The Rerouted Skytress

Something crazy was in the air for July. Yessiree. I was given an Athens trip on my schedule. Anyone who knows me, knows I am very selective with my international flying. I’ll definitely fly to Canada. Heck, I don’t mind if scheduling throws in a Costa Rica trip here and there. I’ll even fly to some of the islands if I have too. But, I had to give a hard pass on working a trip to Athens. So, I put Athens on the swap board to drop. Fortunately for me, some very excited Skytress or Skyter picked it up. I learned as the month went on many of my Skytress and Skyter friends that avoid flying international trips, were given international trips on their schedules. We all dropped them. When you drop a trip, you lose the flight time on your schedule…..and ultimately the money for the lost flight hours. In my case, I knew I had to pick up a trip to compensate for the lost hours and money. I contemplated picking up an Anchorage or Juneau trip. Unfortunately, these trips didn’t quite fit my schedule. Luckily, there was a Skytress who wanted to drop her Burlington, Vermont trip. Her trip fit my schedule quite nicely. I was extremely excited to go to Burlington. Just as excited as I would be going to Anchorage or Juneau. I know this sounds odd. But, it isn’t. Burlington is a much coveted trip at our airline. I bet you all didn’t know this little quirky airline tidbit. Yessiree. Burlington is as sweet as the maple syrup that comes from Vermont. I had a grand time bouncing all around this quaint city. I’ll admit. I had a pep in my step all day. I could blame it on the maple latte I drank early in the day. But, I won’t. I would never lay blame to something so delicious.

Years ago a new city code appeared in our monthly trip bid packet. BTV…Burlington, Vermont. I remember thinking at the time this could be a great layover or it could be a bust. Unfortunately, I didn’t remember that my best friend Tara had a layover there when she was a Skytress with United. She LOVED Burlington. It was the first time she had a pumpkin latte. Most people had never drank, let alone heard of a pumpkin lattes back then. Pumpkin lattes and maple lattes…the people of Burlington are geniuses when it comes to their hot beverages. Sadly, I wasn’t a genius back then. I didn’t bid to fly to BTV. The Skytresses and Skyters that did fly to Burlington the first month we had the layover were in awe of the city. Word got out quickly that Burlington was a spectacular layover. Senior Skytresses and Skyters started bidding every Burlington layover that popped up in the bid packet. I was too junior by many years to hold the trip. Graciously, the senior Skytresses and Skyters allowed me to fly to Flint, Michigan, instead. Gee, thanks!

I flew my Burlington trip the day after I had my annual Skytress training in Atlanta. Hours after my training, I had dinner with my other best friend Shannon and her husband Jay. I like to think of these two good fortunes as my rewards for passing my Skytress training. The last time I saw Shannon and Jay was right before Covid closed down the world in March of 2020. We did joke after dinner that we hoped another world pandemic wouldn’t occur after this visit, too. I’ll admit. I was giddy that I was able to visit with Shannon and Jay one day and then fly to Burlington the next day for a 30- hour layover. I felt like I was on a mini vacation. Funny, the Skytresses on my crew had the same mindset that our Burlington layover was a mini-vacation, too. Yessiree. It would have been a perfect mini vacation if we didn’t have to work several flights before and after our layover. Oh, the silly things we have to endure as Skytresses!

We landed in Burlington at 10pm. I was extremely excited to get up early the next morning to explore the city. I was so excited I made sure I ironed my outfit for the next day before I went to bed. And I hate to iron! I was elated when I woke up. My plan was to spend the day exploring Burlington until it was time to meet up with my crew for an early dinner. The weather could not have been more pleasant. It was overcast and in the 70’s. It was a pleasant reprieve from the oppressive heat the rest of the country was experiencing. Yessiree. Burlington was definitely living up to it’s welcoming reputation. I knew I was going to thoroughly enjoy the city’s hospitality.

My heart smiled when I turned on to the main drag of the Church Street Marketplace in downtown Burlington. Interesting shops lined each side of the street. I walked by several shops simply because I was fascinated by everything I was observing. I was mysteriously pulled into my first store. This magical force always appears when I spy a cooking shop. Oh, boy! This shop was a kitchenware shop on steroids. There was a little bit of everything inside. Including Christmas ornaments. Eureka! And Alleluia! I was thrilled my first purchase in Burlington was a Christmas ornament. I celebrated my happy victory with a hot cup of maple latte from a little French bistro kiosk. The maple latte was life changing for me. Yessiree. My best friend Tara will always remember that she enjoyed her first ever pumpkin latte in Burlington. Well, my sweet readers, I will always remember my first cup of hot maple latte in Burlington. It was scrumptious. I plan on having this delectable drink often in the winter…spring ….summer… and fall. Yessiree. Cheers to me and my maple latte!

