Becoming a Flight Attendant

Since embarking on this new journey, I've had several people ask me about my career as a flight attendant!  I figured I would share my story on how I even stumbled upon this gem of a life I'm now living.  I'm currently 26 and I feel like I've had quite a few "life experiences" already.  I worked in real estate for 5 years starting when I was only 19 years old, I have my degree in business marketing, I've been on a reality TV show,  I've been featured in national marketing campaigns, was Miss New Mexico World 2015, and I was Miss New Mexico USA 2017.  With all of that under my belt, it may come as a surprise when I say that becoming a flight attendant was BY FAR my most difficult endeavor.

I really can't pinpoint one specific thing that made me want to be a flight attendant.  Being a flight attendant was always something that was in the back of my mind growing up.  I traveled a lot with sports in high school and college, so I think just doing a decent amount of traveling really opened my eyes to making a career out of it.   In college specifically, when I was studying marketing, I really admired the company I now work for.  I knew for several years that one way or another I was going to work for this company.  What I didn't know however, was just how difficult it was going to be to land a job.

All in all, it took me two and a half years to a become flight attendant.  I repeat, TWO AND A HALF YEARS.  That is a heck of a lot of waiting!  I applied for the flight attendant position when they had an opening  in 2016.  I was so excited but then after months, and months, and months of not hearing a single word back, I figured I didn't get the job.  About 10 months after  I had applied, I moved to San Diego and got a job with a local TV station doing advertising and marketing.  I was just starting to get settled into a life out here when all of a sudden I got a voicemail saying, "Hello this is Bill and I was wondering if you were still interested in the flight attendant position you applied for?"  I thought it was a prank call!  For some reason, I ended up calling Bill back and sure enough, it was legit!  I said yes like I just received some elaborate marriage proposal!   I remember running around my apartment screaming with excitement!

After that phone call, I had to fill out some paperwork and wait a couple months for an over the phone interview.  I was so nervous for my first interview!  The first interview was pretty extensive.  It wasn't a breeze in the park by any means.  I had no idea if they liked me or not afterwards which usually isn't a good sign.  However a few weeks after that, I received a phone call saying that I was moving forward and to be on the look out for further instructions for the face to face interview.  Once again, I was left waiting.  I didn't hear anything for so long, I started to wonder if they forgot about me.  Finally, they called back and gave me a few days notice for a face to face interview in Dallas, Texas.

My interview in Dallas was a blast.  I'll never forget the feeling of walking into headquarters for the first time.  I felt like I had made it!  For some reason, I wasn't as nervous for the face to face interview.   I knew I had what it took to be a great flight attendant, and I knew how passionate I was about the brand.  I knew all I needed to do was be genuine.  I also truly believe that everything happens for a reason, so I was at peace knowing it would work out how it was suppose to.  They asked some pretty hard hitting questions, but I had prepared as much as possible and left feeling great! However... I didn't back hear right away, once again!

During the week of my 26th birthday, I received one of the best gifts!  I FINALLY got the word that I was HIRED for a dream job, with my dream company!!! It was contingent on me passing flight attendant training, but none the less, I got the job!

I like to think that this experience was a learning lesson for me.  Good things take TIME.  There is beauty in staying patient and staying hopeful.  I can't tell you how many times I could've lost hope, and honestly there were moments that I really wanted to but persistence, hard work, and dedication always pay off in the end.


This is just the beginning of my story.  It's actually a very small part of my journey to becoming a flight attendant but I just wanted to share it with you all because I know there are probably some people out there who are currently in my shoes, playing the waiting game!  Don't ever lose hope!

Espwa

xoxo,

Ashley Nicole

Miss USA Snapchat Takeover Recap

Hey Everyone!

I hope your week is off to a great start!  I can’t believe that in just 12 days I leave for Miss USA.  It’s kind of funny, at times it feels so surreal and at other times it hits me that this is actually happening!  My Miss USA Snapchat Takeover day was one of those days where all I could think about was the fact that I’m really representing New Mexico at Miss USA! 

