Travel, unexpected events and the unpredictable routine of a flight attendant’s job continue to arouse curiosity, especially when they give rise to stories that combine adventure, extreme fatigue and unique experiences around the world. This theme, centered on professional life in the skies, takes shape in the journey of Mateusz Kowalewicz, a young Polish man who decided to transform his love of traveling into a career.
Mateusz Kowalewicz, 29 years old, originally from Białystok and currently living in Warsaw, discovered his fascination with travel early on. His first international experience came on a school exchange to Israel, which awakened his desire to visit other countries. As a teenager, he began exploring Europe on a reduced budget, often hitchhiking to save money, until he concluded that the best way to travel frequently would be to work as a flight attendant, according to the British newspaper The Mirror.
A job where no two months are the same
Speaking to the Polish media, the flight attendant explains that the routine is anything but predictable. His company operates three types of aircraft and, therefore, each month has different stopovers, which, according to the young man, prevents the work from becoming monotonous.
One of the achievements he is most proud of is having visited all of the “New 7 Wonders of the World”. Some of these visits took place during work shifts and others thanks to employee notes, opportunities that he considers a privilege of the profession.
Between adventures and less pleasant episodes
The flight attendant also reports moments of tension, such as a flight hit by lightning. He described the experience as an intense flash, similar to the shooting of a camera close to the eyes. Shortly afterwards, the crew received the order to return to Warsaw. Although the plane was not damaged, the decision was to return and change aircraft as a precaution.
Despite enjoying the pace of travel, he admits that the biggest difficulty is dealing with sleep. On long-haul flights to Oriente, irregular schedules make rest difficult. He says he is a ‘sleeper’ by nature and that any unexpected awakening due to jet lag becomes especially difficult, according to the same source.
Unexpected encounters around the world
What excites him most is the unpredictability of the scales. He says that, on a trip to Chicago, he ended up meeting a Polish priest who invited him to an American baptism with around two hundred people. Among those present was a passenger he had transported months earlier, an encounter he describes as surprising and memorable.
The work also allowed him to experience experiences that many save on their bucket list, such as skydiving in Dubai or flying over the coast of Mauritius in a seaplane.
Dreams and advice for those who want to follow the same path
Mateusz admits that he still has many destinations to explore. Mount Kilimanjaro is a future goal and he confesses to feeling increasingly attracted to Africa, the continent where he has traveled the least so far, with the exception of Australia.
For those who want to pursue a career in aviation, the flight attendant leaves simple advice. He considers that mastery of languages is essential and remembers that it is necessary to be at least 18 years old, have completed secondary education, know how to swim in emergency situations and not have visible tattoos, says .
Life at heights continues to provide him with challenges, unforeseen events and unique opportunities, a combination that, despite the difficulties, reinforces the passion that led him to choose aviation as a way of living and working.
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