long time, no see.

Hello!

If you’re reading this, you have probably been with me from the beginning. Thank you for still following along with Map of Madeline, I know it’s been awhile since my last update on the website. 😉

As we all know, life in 2020 has been equivalent to a very turbulent, scary flight. Bump after bump… I personally have been struggling & striving in my own ways, just as everyone else has. I want to start this ‘update’ by saying, I truly hope everyone has stayed healthy through the pandemic & struggles of America – physically, mentally and emotionally. If you ever need someone to talk to, you know where to find me. I am all ears & I know we will all come out of this stronger than ever.

As most of you know, I am working as a flight attendant. For the last two years & then some, I have been on a plane constantly – for work & on my own time. During the busy seasons of flying, I ran on minimum sleep, crew meals & worn out sneakers from exploring. While I had time off from galloping around the globe, I either spent it catching up with friends, family or… sleeping!!

My love for writing was put on the back burner & that’s okay, because I was living life to the fullest. But, I have so many pictures from around the world, and I haven’t been able to tell the stories behind them. I want to document and reminisce on the amazing experiences that have taken place in past and current chapters of my life as I get back into the swing of writing.

I am sure you’re aware COVID-19 has hit the airline industry hard. I am currently based in the New Jersey/New York area for work, and it was the epicenter of the pandemic for a very long time. Due to working out of the hot spot, most of our flying was cut in order to prevent the virus from spreading around the country – which was successful for about a minute.

March and April were very stressful months for me, with my anxiety levels at their peak. Will I get the virus? Will I have a job after this? Is my family safe? Luckily, I was able to take a couple of months off of work and stayed healthy back in my Iowa hometown until it was ‘safe’ to come back to New Jersey.

I am back at base, but the flying remains at a minimum. Therefore, I have had a ton of time on my hands to better myself and get back to the root of what makes me happy. My goal is that Map of Madeline will be a little more active from now on – whether it be stories of past travels, or my dreams of future adventures we can safely go on together.

With all of that, I hope you have been able to find positives out of this tough year & don’t forget to wear a mask. 🙂

xx,

madeline