2022 marked a decade from when I hung up my wings and quit my career in flying. I didn’t even realise it before today when I saw an advertisement for a summer job as a Cabin Crew for Finnair, and that got me thinking about dreams and their importance.

Ever since I was very young, about 11, becoming a Cabin Crew member was my dream job. I don’t know why, but I remember that I realised it when a stewardess from Finnair (the Finnish Airlines) came to our class to tell how her job was. She was the mother of one of my classmates. I don’t remember much of the situation as it was such a long time ago, but I remember the elegance, the uniform, and the glamour that she told us about.

As the years passed, I went through eye surgery to get my eyesight to a required level, I struggled with the Swedish language as it was required for the job, and I still didn’t qualify to even get to an interview with Finnair. But I never lost hope.

I started my nursing studies and was working as a nurse in the university hospital in Helsinki when a friend of mine told me that there would be a possibility to apply for a position with Ryanair. I was 27 at the time, and I really had to think about the most sensible option to take. Should I finish my studies and become a registered nurse with a stable job at a ward I really liked, or should I pay a hefty fee and go fly.

On the same day, when my friend told me about this possibility, I filled up the application. Soon after I got called for an interview, and as soon as I knew that I was accepted to the training course, I handed in my resignation at the hospital, put my studies on indefinite hold, and went off to fulfil my dream. I moved to the UK and became a Cabin Crew Member. That was my first experience in coping with packing up all my life, moving to another country, and starting my career there. Tiring, exhausting, but so rewarding.

Over the years, I went from Ryanair to Thomas Cook Airlines Scandinavia, where I also became a Senior Cabin Crew, which was lots of fun. Of course, it was more responsibility, but I enjoyed it. I enjoyed the feeling of closing the door of the aircraft, and after that, it was just me, my crew, and the passengers heading to their holidays.

I was really surprised when I saw the advertisement for the summer job today. Not because of the advert but because of the feelings it stirred in me. For a moment, I felt sad, I felt happy, and I felt the urge to press the “apply now” button. I also felt the need to share this experience with you because I can not stress the importance of going out there and chasing your dreams. If we are going to spend tens of years working for someone else, better make those years worth your while and enjoy it.

I still have dreams that I am going to fulfil. One of them is to write a book or multiple ones. It’s the project I started last year, and of which I have made a blog post as well. I’m not saying it gets any easier when you get older, but it will not get impossible.