Tag: St. Louis

Peace Out, 2018!

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My 2018 Top Nine

Wowzers, 2018 has been one heck of a year. As most of you know, I spent the majority of it in Chicago in my new job with Boeing. My brief stint in the Windy City was great, but living apart from my husband was—and still is—quite tough. I made the best of it though… by exploring new neighborhoods, making new friends and spending a heck of a lot of time out at O’Hare—my happiest place.

Looking back on the past year, I’m so glad I did all those things, and I’m really proud of myself for making it a priority to embrace being a Chicagoan… as I had no idea my time there would be so short.

A couple months ago, I was offered a position working on the Boeing Archives team—an opportunity that I truly believe would have been foolish to turn down. And even though it meant packing up and moving to St. Louis (even before my husband made it down to Chicago!), it felt right, and I’m all for doing what feels “right.”

So, this New Year’s Eve, I’m once again a Missourian—for those who don’t know, my first full-time job was at KCTV in Kansas City, so this isn’t the first time I’ve called the “Show-Me” state home. Having only lived in St. Louis for a few days, there are things I like an awful lot: rent is dirt cheap, it’s a bit warmer, I have my car back, there’s a lot of neat little neighborhoods and I’m quite fond of the arch AND the fact that I can see it from our ninth-floor windows. There are also things I don’t like at all: it’s SO spread out, it’s the most dangerous city in the U.S., it doesn’t have even close to the same vibe as Chicago…much less the awesome donuts and pizza that I loved to veg out on, yada yada yada.

But, one of the greatest lessons I’ve learned from my other half is to always make the best of things… and that’s exactly what we’ll do here together. I’m working for the greatest aerospace company on the planet, and now I get to truly embrace my inner AV geek and tap into my writing skills to help tell the story of this company that’s been going strong for more than a century—it’s a complete honor and privilege, and I can’t wait to embark on this journey with my family, friends and all of you fellow AV geeks.

Thanks for the support and here’s to another solid year of peace, love and airplanes!

Meet Me in St. Louis

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I’ve actually never seen “Meet Me in St. Louis,” but with my love of classic movies, and given it stars none other than fellow Minnesotan Judy Garland, I can’t believe I haven’t! More to come on that…

Today is important, because I’ve officially worked at Boeing for a year now. I’ve learned a lot about the company and the industry, and even more about myself. Living alone in a new city has been telling—sad at times, exhilarating at others—but I wouldn’t trade this experience for anything.

To be honest, the last couple months have been really tough. The loneliness of living alone has really started to set in, and a few other things here and there had led me to feel a bit hopeless and unsure of what my future held. But I did my best to “keep calm and carry on” with a positive attitude… and that, coupled with the love and support of my family and friends, kept me going.

And believe it or not, as much as I love the city of Chicago and the amazing friends I’ve made here at Boeing World Headquarters—and despite having only been here for just more than a year—I’m moving on. Heck, I’ll just say it: I’m movin’ on up!

Well, technically I’m making a lateral move career wise… and I guess I’m moving farther south… but to me, this new adventure is a huge step up. In approximately three weeks I’ll be moving to St. Louis to work in the Boeing Archives.

I’ve always been fascinated by the history of The Boeing Company, and to be able to work with a team who shares that passion and in a building that houses and preserves such remarkable artifacts… it’s incredible. Man, I’m excited!

To add to that excitement, I’m currently onboard Spirit Flight 737 from ORD to LAX to celebrate my great friend Chris Sloan’s 50th birthday at the PAN AM EXPERIENCE! And… AND… this morning I got a call from one of my favorite people on the planet: my mentor, Benét Wilson. She said “I told you so…” with regard to my new adventure, and she’s absolutely right.

She DID tell me so.

She knew that despite my having to deal with some tough stuff over the past couple months, everything would ultimately work out for the best. And it did.

With that, here’s to perseverance, positivity and new adventures. Cheers!