Week in Review

View from my hotel room.

Now that I am sitting in my PJs on my couch at home with Bones running in the background, I feel like I finally have time to sit down and tell you all about how my week went. Whenever I'm traveling, especially in another country, I feel like I'm wasting my time there if I'm just sitting around in my hotel room. Even if I'm not doing anything ground breaking, I feel like just walking around and breathing in the new place makes my time worth while.

Blame my mom. She does the same thing.

So now that I am home, I don't feel guilty spending time on my computer telling you all about the quaint little town I spent a week in.

I touched down in Germany and was immediately attached to my phone. Yes mom, I'm fine. No, the plane didn't blow up. Yes, I'm on my way to pick up bags. No, I don't need anything. Yes, I do love you and will call you soon.

In other news, no one from my work gave me any sort of directions for how to find the bus to Seeheim. I found an information booth and (all in German, might I add) asked about where the bus was and when it was going to leave. When I stepped outside I could just feel it. I was in Germany. The brisk humid air. The smell of the bus station. The soaring buildings covered in Lufthansa gold. No matter what the reason, I knew where I was and I felt like I was home.

After some carousing in the underground mall beneath the airport, and generally enjoying the German all around me, I was on the bus heading to Seeheim. At this point the jetlag was kicking in and I could barely keep my eyes open on the bus ride home, but I knew I had to stay awake until at least after dinner. I decided, once I was settled into my hotel room, to take a walk around town and see what there was to see.

The Lufthansa Training Center

On the right is the path up the hill to the Lufthansa Center,
the left is the alley into town. 

Fall was in full bloom!

There is nothing too special about this street except for the
fact that it is INCREDIBLY German. 

Beautiful graves, as per the norm in Germany. 

This looks like my kind of bar!!

Perfect place to sit and read! 

This beautiful house was up on the hill. I bet the view
from the top balcony is simply beautiful! 

This is just to show how far away/high the Lufthansa
Center is from the actual town. 

Seeheim is a small town. A Dorf, if you will. It has one train that goes through it and maybe a grand total of three stops. It's nestled up against the hill on which the Lufthansa center is placed (as seen in the above picture). Nearly no one there spoke English, as is normal in the smaller towns. In bigger cities, it's hard to find someone who will speak German with you, but here I had to use German every day. Yeah. Twist my arm!

The Lufthansa Center itself was hyper modern, new, and large. Everything was white, silver, and gold. Everything. Every glass, napkin, paper....was marked with the Lufthansa symbol. It's almost like they went out of their way to be obnoxious about it. But I had free room and board so I'm not going to complain too much. I'm just going to post a picture here showing how insane it looked.

In the days following my arrival the weather turned more into fall than I've seen here in Colorado yet. It was misty, wet, and rather chilly. This made for some beautiful photos of fog in the forest. During the week, I stopped by Darmstadt, the next biggest city nearby, and rented a bike to cruise through the forest. At the end of the week I didn't feel like I accomplished much (outside of learning how to handle lost baggage at the airport), but it was a beautiful time.

On my way out to Frankfurt, one of my co-workers mentioned that I could have taken a plus one with me. Of course, they tell me this as I am checking in. So next time I get sent to training (which might be next year because they are getting a new system soon) I should be bringing John with me. Having an adventure together is always better than having an adventure alone. I think you'll be seeing a lot more of him on this blog. Until then however, enjoy some beautiful pictures from this tiny town!

Found part of my last name on a street sign! Huzzah!

Trying to drink away the jet lag. At least there was a beautiful
view, even if it didn't actually wake me up....

Lufthansa Center had these pieces of art all over the place.
The artist has little plaques next to the art saying that he picked
random phrases and put them together much like a hikau. I feel
Lufthansa just put these on the wall for the sake of having English.

The fog creeping through the trees.

Beautiful view from my hotel room. 

Darmstadt Starbucks bathroom has blue lights. Why??

Darmstadt Innenstadt.

"Here lives a fireman with the flame of his life."
So stinking cute! 

View of Seeheim from the top of the hill. 

Our training group. What kooks. 

Just Another Tale of Just Another Bar

The first thing I want to do is tell you all about Seeheim and the Lufthansa training center, but I think that is going to wait for the end of the week. Let me finish the training out and I'll tell you all about this hotel and this cute little town.

