Closing one chapter to move on to the next…

Christina Palacios, SWISS Intern Stockholm

Now, with less than two weeks left at SWISS and Stockholm, the hardest part comes: having to pack my belongings and say my goodbyes. With this, however, also comes the time to reflect on what you have learned and what you are taking with you to the next chapter in life.

It feels like not long ago when I anxiously stepped into the SWISS office in Stockholm to find a beautiful plant with pink flowers, a cinnamon bun, some SWISS chocolates and a ‘Välkommen’ written on a SWISS postcard on my desk, representing the very warm welcome by my colleagues on my first day. Now, with less than two weeks left at SWISS and Stockholm, the hardest part comes. On the other hand, with this also comes the time when you start looking back at the chapter you are closing, and remembering your best experiences and first encounters in what used to be an unfamiliar city.

Moving abroad and living alone since I was seventeen has taught me many lessons, from small teachings such as how to do laundry, to bigger lessons such as how to overcome the letdowns life can surprise you with. Acquiring knowledge is a never-ending process and working at SWISS has definitely contributed to my development, being the first professional experience I have had since completing my studies.

Happy Birthday in the air! (My sky-high life)

Cornelia Valerie Voigt, Cabin Crew Member

Flying brings a fundamental change to daily life. Flight attendants have time off work when most other people are working, and vice versa.

Consequently, birthdays and Christmas are sometimes celebrated in the air rather than at home with loved ones. This is exactly what occurred on my birthday, and it really was a unique experience.

During my first year as a flight attendant I allowed fate to determine whether I would be at home or flying on my birthday. As things turned out, my 27th birthday fell on a flying day, destination Moscow. I should mention at this point that many flight attendants have mixed feelings about this route. This is probably due to the many stories that are circulated about it, many of them untrue. Regardless, I happen to like this destination, aside from the Siberian temperatures in winter. But by the end of this day I was so tired that I all I wanted to do was go to the hotel.
The turnaround to Palma di Mallorca earlier in the day had been pretty heavy going, and the aircraft that was scheduled to take us to Moscow was delayed by more than an hour.
This meant that at 21:00, with seven hours of duty time already behind me, I was still sitting at the Operations Center instead of on board the aircraft bound for Russia.