I didn’t go to sleep last night. This happens quite regularly…but that’s not today’s story. Around six o’clock in the morning I received an email from a friend of mine in Amsterdam:
Oh yeah. I forgot I had responded to a friends FB posting about doing a thing on Belgian television. Two weeks earlier, I sent him a headshot and a few links of videos showcasing other commercials, improv shows, and sketches I have been in to pass on to the producers of this show.
I started freaking out. I’m going to be on Belgian television! This is crazy! This is awesome! This is crazy awesome! Like super crazy awesome! But wait a second….I didn’t have the shoot dates off from work. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! Ok. This can be fixed. *starts hyperventilating into a brown paper bag*
Here’s the issue: as a flight attendant, if I call off sick from work then I am immediately prohibited from traveling again until I return to work. Not unreasonable. It just makes it difficult to plan sometimes.
I tapped my way over (on my phone) to the company’s employee website to see how I could finagle this. I opened up Reserve Day Off Trading, tapped on Advertisements, and searched for the month of January. This is almost like a forum page (not really) that shows you what days off other flight attendants are vying for, and what current days off they are willing to trade in order to get what they want.
I tapped and tapped and tapped. Nothing. But then….I went to bed. It was eight o’clock in the morning and I had to be at work later that night. It’s difficult in moments like this to shut my brain off when I need to sleep. It sucks!
Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz…
3:15pm my alarm goes off. Time to get up, shower, and leave for the airport by 4:15. Ugh.
First thoughts: Facebook. Email. Oh look, 4 missed calls. 2 from mom. 2 from Kevin. WAIT! KEVIN!! I forgot I had messaged him earlier that morning about trading days off with me.
*text text text*
So now,I can happily announce that I got the necessary days off and am free and clear to travel to Brussels to be a principle character on Belgian television!
Now, how do taxes work again when you’re working in a foreign country and getting paid in Euros? *heavy sigh* *hangs head*
Mike Brown
Mike was born in Franklin, PA, raised in Oil City, PA, and now resides in Harlem, NYC with fellow improviser, Josh Hurley, and his cat, Minerva. He works as an international flight attendant for United Airlines and performs Solo Improv around North America and Europe. Mike teaches and coaches improv via 10,000 Hours, The University of Oxford, John Jay College, and Skype & FaceTime. For more info, visit soloimprov.com.
* Mike Brown is a contributing blogger for the National Improv Network.