On my Snapchat takeover day, I ran around the city of Albuquerque for over 17 hours trying to film as much as I possibly could.  It was important to me that everyone watching on this worldwide platform got a glimpse of New Mexico.  I also wanted everyone to get to know me a little bit more.  Some of you have been following my journey for quite some time, however there are a lot of people out there who only know me at Miss New Mexico USA!   I had so much I wanted to share that 24 hours didn’t seem like enough time, but I made certain to take advantage of every minute!

I know there are a lot of people out there who don’t have Snapchat, so I thought it would be fun to do a little recap of my day!

I woke up at 4am.  I start off having technical difficulties signing into the official Miss USA snapchat account which was a little scary knowing that I had to be ready for the first activity at 6:00am.  Thankfully, I was able to get everything taken care of before my day officially started.  Shout out to the girls who helped me out! (You know who you are… wink wink! #SlaySquad)

After I was signed into the account and ready to go, I introduced everyone to my cat, Bella!  I got ready for the first activity and then made my glass of hot lemon water with cayenne pepper! 

Around 6:00 am, I hit the road and headed towards our launch location for my very first hot air balloon ride!   I was so thankful to Christine, Jessica, and the Hearts a Fire Balloon crew who so graciously offered to take me up in a hot air balloon for New Mexico’s  snapchat takeover day! 

The Balloon Fiesta is my all-time favorite event in Albuquerque! Being able to showcase our beautiful city from 3,500+ ft in the air was incredible.  We flew over the Rio Grande at sunrise and the entire morning was just perfect.  The weather was great, it was a gorgeous day, and everything was off to a wonderful start!

After our balloon ride, I had just enough time to swing by our Thursday morning office meeting at Coldwell Banker Legacy.  I was able to introduce everyone watching to my place of work, show them my office, and tell them how it really is working with mom!

Once I was done showing everyone around my work, I drove downtown and taped an interview with my most favorite radio host, Kiki Garcia with 93.3 KOB FM!   We had so much fun... like always!

This year, the 66^th Miss USA will be crowned… so I thought it was appropriate to take a photo by the historic Route 66 sign!

After we were done with all the morning activities, I was STARVING!  We stopped at my favorite lunch spot in Albuquerque, Flying Star Café!   I ordered a salad and a breakfast burrito with “Christmas” because let’s be honest… I wouldn’t be doing New Mexico justice if I didn’t highlight a BB with both Red AND Green chile!!!

Once we were done with lunch, I came back to the house and shared a lot  about my blog, why I started it, what I talk about my blog, and why I titled it Sparkling from the Inside Out.  I also talked about writing daily gratitudes and affirmations.  This was probably the most special part of the day as I received so many heartfelt messages! There’s no better feeling than knowing you’ve inspired someone in some way!

While I was at home, I shared a few photos of my family and my best friend, Kristen!  My parents will be celebrating their 30th anniversary this August!

And here is a picture of Kristen and I! We met at kindergarten orientation.  This is a picture of us
at our kindergarten graduation and our high school graduation!

I took sometime to talk about Special Spaces and what the organizations means to me! I shared a couple of stories from my favorite room makeovers! 

Of course, I couldn't leave out the fact that I've been competing for the title of Miss New Mexico USA for 8+ years!  I shared about my journey and my road to Miss USA.  Thankfully, I was able to share the moment all of my dreams came true! My crowning moment! In case you haven't seen it, click play below! 

I also share that on top of working in real estate, finishing up my degree, and being Miss New Mexico USA, I also teach Spin, Barre, and Yoga!  I showed everyone a few videos from my classes and then headed to the park to do some yoga!

Around dinner time, I met up with my family at my favorite Mexican food restaurant, Zacatecas!  I’m slightly obsessed with tacos and I hadn’t had any in awhile so this was a treat for me!

We finished dinner with just enough time to grab a picture in front of the Breaking Bad house, then ran up to the foothills to take a quick picture of the sunset!

