Happy Friday! Come get to know this week’s featured wife, Katie! She’s a mom of 2 boys who juggles working at home with raising her kiddos while her husband flies. I became friends with her years ago when our husbands flew together at their old airline. Read on to see how she handles life as a pilot’s wife. 🙂
Name:
Katie
Lives in:
Centennial, CO
Based in:
DEN
What do you do for a living?
“I am a graphic designer and was able to start working from home when we moved in November. It’s been so nice to have flexibility with our ever-changing schedule!”
Kids:
We have two boys. Our oldest is 4 and youngest will be 2 next month. They keep us very busy!
How long she’s been with her pilot:
8.5 years.
How they met:
“At a bar – on my birthday in Maui. It was Taco Tuesday at Fred’s, to be exact. He was living there flying interisland and I worked at a resort as a poolside server. I had gone out with some friends for sushi and then we stopped by Fred’s for margaritas. Just after walking in, a friend of mine nudged my arm and whispered, “Tall, dark, and handsome!” and she gestured to where he was sitting at a table nearby. (I couldn’t agree more!) I walked past him and smiled, he asked if I’d like a drink and to sit and talk. We’ve been together ever since! I even have a picture from the night we met since I had my camera on hand. His words were: ‘Let’s take a picture, so you’ll know who is going to call you.’ Haha, so smooth, that’s how he got my number.”
What is your favorite thing about being a pilot’s wife?
“I love to travel, so that would have to be my favorite thing about being a pilot’s wife. I put our flight benefits to good use. Even with two kids in tow (often by myself), we love going places! Also, my hubby in his uniform is at the top of my list, wowza.”
What is the greatest challenge you’ve faced with the aviation lifestyle?
“We’ve tried to live in base for the majority of his career; in turn we’ve lived in 6 states in 8 years. The plus side to this is that we’ve met amazing people and made great friends, seen many places and experienced living in several different places around the country. The hard part is not living by family, especially with little ones. I would love to live close to all my family. Also, starting over and over in each new city is hard.”
What is your best advice for coping with having a husband who travels for a living?
“I have had to become much more extroverted than I would have ever thought I could be. I am loud and open with my close friends, but it can take me awhile to reach that point. I’ve had to put myself out there a lot more, especially now with kids since I want them to have friends and fun too and it’s up to me to set those things up (play dates and other activities). It’s important to have a network of friends and hobbies that will keep you busy when your husband is traveling.”
What is the craziest thing that has happened while your husband was on a trip?
“We have had lots of little crazy things (refer to the question regarding having two little boys)! Our garage door broke once, another time the toilet stopped working. But, knock on wood; we haven’t had anything super big happen that I can think of. It’s bound to happen that things break or something goes wrong when your hubby travels for a living, though.”
Thanks for sharing your story Katie!
Want your story featured on the Flight Wife blog? Contact me at theflightwife@gmail.com and you could be picked next!
Have a fantastic week!
Xoxo,
The Flight Wife