I spent my morning oohing and ahhing at all the beautiful items I spied as I weaved in and out of each shop. Funny, everything seemed more dazzling in Burlington. Curiosity took me down a side street. I was happily rewarded for following my instinct. I walked into a store called Simon Pearce. It’s a glassware and pottery shop. I’ll admit. I was convinced nothing could compare to my love of Waterford Crystal. That was until I walked into Simon Pearce. The crystal items inside glistened. They were simple in their design compared to Waterford Crystal. Nonetheless, they were exquisite. I learned the man behind the store, Simon Pearce, is originally from Ireland. This explained everything for me. The Irish sure know how to make exceptional glass items. I took numerous photos of items displayed in the store. My heart raced at the thought of being able one day to buy several lovely items for my cocktail napkin home….or any home I’m living in.

I ran into one of the Skytresses on my crew several times during the day. She told me about the woman selling Moussaka at the outdoor market. She said it was incredibly delicious. I’ve never eaten Moussaka. Heck, I had no idea what Moussaka was until my Skytress friend showed me the Greek meat and potato dish inside her meal container. I decided to be adventurous and get some. But, before I got my Moussaka, I stopped at a very talented artisan’s booth. Olivia Stone is a jewelry designer. I adored each piece of botanical jewelry she had displayed. It was hard to decide which earrings I was going to purchase. Ultimately, I bought three pairs of earrings. Yessiree. If there is one thing I have learned in all my years flying….if you see it and it calls to you….buy it. If you don’t, you will be forever thinking about it. Believe me. There are a pair of green cowboy boots and an exotic wood pepper mill that I still dream about. Sadly, I always will. Yessiree. Lesson learned.

Later in the afternoon I walked several miles along Lake Champlain. I chastised myself for not going down to the lake earlier to take a boat ride. But, it’s definitely on my to-do list for next time. My heart was so happy to see all the boats bobbing along the water. I was inquisitive to know where they were heading or where they had been. I’ll admit. If I had planned my day a wee bit better I would have walked along the lake before I explored downtown Burlington. The walk back up the hill to the main square was heart pumping. My reward for making it to the top of the hill was a quick stop into the Lake Champlain Chocolates shop for a piece…actually three pieces…of Burlington’s famous handcrafted premium chocolates. Each piece was delectable. They were almost as wonderful as the maple latte. Almost.

My crew and I met to go to dinner. Deciding where to eat was difficult. Mostly because the spectacular weather conditions brought people out in droves. Getting a table in a restaurant was not an easy feat. The wait times to be seated were impinging upon our plan to get to bed early for our early pickup in the morning. We ultimately decide on a pizza place because there wasn’t a wait time to be seated. This place was a hidden gem. The pizza was marvelous. We sat next to an open window that made us feel like we were actually eating outside. It was the perfect place to cap off a splendid layover. We filled our bellies and then we took a scenic walk back to the hotel. I’ll admit. I slept hard. But, I woke up easily knowing the day ahead was an undemanding one.

As we drove to the airport, the Skytresses on my crew were pointing out places they had gone to the day before. I was stunned I completely missed so many interesting shops. I made a mental note of each place I missed visiting on this layover. Heck, even though I walked by Ben and Jerry’s ice cream shop numerous times, I never went inside. If you didn’t know, Ben and Jerry’s originated in Burlington. I’m convinced Ben and Jerry’s will taste even better when you eat it in Burlington. Yessiree. I know I will definitely go back to Burlington if the scheduling gods allow it to happen. I don’t mind if it’s in the dead of winter, either. I know there are maple lattes to keep me warm. If I can’t find it in a shop, I’ll make it in my hotel room. Thankfully, Vermont maple syrup is readily available in Burlington. But, just in case, I’ll bring my bottle of maple syrup I bought this trip. Yessiree. You guessed it. I bought it as I was happily bouncing around Burlington.