Framily is a word that I created, long ago, to call those friends that are known to be so close that we are family...leading to the all too clever creation of framily.
In ground school they told us that the people surrounding us, all dressed in their finest business casual, would become family. At the time I didn't much believe them as I sat in my chair wondering how that could be true when we don't work a normal 9-5, in the same cubicles next to each other day in and day out. Instead, the reality of flight life, is that I would be lucky to work with anyone twice, let alone a handful of times. That's just how the flight world works, you work with a crew for a few days solid then you part ways and it's a rare day in the sky that you may see them again. But there are the days and trips that you do see someone you know. When that happens in the flight world, let me tell you it's magical. There's usually a squeal of 'OH. MY. GOSH!’ in a very Janice— (Friends fan reference)—esque way. It’s always followed with a big embrace that is half of a hug and half wiggling with excitement. It feels like you've reconnected with an old friend from elementary, fast forward twenty years. I have been lucky enough to have had this happen on multiple occasions. And it's made me reflect on just how more lucky I am that I don't work with the same people every day. I don't mean lucky in the way of, oh thank the Lord I don't have to see him again tomorrow. I mean that, just like teconnnecting with an old friend from elementary; working every day with deifferent crews is like elementary, where you make new friends everyday just as easy as in kindergarten when you bonded over playing dress up, or playing in the sandbox or even swapping juice box flavors. Just like kindergarten, in the flight world, we make new friends every day, but it feels as though we’ve been friends forever. Every so often crew scheduling will be your favorite people on the whole planet (whereas usually they’re subpar, and you pray they don’t contact you). Every now and then your flight sequence will match up miraculously with a friends reserve days, and by some chance you’re flight sequence needs another flight attendant and BAM. MAGIC. It was an oh so lucky day for me and my crew because on my four day we were in desperate need of a flight attendant, and for us on walked Miss Nadia onto aircraft 629.
I had the pleasure of working with Miss Nadia on one of my first trips out of ground school. I was a shiny new flight attendant to Nadia's aged year on the job. She was welcoming, fun and helpful to my new and curious eyes. Flash forward six months, and Nadia walks onto my four day trip. Let me tell you, it is the best feeling seeing a face that you know in this world up in the air. It’s like kindergarten. When this kind of coincidence happens, you jive, you thrive and boy do you have a hoot of a time. And when this happens, passengers will ask, how long have you two been flying together? Because in our world, working together twice is like being eachothers Dwight and Jim, the Abbot to the others Costello, Shaggy to your Scooby, or even the Archie to their Jughead. How often do you walk on a plane and think that your cabin crew must work together often? That they do the same routes with each other all the time? If you think this, this is quite close to never the case. We meet each other, often, minutes before passengers board. But because of the flight "framily" unspoken secret, we all are family. Who else have you spent multiple days with, hours upon hours at a time with? Not many people, which is why flying together bonds us together quicker than needle and thread. I've felt this before, Dwight and Jim bromance goals and all, where what we were told in ground school rings true. Every time it feels just as unicorny magicalness as the first time. This feeling, these moments and flights, these are the best flights and best story making trips. So, here's to working with my flight framily for the first time and every time after...and the wonderfully bazaar stories that transpire.
p.s. what happens in San Francisco, stays in San Francisco.