I had a few things on my list that I didn’t get to but since it was late in the evening, I decided to come home and show everyone how to make fresh juice with a juicer.  We did a little juicing 101 seminar which was so much fun for me. 

I finished the night up with sharing a few of my favorite books, writing out thank you cards to everyone who helped with the entire day, and answering a few questions!

My Snapchat takeover was probably one of the most memorable and fun days of my life!  It’s days like this where I am just so beyond thankful for this experience!

I hope you enjoyed my recap of my Miss USA Snapchat takeover day!   Be sure and tune into FOX on May 14^th for the big show… Miss USA that is!!!!

Xoxo 

Ashley Mora

#TeamNewMexico 

Becoming Miss USA

For as long as I can remember, all I ever wanted to be was Miss USA. In fact, Miss USA is even listed as my dream job in the year book from my senior year of high school!  I feel so incredibly fortunate that every single day I have the opportunity to pursue my wildest dream. 

As I prepare for the biggest event of my life, I feel an overwhelming sense of purpose. With each passing day, I work as hard as I can to give myself the absolute best shot at Miss USA.  More than ever before, I believe in my purpose.  I believe that with a gentle and genuine heart, hard work, humility, integrity, a vision, and inspiration, you can achieve anything you want in this world.  I also believe that those are qualities of a leader- which is exactly the kind of woman Miss USA is.  

Today marks 24 days until I leave for Miss USA!  I wanted to share a few of my personal daily reminders.  I go over these 7 mantras every day.  They inspire me and fuel my purpose.  Maybe they will do the same for you!  

Dream it

It all begins in the heart and mind. 

Believe it

Although at times your dream can seem out of reach, you must believe that with determination, the help of others, and hard work……. it can be done.

See it

One of my favorite quotes is, “Your thoughts become your words, your words become your actions, and your actions become your character.”  The mind is a powerful.  I believe you have to envision your future self accomplishing your goals in order for them to happen.  You have to “see” it.  

Plan it

You have to sit down and create a game plan.  How will you achieve your dream?  Set small goals. Every decision made is important.  Your short term tasks, multiplied by time, equal long term success. Turn your dream into a goal and do what you need to do to accomplish it.  

Work it

Successful people are the harder workers.  Plain and simple.  There are no short cuts when it comes to achieving a grand dream.  

Enjoy it

There is beauty in the journey.  When you get where you want to go, you’ll look back and smile at what it took to get you there.  This is something I try and remind myself of everyday.  I feel like a sponge, trying to soak up everything I can because I know time is going to fly!   

I’m excited to share my official Miss USA headshot with you all!  I’m so humbled by the fact that I get to represent my beautiful home state at Miss USA.  New Mexico has such a huge piece of my heart and I’m beyond grateful to share this experience with you all! 

xoxo, 

Ashley 

My Morning Skincare Routine

Hello everyone!

I wanted to share my latest skincare routine with you all because a. I'm obsessed with these products b. I love sharing tips that I believe will benefit others  c. who doesn't want amazing skin?!

Since skin is the largest organ in our body, taking care of it should be at the very top of our priority list!  I have to admit I used to put skincare at the bottom of my health routine.  My focus for living a healthy lifestyle was always centered around other areas, but lately I’ve been paying a lot of attention to my skin in an attempt to take better care of it.  I mean, who doesn’t want effortlessly glowing skin?!  With Miss USA coming up, I’m trying to be proactive and get my skin in tiptop shape… ready for the long days and non-stop makeup!

After using the same products for years, I decided to take a leap of faith and try a completely new routine.  A new cleanser, new lotion, and new products that I’ve never invested in before.  The results?  My skin is LOVING it!  My face has never felt more soft, looked more bright, or been as smooth!

The most important thing for me when looking for new products to use, were the ingredients.  I try to use as many all natural products as possible.  I also have combination skin and get pretty oily in the t-zone.  Thankfully, I found a brand that was both all natural and right for my skin.  And that brand would be AVEDA!  For the first time in forever, my skin feels FRESH!  