However, let me tell you about this one little bar on the edge of Seemeim. I was going to go to a different town today, but it seemed like everything was going wrong, so I decided just to come back to the hotel and actually, finally get a good night's sleep for the first time this week. I found Holz Street on the way back so I decided to stop by to snag a picture (which I didn't actually get....)

I saw this bar. I was hungry I guess....mostly I just had to go pee and I wanted to sit down. So I waltz in wearing my American flag backpack and my camera around my neck. I mean, could I be any more of a tourist??? The first step into the bar I immediately had to start breathing through my mouth because the stench of old man was so strong. To be fair, it wasn't a large bar and there were four men sitting at it. Through the night, as more and more patrons came in, the only women there were me and the bartender. I sat down and asked her what the best beer was. She just kinda shrugged and asked if wanted a Pilsner or a wheat beer. I chose Heffeweizen and ordered some spazel.

The tension in the atmosphere was damn near palpable. I couldn't tell if it was because I came in looking like the worlds biggest tourist, if it was because they just didn't know me, or because I was female and the youngest in there by at least 20 years. Either way I settled down with my beer and waited for my food. After finally finding the women's bathroom hiding right behind me (because who cranes around behind them when you are trying to subtly look for the bathrooms?) I hopped off the barstool and walked right into a pitch dark bathroom. One of the patrons at the end of the bar started bellowing for the bartender, who had slipped out behind the kitchen to smoke, to come turn the light on. I mean, who would have thought the damn switch was behind the bar? Come on. After a little chuckle at my expense, they all seemed to lighten up about me.

I returned to my spot and the food as the bar started to fill up with old men. They started to get louder and joke around. One man was ragging on the bartender about how much women talk or something. She'd look at me as if to say "men! Amiright?" I'd smile and nod, happy to be a part of the conversation. As it came time to pay I totally blanked on how to tip. So I asked her, in German, how the heck that worked again. I prefaced that with saying something along the lines of me being a stupid American tourist and how it must have slipped my mind.

This was the point that got everyone's attention. They didn't notice I was American (score!) Heck, they didn't even notice I wasn't German (double score!) I started getting peppered with questions about where I was from, what was I doing there, what airport do I work at. They started regaling me win stories of their kids who had gone to America that one time. I ended up shouting "Denver, Colorado" across the bar like four times because everyone was getting interested in where we were talking about and they were all old and couldn't hear.

You know that feeling of falling in love? The one where you keep playing moments over in your head. You have a smile plastered to your fave that you can't seem to knock off. People probably think you're insane because you can't stop giggling at random times. You feel like dancing home instead of walking.
Well that's the exact feeling I get every time I chat with Germans and they don't realize I'm not one of them. This means that five years and one study abroad program is worth every cent and all the time put into it.

I may have giggled all the way home....

Business Class, Bitches

Ever since I was little, I wanted to fly business. As I got older I dreamed of days when I would be financially stable enough to even be able to afford a business class ticket anywhere. Who would have thought at least the first part would come true at the tender age of 23? Or am I 24 now? Birthdays are hard.

As you may have heard in a previous post, I am being sent to Frankfurt for training with Lufthansa. I have to say, the best part about flying out of where I work is simply being able to text a picture of my passport to a coworker and being checked into the flight within five minutes.

It was especially worth it to tell John about this and have him mumble under his breath how much he hated me. So sweet.

I bought this passport cover just for this trip.

I came to the airport that day already running on low sleep from the night before. I checked in, dropped off bags, and headed to the lounge. I think that technically staff aren't supposed to use the lounge, but the ladies who run the desk there didn't say anything, so I went anyway.

Let me be the first to say there's nothing terribly exciting about the lounge. It does, however, offer a certain level of general relaxation. Being able to munch of crackers and sip on a glass of water isn't a lot, but it's a very nice way to spend an hour before the flight

As any good daughter should, I called y parents to check in and chat before I left the country. We chatted about this and that, but mostly how excited I was to go back to Germany. I boarded the plane in the first wave of people and was settled down when a very nice flight attendant came by with champagne.

I had honestly thought this was a myth. You have to be kidding me, right? First and business class get to sit around and drink champagne while the peasants all filed on board? Well apparently it's true. And I felt like royalty.

I sat and I stretched and my puny excuses for legs couldn't even teach the damn foot rest. And guess what's? There's not even a way to bring the seat closer. I could lie it out flat. I'd reach it then, but there's not way to just like...scoot up.

