President’s Day Weekend

Approaching Toronto-Pearson International Airport on a beautiful Saturday around noon.

Approaching Toronto-Pearson International Airport on a beautiful Saturday morning.

During the President’s Day weekend, I flew back home to Montreal to see my parents and some friends. In some parts of Canada, some people also got to enjoy an extra day off due to Family Day.

I left Florida early Saturday morning just before 07:00AM instead of Friday, since I have an evening Biology lab that ends at 8:45PM. At that time, it is too late to catch a flight, unfortunately.

I arrived in Montreal around noon after I had a connecting flight through Toronto-Pearson. I texted my mom earlier in the day and asked her to bring my winter coat. When I got out the plane, I didn’t even need it since it felt actually warm for winter. It was about 45 degrees and there were no clouds in the skies. I guess I picked the right weekend to visit!

My aunt was also in town for a business trip so we had a family dinner in the evening. The next day, I met with a friend who is currently applying for college. I tried the best I could to convince him to come to Embry-Riddle in Daytona Beach, Florida.  Like me, he is also an “avgeek” so I told him ERAU was a perfect place to study aviation. Hopefully, he’ll come for a visit and see for himself.

Overall, it was a fun relaxing weekend and I already look forward for Spring Break!

Nicolas

Short Trip to Ottawa and Winnipeg

Last Friday was a holiday for the province of Quebec. Yay, a three day weekend! Friday morning, I from Montreal to Ottawa to visit the Canada Aviation and Space Museum.

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Canada Aviation and Space Museum in Ottawa, Ontario.

The museum had many artifacts and aircraft on display from WWI and WWII. It was amazing to see how aviation has evolved over time. It started from human-powered aircraft to state-of-the-art commercial airplanes such as the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, the Airbus A350, and the CSeries. If you are a prospective student interested in anything related to aviation, Embry-Riddle is your #1 choice. We offer many degrees and programs such as aeronautical science (pilot), computer and technology, engineering, aviation business, and space. You can consult the complete list of what ERAU has to offer here.

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My flight itinerary generated by The Great Circle Mapper.

After the museum, I headed to the Ottawa MacDonald-Cartier International Airport. I was flying to Winnipeg, MB, then to Toronto-Pearson (Canada’s busiest airport), and finally back to Ottawa on that same day. Unfortunately things did not go as planned as my flight from Ottawa to Toronto got cancelled. A WestJet guest service ambassador told me that the flight cancellation was due to the fact that the crew that was supposed to take us to Toronto was delayed in New York-LaGuardia and had exceeded their duty time. There were no other crew available at that time of the day. The airline gave me a hotel voucher and three food vouchers worth $45 total. I finally arrived home the next day in the afternoon.

Sunset over Ontario on my flight between Winnipeg and Toronto.

Sunset over Ontario on my flight between Winnipeg and Toronto.

You think that was a crazy trip? I did a trip back in February with my friend where we flew nearly to the four corners of the continental United States.

Read it here: Flying All Over America – Part 1 / Part 2

Other than working, eating, and sleeping, I do homework for the online class I am taking this summer. I am taking Leadership as an elective class. We are almost halfway through this 9-week course. I will post a blog soon comparing online classes versus regular classes. They both have their pros and cons.

This week will also be short since it is Canada Day on Friday. Another three day weekend! Americans, you will also get your three day weekend for Independence Day, which is next Monday.

Until next time!

Nicolas


Contact the author at berniern@my.erau.edu

Traveling the U.S. with ERAU

Hello, again! It has been a few weeks since I have written about my life, but that is mostly because my life has been so insanely busy lately! Between midterm tests, activities, and meetings, I have had hardly any time to myself. However, it is time that I fill everyone in on what I have been up to.

The most exciting thing that has happened in my life, since my last writing, is that I was able to travel to Dallas, TX and Boston, MA with ERAU Admissions. As you may know, I am a part of the Women’s Ambassador Program, which is a group of current female students at ERAU, who work to promote women in STEM careers. We are able to travel with Admissions to the Embry-Riddle Prospective Student Presentations, to talk about our experiences at ERAU Daytona Beach.

We left on a Friday afternoon for Dallas, TX. I got on the plane in Daytona excited for a weekend filled with travel. After a couple flights, we finally made it to Dallas. We stayed at the largest hotel I have ever been to in my life, the Gaylord Texan. It was like its own city! Words and pictures do not even describe the atmosphere inside that hotel. Once we dropped off our stuff in our rooms, we were able to meet up with other ERAU Admissions Counselors and go for dinner at an amazing Tex-Mex place! Seriously, Tex-Mex is incredible. I was also able to catch a glimpse of a beautiful, red Texas sunset, which was the perfect end to the night.

The exterior of the Gaylord Texan. It's huge!

The exterior of the Gaylord Texan. It’s huge!

A picture of the interior of the hotel. There was a river through the middle!

A picture of the interior of the hotel. There was a river through the middle!

The next day, we hosted the Prospective Students Event at the hotel. We had a great turn out, and I was thrilled to be able to speak at my first event. I spoke about my experiences as an intern at Sea-Tac International Airport in Seattle. I was also able to talk about fun things to do around Daytona Beach. I absolutely loved getting to speak to high school students about why they want to attend ERAU, and why they love the degree they are going to pursue. I saw so much passion and potential in those students, it reignited my love of Embry-Riddle. All in all, the event went smoothly. But, we had a plane to catch, so we had to run from the event to the airport. Thankfully we made it with plenty of time to grab a bite to eat! Next stop, Boston, Massachusetts!

After a long evening of travel, we made it to Boston just after midnight. To our surprise, we stepped out of the airport, and we were freezing! It was only about 55 degrees, however, we are used to the Florida sunshine! Once we got into our warm hotel rooms, it was time for bed so we could prepare for an early morning.

In the morning, we woke up and headed downtown to where the event was taking place. We got to the hotel, set up, grabbed a coffee, and set out to tour around Boston as much as we could. We decided to walk up to Paul Revere’s house, since it was so close. Word of advice to the ladies: DO NOT wear heels walking around the streets of Boston. Cobblestone roads and sidewalks to not pair well with heels. Once we took a few pictures of the house, we walked down the street to Modern Pastry, which is apparently a very popular pastry shop. Of course, since it was my first time in Boston, I had to get a cannoli. It was delicious! I’m craving another one just thinking about it.

The street that Paul Revere lived on. The brown house is his!

The street that Paul Revere lived on. The brown house is his!

Delicious treats at Modern Pastry

Delicious treats at Modern Pastry

The event in Boston was another successful one, although, I had a flight to catch, so I had to leave quickly. Leaving the city, I realized that it was nice to experience fall in New England, that I miss crisp, cool air, and that Boston is an incredible city. I am so lucky that I get to travel back to Boston next weekend!

Myself in the streets of Boston

Myself in the streets of Boston before the event

After a long night of flying, once again, I finally made it back to good ole’ Daytona Beach. It is always nice to get away for a weekend, and I realized it was just what I needed. I am continuously blessed with the opportunities I have at ERAU, and I cannot wait to see what other opportunities will arise over the rest of the semester.

Happy travels, and until next time,

Lindsey