A well-traveled flight attendant has revealed the highs and lows of his adventurous career, from facing lightning strikes and extreme sleep deprivation to exploring the world’s most breathtaking locations.
Mateusz Kowalewicz, a 29-year-old from Białystok, Poland, now based in Warsaw, developed his passion for travel during a school exchange trip to Israel as a teenager. Starting with budget travel in Europe, hitchhiking to save money, he eventually pursued a career as a flight attendant to combine work with his love for exploration.
Describing his dynamic job to Polish media, Mateusz highlighted the variety in his monthly schedule due to his airline operating different aircraft types. He proudly shared his achievement of visiting all the ‘New 7 Wonders of the World’, crediting his job for enabling him to tick off these destinations during layovers and staff travel.
Despite the excitement of his job, Mateusz recalled a frightening incident when one flight he was on was struck by lightning, prompting a return to Warsaw for safety precautions. He also mentioned the challenges of overcoming sleep disruptions, especially during long-haul layovers in different time zones.
Embracing the unpredictability of his role, Mateusz recounted memorable experiences like attending an American christening in Chicago after meeting a Polish priest on a layover. His job has also allowed him to partake in thrilling activities such as skydiving in Dubai and taking a seaplane ride in Mauritius.
Although he has already crossed off many adventures from his bucket list, Mateusz still dreams of climbing Kilimanjaro and further exploring Africa. For aspiring flight attendants, he emphasized the importance of language skills and meeting specific job requirements such as age, education, swimming ability, and restrictions on visible tattoos.
For those interested in sharing their travel tales, an invitation was extended to email webtravel@reachplc.com.