A very nice British gentleman sat next to me. I said hi. He must have noticed my alight awkwardness of not knowing a anything about business class because he spent the next 20 minutes or so very obviously going through everything in a way that was slightly too obvious and dramatic to be normal. Thank you random British man, for showing me where the table was...and the amenities kit...and where to put your shoes...and where the remote was kept. I guess the important part was that I got through it without any major slip ups or looking too stupid.

The flight itself wasn't too eventful. The seats are hard and uncomfortable. The meals are heated unevenly. I couldn't see anything out my window except darkness and maybe water. So maybe business class isn't all it's cracked up to be. Or maybe I was just tired and cranky from getting so little sleep the night before. Who knows.

I think the best part was the fact I got to watch Jurassic World. You go Chris Pratt.

DANGER! ATTACK OF THE BAGS!

If you were to ask me the worst part about my job there would be a few things that you would expect. Wearing a uniform every day. Angry customers. Security measures. Weird hours. If things go wrong, it could get very dangerous very quickly.

Any of these things could very well be at the top of the list, but, believe it or not.... none of them make that fabled number one.
Indeed not.
What could be worse than dangerous airplanes? Worse than angry customers in hordes? Worse than even not seeing family because you always work when they don't??

It's easy. Being injured. Do you know how many bags I have had dropped on my foot? How, when walking down the aisle behind the counters, someone moving a bag just hauls it into me because they didn't see me? Do you have any idea how many muscles I've strained trying to simply move bags?

Last night the Lufthansa flight was delayed by 3 whole hours which means that the bags came up on the carousel a mere 30 minutes before the Iceland air flight was slated to come up ON THE SAME ONE. Dressed in three layers as per uniform requirements, I was hauling bags off the belt as fast as I could grab the next one. Even working at full speed, I could not get all the bags off before the Iceland ones came up.

Exhausted, I went home and didn't see the results until the next day. Behold, the effects of dragging easily a hundred bags off the belt and using my knees as leverage.

Ouch

Overseas Training

About a month ago I went full time with Lufthansa and had to say good bye to my wonderful BA family. There was nothing wrong with BA and I still stop by the desk from time to time to see how they are doing.

Being full time with Lufthansa has given me a lot of flexibility when it comes to doing a wider variety of tasks. Because Lufthansa handles a few different airlines, I can work a larger array of tasks. About a month into this full time shenanigans, I was brought into the back office. The way my boss asked me to come back there, I honestly thought I was in trouble. Thankfully they were asking if I wanted to go to Frankfurt for lost and found training!

Let's see...business class flight...a week in Frankfurt...learning a job that lets me make my own schedule...

I SAY YES!

I proceeded to google everything there is to know about Seeheim and the Lufthansa training center. Did you know they have a swimming pool? And a bowling alley? And there's free beer and wine during training? It is one, if not THE, most modern conference center in Germany. Needless to say, I'm stoked beyond belief and I've been trying to keep myself from packing for the last week.

I've been in Frankfurt once before. It was my last trip when I studies abroad there, and if you're so inclined, you can read about it here. I was only able to spend a day there last time, so I'm excited to see what a week has to offer.

I was really hoping to see if there was a festival in town or something. I know that there are fall carnivals and such (outside of Oktober fest), but I have no idea where to find them. If anyone knows anything about how to find these Innenstad gatherings, please let me know. I would LOVE to be a part of one again. If not, I think I would be insanely happy to rent a bike and cruise the hills around Seeheim.

I'll let you know, in a week or two, what it is like to train with the largest airline in Europe!

Wish me luck.

5 Tips for Travel (From Someone who Works in the Travel Industry)

This blog doesn't often do a tips post, but since I have started working at the airport, there are some things I wish travelers knew.

I work at the ticket counter at Denver International Airport for all the major international carriers. I work for companies that contract out to British Airways, Volaris, Aero Mexico, Elite Airways, Air Canada, Iceland Air, and Lufthansa, and there are a few tips and things I have picked up while working that other might find most helpful.

1) Getting Good Seats

The best way to make sure you get that window seat you want is to check in online 24 hours before the flight. Most airlines have a way to request seats for free, but if someone pays for them, you get bumped out.

After this, if you don't want to pay for the seat, make sure to show up early. The earlier you are, the more likely it is that you can get a good seat. First thing first, ask the agent if the flight is going to be a full one. Ask if you can get the aisle/window that you want. And then ask if you can sit at the very back of the plane. Why? Most programs that check people in seat people from the front of the plane to the back, so if you have a seat in the back and the plane isn't full, then you might have empty seats next to you.

