over lunch one of my colleagues was talking about how her friend worked for Emirates in First Class and absolutely loved it. A few weeks later I was walking past the Hilton Hotel in Sydney where Emirates happened to be holding an Open Day. I attended and was successful. When I was in High School I had attended a careers fair and had visited the Qantas booth, I remember showing my parents the pamphlet but never really looked into it any further. Looking back now it is quite funny how it all worked out.
What is a typical flight day like for you?
I usually pack my suitcase for a layover the night prior to the flight. I check the latest weather forecast and pack accordingly. I must confess 5 years into the job and I am still an over-packer! We have to check in for our flight 2 hours before scheduled departure so I arrive at Headquarters a bit earlier to enjoy a tea and a snack before signing in. We have a crew briefing wherein we discuss the flight specifics and then we head to the aircraft. A thorough safety and security search is carried out of the entire plane before welcoming passengers on board. Depending on flight time we typically have 2 services to carry out before landing into a destination. Once we arrive we are driven to the hotel where we can relax and explore at our leisure! The next day we do it all over again and head back to Dubai.
What made you choose Emirates?
I had flown Emirates 2 years prior to joining from Sydney to Italy and was extremely impressed with the service that we received onboard. Emirates was the best of the best! My cousin and I happened to be sitting in a exit row opposite the cabin crews jumpseat. We spoke to her during descent about the job and she told us she really enjoyed it. I guess that conversation had a lasting affect on me and helped me make the decision to choose Emirates.
How has your life changed since moving to the Middle East?
I had never lived alone previously. I learnt quite quickly that no one was going to be cooking or cleaning for me anymore! My laundry would no longer be miraculously done and folded back in my closet (thanks mum) I had to grow up fast and learnt to rely only on myself.
The Middle East is a long way from home but I am lucking enough to visit Sydney on average at least once every two months to see my friends and family back at home. They all also enjoy visiting me here in Dubai where there is sunshine all year round!
The weather is another big factor that needs to be taken into account. With highs of 45 degrees Celcius in the summer months, Dubai is incredibly hot. I have gotten used to the heat over the years and now consider Sydney summers to be relatively mild in comparison!
Where do you see yourself in the next 5 years?
A lot of people end up flying for their entire career however in the next 5 years I would like to be heading back to Sydney and settling down with my other half where we can hopefully start a family!
What has been your most favourite & least favourite destination you’ve been to thanks to the job?
Fav: London - I always have the best time in London, there is always something new and exciting to do! To date I have flown to London with Emirates 58 times in the last 5 years, it is my most flown route.
Least fav: Houston - due to the fact that I suffered the worst case of food poisoning there and was bedridden for 3 days. I will just have to visit again and explore next time around!
Living it up in Amy's fave city of London
What would you do if you weren’t doing this?
I would be completing my Masters in Security, Intelligence and Counter Terrorism. This was put on hold when I decided to join Emirates.
Must have travel items for work days?
Hand cream, iphone, sunglasses, a pen (you would be surprised how many times I get asked for one) and can't forget the red lipstick!
Top 3 bucketlist destinations you want to visit?
Egypt, Jordan and Phnom Penh.
Egypt and Jordan are both so close to Dubai and I still have not got around to visiting them, I think 2018 is the year to do this and I can finally tick off the Pyramids, Petra and the Dead Sea! Emirates also recently opened up the route to Phnom Penh so my dream of visiting Angkor Wat can finally be achieved!
How do you think social media influences you in terms of your adventures?
Social media especially Instagram has opened my eyes up to places that I never knew existed. With the incredible travel benefits that come with being cabin crew it means the world is my oyster. I also am very lucky to have made so many new friends through my social media platforms in cities all around the world!! I love it!
Famous Last words for all the wanderers out there
I think Audrey said it best - "Nothing is impossible, the word it self says I'm possible" So go out and make it happen!
Amy's zest for life is contagious and in any given week she can be in multiple countries so to keep up with this gallivanting Aussie check her out on her social channels below
Info, guides & all around travel stories on the blog www.aroundtheworldwithamy.com Insta stories + epic photos on @amybartholomew
Tweet her at @amybartholomew Snap along with @amycarolineb Plan with inspiration on Pinterest @amybartholomew1
