Growing up in Puerto Rico, I always had a love for travel, and for airplanes in particular. My favorite Disney ride as a child was “If You Had Wings” – yep I’m dating myself here. However, it wasn't until I was eight years old that I had my first experience with actual air travel, and it changed my life forever.
That summer, I was traveling alone to spend a month with my Dad in Miami. As a child traveling alone, a flight attendant escorted me. She was friendly and professional, with a carefully coiffed updo, a crisp uniform, and a big warm smile.
I got to sit up front next to her for the entire flight, and I was thrilled, from takeoff to landing. As we disembarked, the pilot greeted me, thanked me for being brave on the flight, and handed me a plastic replica of his Eastern Airlines wings. I was hooked from there - and even considered becoming a pilot!