Unbelievably lucky

On the flight home from Phoenix tonight my mind wandered to how I've been damned lucky and how much better things are this year, even though we're only seven days in.

Last year was the worst year of my life so far. Well to be fair it was the the last half of the preceding year (2008) and first half of this year that contributed to the shit stew that was simmering into my situation.

It started when my employer (at that time I think we were Sentient) had basically started pissing away any saving graces we may have had, and we started losing several clients as well as their aircraft with no new ones coming in. By October, we went through the third name change in twice as many months, and the second round of layoffs had just happened. We all knew what was coming, and from then on every time the phone rang, I would feel like I was playing Russian roulette when I answered it.

Then, the weekend before Thanksgiving, I was notified I'd be laid off, effective December 3rd (just in time for Christmas!). My first layoff. My Chief Pilot mentioned that he was sweating too, and not looking forward to his fourth brush with govm't cheese.

Honestly, when it happened, things got better for a while: I wasn't worried about possibly being laid off at any second, I already was. It was the best I felt in months. After all, I shouldn't be unemployed for too long, right? I was above most minimums for hiring, had a pretty good resume. So I sent out some resumes. And that's about the time the economy shit the bed.

Fast forward seven months. I've sent out over two-hundred resumes. If the economy shit the bed in January, it was now going all 2-girls-1-cup with it. Unemployment is running out. While I managed to finish school and graduate (with honors some how) with my BS, my student loans that were deferred while I was in school were about to come due. Just getting up in the morning and dealing with life was a bitch, while having a drink was getting easier and easier. That's about the time I got the call.

Eagle Air Med, one of only two companies that had responded to me (the other was General Dyanmics, and that was to say no), and the only company to grant me an interview, called to ask me if I could start, and so it was on July 5th that this period in my life finally came to a close.

But it's not like things just slowed their descent into a downward spiral, or that they just stopped sucking. Things got way better. My salary has doubled for the second time in three years, the benefits are great. The people I work with were all awesome. The aircraft are great. It's like losing your life savings on a bad investment, then just before you become homeless winning the lottery.

It's been a bit surreal too, as until about six months ago I never thought I'd be working in the air ambulance industry, be damned happy flying a Kingair C90 (especially after flying a 200), enjoy living in Utah (and the Rez in general), or own as house.

TL;DR: I've been damned lucky, and I know it.

(P.S. - The ass hats that ran Spirit/Sentient/JetDirect into the ground are still ruining peoples lives, but now under the name of Wayfarer Aviation. Check out jetdirectowesmemoney.com for rants and lulz.)