Gabriela was on an exotic vacation in Thailand when the first big problems started due to the Covid virus. The flight home was canceled, and Gabriela had to isolate herself on a small island where she spent two months full of adventures.
After difficult times and various attempts to return home, her boyfriend was fired. Despite these stressful times, Gabriela decided to rebuild her career from the beginning.
"I worked at an airport as a bartender in a cafe for three years. Every day, in the morning, I saw crews preparing for flights. While I was making some drinks for the crew, I befriended some flight attendants who encouraged me to apply for a job at an airline. ”, Gabriela remembers.
"I didn't know what to expect, since I had never done anything like it before, but I accepted the challenge and became a member of a cabin crew. And these were the best two years of my life! ”
"These have been the best two years of my life!"
Gabriela says every morning, while she went to work, she had a smile on her face, because being a stewardess was one of her achievements. Being an active and empathetic person, he enjoyed the endless conversations with the passengers on board. In time, she became a true aviation geek.
The flight attendant was so passionate about her job in the airline that she even invited her brother to join the company for which she was flying. He dreams that one day they could both fly to the same destinations. However, due to the strict rules of the airline and, later, due to the pandemic, Gabriela's dream did not come true.
In the winter season of 2020, just before the global pandemic, Gabriela decided to go on a vacation to Thailand. The airline operated fewer flights due to standard seasonal fluctuations and the flight attendant thought it was the perfect time to rest.
Shortly before the holidays, the media reported more and more about a new respiratory illness in the Asian region. Initially, Gabriela did not take the story seriously, as the virus had only spread locally. While Gabriela and her boyfriend were exploring the northern part of Thailand, the virus began to spread in the country and massive travel restrictions were implemented.
"We realized that the situation was getting very serious and we needed to find a place to stay."
"Massive restrictions started very quickly and hotels no longer accepted new guests, so we could not find a place to sleep. We even had to eat sitting on a sidewalk of a street, because the restaurants did not allow anyone to enter. We realized that the situation was becoming very serious and we needed to find a place to stay. ”
"We had to think about how to deal with the situation, because we lost the opportunity to return to our country because the airlines had canceled the international flights. […] We had limited management options and no one wanted to host foreigners because of the fear of the virus, so we moved for self-isolation to Koh Yao Noi, a small island.
As there were still no people infected with Covid on the island of Koh Yoa Noi, local authorities decided to close completely from the rest of the world. The couple was lucky to get on the last ferry to that place.
Gabriela remembers feeling scared and confused after realizing that they will be stranded on the island for an indefinite period. But at the same time, he tried to console himself by thinking that they would both be safe while on the island.
I spent two months living in Koh Yao Noi
"We spent two months living in Koh Yao Noi, trying to get plane tickets. It was complicated. The airlines allowed us to buy tickets, but the flights were canceled immediately. "
"On the other hand, the host of the place where we stayed was very hospitable, offered us fresh food and everything we needed. We explored every corner of the island and I can say that we enjoyed the time spent there, despite all the uncertainties of the situation. "
While locked up on the island, Gabriela received an unpleasant letter from her company, in which the airline stated that she was temporarily laying off her employees and that she was one of them.
"My plans were destroyed […]. I felt lost. "
"I realized it was over and I lost the job I loved so much. I was shocked to lose a steady income, my plans were destroyed… that upset me. I felt lost. ", she remembers.
After two months on the island, the road home was tiring both physically and psychologically, especially because of the gloomy future prospects. For a while, Gabriela hoped she could return to her job. When her savings began to melt quickly, Gabriela decided to start a new career in finance.
"When I lost my job at the airline, I realized that maybe it should have happened. Maybe fate decided it for me. I was looking for a steady income job to communicate with people. Although I have never had a similar experience, I accepted the offer for a financial consultant position at a large international financial company. ”
"The pandemic has shown us all that, in uncertain situations, it is extremely important to be able to make important decisions quickly, despite stress or other odds. Although I do not intend to return to aviation at this time, the memories of this profession will warm my heart forever. "
"MY COVID STORY" - a brand project www.aerotime.aero which airlinestravel.ro supports and we are happy to take these stories further.