If there are two of you traveling, always try to book a window and an aisle seat with an empty seat in the middle. Chances are, if the flight is not full, you will have an empty seat between you two. If the flight is full, then the person will be happy to switch with either one of you.

2) Heavy Bags
We all know that feeling of apprehension when you throw your bag on the scale and you hope that the bag won't be over 23 kilos (50 pounds). My first tip here is BE NICE TO THE TICKET AGENTS. We are the sole person watching out for heavy bags. If you are nice to us and polite, we might let a pound or kilo go that we shouldn't. If you're close and you're nice, you're more likely to get away with that extra pound.

Other things to keep in mind are that some people are told to let weight go to a certain degree. As an agent, I was told to not charge people until 25 kilos. With another carrier, we charge less for a second bag than an overweight bag. We even supply boxes for passengers to repack in.

Moral of the story: always ask the agent where there is to do to reduce the cost, they are usually willing to help figure something out for you.

3) Carry-ons
ALWAYS check out heavy they can be, this can vary widely! At Lufthansa, you're only allowed 8 kilos and at British Airways, you're allowed up to 23 kilos. Many times the companies can check in carry on bags, especially when the flight is full. Always ask if they can be checked. Often times they can and you pretty much get an extra bag for free.

4) Upgrades
First of all, joking about how you can totally get upgraded if we need to makes us uncomfortable. Some airlines have an upgrade list that you can get on. It requires miles to upgrade and they move people on the list at the end of check in to fill empty seats, but each of the upgrades require a certain number of miles. I have never worked with an international company that had this program. I've only ever seen this with American Airlines.

However, if you want to do a miles upgrade, then you should do that about a week before hand just to make sure it happens. Only a few companies can do miles upgrades day of.

Paid upgrades are always appreciated, since they are companies after all. Everyone I've worked with always has a deal at the desk for upgrades. Often times, it is cheaper to upgrade at the desk than it is online. On average it takes $1,000 to go from economy to business and about $400 for economy to premium economy. There are times that they run specials that they don't advertise, so always ask what it would cost to upgrade. It might fall into your price range.

5) The ticket agent can be your best friend when it comes to any and all of the above. We have the authority to let a slightly heavy bag go, give you the discount price, or withhold the information about the second baggage fee being less than a heavy bag. So don't be the dick that:

A] Walks up to the counter without being called up
     There's often times work we have to clean up before we can assist the next customer.
B] Throws bags on the scale without being asked.
    A lot of scales are shared scales between two agents and it's not nice to throw off another's weight just because you want to get rid of your bag faster.
C] Just smile and be nice. Ask questions up front, but don't get mad if we can't answer them right away, there's usually a huge process that we have to go through to check someone in. We will get your answer as soon as we can.

The longer I work, the more tips I think of. Stay tuned for more ways to make travel easier!

Alaska: Just North of Normal (Zip Zip Away)

Our last little adventure in Alaska was to go zip-lining through the forever tall trees. It was beautiful and fun and a total kick in the shorts. First thing first, we had to get securely tied into harnesses and helmets just in case. We didn't like to think too much of just in case of what... but just in case.



The first zip line wasn't too far. A mere bunny hill compared to the others to come. The scariest part was the fact that each zip line was attached to a tree and therefore you are hurdling as fast as the zip line lets you towards it.

View from the beginning. 

Thankfully they has someone on that end running the brake and catching you so you don't fall off the platform. All in all, it was a BEAUTIFUL way to end our adventure in Alaska. The air was crisp and refreshing. The ride was thrilling, but not too scary. It was fun and funny all at once. You could do tricks like lying back or twisting so that you would spin on the way down.

John throwing down a trick on the first run. 

Catching the brother, coming in hot! 

At the end of the long walk down the hill we had a random bout of axe throwing. Not sure why, but it was part of the package. So we did it. And didn't do too shabby either. 

All in all, Alaska is pretty cool. It reminded me part of a small town in the mountains of Colorado as well as Tampa, Florida because of the majority of the sea paraphernalia. It also feels like small towns in Arizona and New Mexico because of all the native art. The art is VERY different, but a lot of it has the same feeling when it comes to what they would worship or make art about.

Juneau, as a capitol isn't very impressive, but the surrounding area and adventures more than make up for it. Unless you're looking for that small town charm. In which case, you found the right place! I think next time: Anchorage.