Whew! I have no idea where 2021 went. But, the last three months flew by faster than a Skytress running through the airport trying to catch her flight home. This time last year most people were relieved to see 2020 end and 2021 begin. Ironically, most people are now ready to wrap up 2021. For many, it was pretty much a replay of 2020. Minus the toilet paper hoarding. I don’t know if you all were like me this year. Half the time I couldn’t remember if we were in 2020, 2021 or 2022. I blame the Olympics on some of this confusion. After all, the 2020 Olympics were in 2021. I blame my aging mind on the other part of the confusion. I can best describe 2021 as a quirky year. It was a year we were all trying to get back to a normal life. Yes. Some things went back to normal. Yessiree. I took toilet paper for granted once again. I’ll admit. It’s a small victory for normalcy. A victory nonetheless. Ah, there’s that sunny Skytress optimism! Yes, 2021 may have been a slightly better version of 2020. However, my hopes for 2022 are sky high. I’d venture to say at least 37,000 feet high. Heck. You don’t have to be in aviation to know that’s pretty high hopes. Maybe I shouldn’t say, “hopes”. It’s more of a relentless positive feeling God has placed in my Skytress heart. I know there may be a few unavoidable reroutes in 2022. Heck. I wouldn’t be The Rerouted Skytress without them. Still, I have a very glorious feeling about 2022. Yessiree, bob. I can’t wait for 2022 to take flight. Lucky for me, it’s merely days away. What an uplifting thought!
As my family can attest, I have spent most of the last quarter of 2021 on vacation. Fortunately, for them I did fly a few trips here and there. Thus, I haven’t been completely off the airline radar as it pertains to airline announcements. I actually have uplifting news to report about our airline. I know I told you all that our airline was planning to hire 3000 new Skytresses and Skyters. Well, I’m ecstatic to report we are going to hire 4500 new Skytresse and Skyters. It may just be a coincidence that our company decided to hire more Skytresses and Skyters after I went out on all my vacation. But, I don’t see it this way at all. No siree bob. It’s simple Skytress math. One Reroutes Skyress goes on vacation. (That would be me). My airline then decides to hire 1500 more Skytresses and Skyters. Clearly, I do the work of 1500 people! Skytress math is undeniable.
To be honest, it wasn’t all work and no play when I did fly my few trips at the end of 2021. After all, I am a Skytress! We live for our layovers. Fortunately, the reroute gods were very kind to me the last few weeks of 2021. They didn’t reek havoc on my layover plans. Crazy. I know. I was able to see my lovely friend Kristin on my Minneapolis layover in November. You may remember Kristin and I went through Skytress training together. Then we spent the best part of her Skytress career flying together in Cincinnati. At least I hope it was the best part of her flying career! Before I left for my December vacation I was able to visit with my best friend Tara and her mother, Mary. Yes. THE Mary who got me into this Skytress gig 32 years ago. We had a delightful lunch in Annapolis on my long Baltimore layover. It was a treat for my heart and soul to be able to see them. I can feel it in my bones that 2022 is going to be filled with more visits with friends that I haven’t seen since pre-Covid days. I promise to post pictures. First, though, I have to replace my phone with it’s broken camera. Unfortunately, my phone went airborne a few times in 2021 and landed like a Boeing 737 touching down in Key West. For those of you who have never flown into Key West, my phone landed abruptly and shockingly hard on the ground. For those of you that have landed in Key West,…you’re welcome for this unexpected chuckle.
Here’s something else I hope will make you smile. I’m wrapping up 2021 a little lighter than I started it. Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Yessiree. I started an eating regimen in November that seems to be working for me. Amazingly, I can also have treats if I factor them into my eating plan. I’m not going to lie. I did factored them into my Christmas eating plan. I’ll admit. I ate more treats than I initially factored in my Christmas eating plan. I tell you, Skytress math can be very complicated at times. Ultimately, it all added up to a very merry Christmas for me. That was until I stepped back on the scale and got a slight reality check. Fortunately, it wasn’t a bad reality check. Oh well. Such is life at Christmas. I’m happy to report today the scale started going back in the right direction. I’m hopeful I will continue to lose more weight in 2022. I’d like not to have to lie on my driver’s license the next time I go to renew it.
I’m sure many of you are not aware that the rodeo season and the coverage on the Cowboy Channel wrapped up a few weeks ago. Yes. Sadly it did. Well, sadly for me, I should say. Thank goodness I still have the Hallmark Channel to watch. Heck. Not only do I have the Hallmark Channel, I’ve been wrapping up 2021 by expanding my viewing choices. Say what!? I know. Skytresses can be so adventurous. Skytresses also love to share, too. So let me share. I’ve been watching Garden Answer, Wyse Guide, and the Impatient Gardener on Instagram and YouTube. They collectively have renewed my creative passions on multiple levels. Truth be told, the Wyse Guide is responsible for some of my Christmas eating plan going awry. His peanut butter balls and chocolate waffle cookies are dangerously addictive. I don’t want to brag. But, thanks to my new YouTube and Instagram friends, I already have items bought and ideas ready for decorating for Christmas 2022. Heck. I don’t think Santa’s elves have thought this far ahead. Fortunately, I know Santa’s elves read my blog. I’m positive they will check out these Instagram sites and YouTube channels and will be inspired just like me. I’m positive they will be huge fans of the peanut butter balls and chocolate waffle cookies, too.
I’m definitely enthusiastic about 2022. Yessiree. I am going to ring in the new year with passionate positivity. First, though, I am wrapping up 2021 this week and thanking it for all for all the gifts it has given me. I definitely learned a lot about myself in 2021. I learned to be more resilient and patient. I learned how to adapted and pivoted when it was necessary. Believe me. There were many times it was necessary. I learned to renew my spirit and forge ahead with life particularly when it wasn’t the easiest thing to do. I learned once again in 2021 that change can be inspirational and refreshing. I reminded myself many days throughout 2021 that I am in charge of my happy meter. So, I’ve upped my sunny Skytress optimism to sky high levels as I head into 2022. In the new year I’m making a conscious choice to actively see all the glorious things God has placed before me. My heart and soul are humming with anticipation of all the wonderment I will experience in 2022. I have a sneaky suspicion I will not only amaze myself in 2022, but, I will amaze everyone. Yessiree. This Rerouted Skytress is ready to soar in 2022. It’s going to be exhilarating. In the infamous words of my beloved Ronald, “Let’s have a great trip.” Okay. Let’s!!!!