Your blog post

7/19/20233 min read

I live in NYC, but grew up in Metropolis, Illinois. It's a small town in Southern Illinois and honestly, I wouldn't change my upbringing for anything. I’m very happy to have grown up there. After graduating from Murray State with a degree in Criminal Justice, I worked as Assistant Director at Shawnee College’s Metro Center. I had always wanted to travel, so I got a job at a travel agency in Paducah, KY.

My name is Teresa Lillie and I have worked for a major airline for over 35 years. My first 3 years I flew domestic, but now I mainly fly international.

My first familiarization trip was to Sanibel Island. I loved it so much that when I got back to the office, I felt like a caged animal. So, I applied to be a flight attendant and was hired. After going through 6 weeks of training, I chose NY as my base and planned to try it for 8 months. But I never left!

When I first arrived in NYC, I saw a lady with a walker carrying groceries. I ran up to her and asked if I could help carry them. I scared her, which surprised me. I apologized and told her that I was just out walking and wanted to help. I think she realized that I wasn’t from there and told me that she did this all the time.

I’ve learned a lot from traveling and would like to share a few things with you:

  1. Make a copy of your passport. It takes a while to get one, so if you have an international trip planned, I would get the paperwork started. Your passport is good for 10 years.

  2. I would also recommend Global Entry. It’s good for 5 years and costs $100. If you’re traveling internationally, once you arrive back in the U.S., you can walk to a kiosk, take your picture, and present your passport to the customs agent. It’s so much quicker than waiting in line.

  3. If you’re in another country, I would go to an ATM and withdraw their currency. I mainly use my credit card but if it’s stolen, you have some sort of recourse. Also, it’s better not to have any foreign finance charges on your credit card.

  4. When you buy your airline ticket, if you want a seat together, you usually must pay for it.

  5. If you’re traveling to Europe, get travel adapters. I have a dual voltage curling iron, so I just need an adapter. I once used an adapter instead of a converter in London and 5 security guards showed up! My smoking curling iron set the alarm off🙄

  6. When I pack, I roll everything because most hotels have irons. I always pack a jacket or light wrap because the airplane gets cold and sometimes if you’re going to visit a church, they require your arms to be covered.

  7. If you’re going to buy souvenirs, when my mom and I travel, I would take her to the supermarket and buy the local goods. I love supermarkets in Europe, especially their chocolate! Lol

I’ve been to a lot of places and always find something interesting in every place I go. I enjoy meeting the locals because they are a wealth of information. But with any place you go, just be aware of your surroundings.

When I first started flying, we had a layover in Tampa and the Rolling Stones were in town. We were so excited, but they were sold out. As we checked into the hotel and stopped at a gift shop by the elevators, a man heard us talking about wishing we could see the Rolling Stones. We turned towards the elevator and the man said he heard us talking about wanting to see the Rolling Stones. I said “yes, but they’re sold out.” He said, “give me your room number and I’ll see what I can do.” So, I said #236 (I may not have been too aware at this time) lol. A few minutes later he called me to tell me he had two tickets!