What I love most about these products is that they feel so light and airy on my skin.  I can layer all of the products I’m using without feeling like I just caked a bunch of stuff on my face.  Another thing I’ve been loving about these products is how they’re making my skin look.  I can tell such a HUGE difference already.  Previously, even on my “no makeup” days I would still wear powder.  With these new Aveda products, I can go completely makeup free! In fact, today I was out running errands with no makeup on, and this woman stopped me and asked what foundation I use!  My face is clear, looks bright and firm, and it’s glowing naturally!

So what products am I using?  My current morning skincare regimen as of right now includes:

Botanical Kinetics Creme Cleanser

Botanical Kinetics Hydrating Lotion

Tulasāra calm Serum

Daily Light Guard SPF 30

 If you're interested in where to purchase any of these products, click HERE. 

Botanical Kinetics Creme Cleanser

In the a.m. and p.m., smooth over damp face and throat, rinse with warm water and pat dry.

Improve the comfort level of daily facial cleansing with a rich creme that removes surface dirt and impurities. Extra-mild on skin with plant-derived oils.

• gently dissolves makeup and impurities

• leaves skin feeling soft, supple and comfortable

• for normal to dry skin

• dermatologist-tested

Botanical Kinetics Hydrating Lotion

Press into skin after cleansing a.m. and p.m.

Instantly pump up your hydration levels for plump, dewy skin.

• spiked with nutrient-rich algae

• instantly boosts skin's moisture

• prepares skin for your next layer, serum or moisturizer

• lightweight liquid texture

• dermatologist-tested

• non-acnegenic

• for all skin types

• 99% naturally derived*

Tulasāra™ calm concentrate

Apply a.m. and p.m. before moisturizing.

• instantly calms and hydrates to help restore skin's natural balance. Gives skin an immediate cooling sensation.

• diminishes the look of redness over time

• helps strengthen and restore skin's natural protective barrier to improve skin's resilience

• contains more than one-hundred thousand red raspberry plant stem cells known for their restorative powers

• dermatologist-tested

• non-acnegenic

• for all skin types

Daily light guard™ defense fluid broad spectrum spf 30

The final step in your morning skin care ritual.

• non-chemical 100% mineral-derived sunscreen technology: advanced coating technology makes zinc oxide and titanium dioxide glide on sheer and smooth as they provide UVA/UVB protection

• with plant-derived pollution defense: kukui seed oil helps strengthen skin's natural environmental barrier, while an anti-oxidant blend with ginger extracts helps defend against free radical damage

• dermatologist-tested

• non-acnegenic

• for all skin types

• 74% naturally derived*

Believe me when I say that I am so passionate about these Aveda products!  The ingredients, the smell, the benefits, the results!  You can pick up these products for yourself, at any Mark Pardo Salon in Albuquerque!

I hope you enjoyed this blog!  I'll be sharing my my nighttime skincare routine soon, so stay tuned! 

Xoxo, 

Ashley 

Psssst.....  

I get all of my beauty services done at Mark Pardo in Albuquerque! I absolutely LOVE MP! I've been getting my hair colored there for over 7 years!  They took me from brunette to blonde so effortlessly... I trust them with my life!  I truly believe in the brand and wouldn't be sharing unless I was extremely passionate about the products and services!  If you're in the Albuquerque area, check them out! 

Choose Self-Love this Valentines Day

Happy Monday! 

Love is in the air this month!  With Valentines Day right around the corner, I wanted to take some time and talk about self-love on the blog today. 

One of, if not THE most important relationship you will ever have, is the relationship you have with yourself.  I mean seriously, who else are you going to spend 24/7 with for the rest of your life?  Loving yourself for who you are isn’t easy… especially in today’s world when we are constantly being told we need to look, feel, and act a certain way in order to obtain happiness and success.  The truth is, the media and social media clutters our mind everyday with false hope.  So many people scroll the feed and think once they find that picture perfect relationship or land that dream job THEN they’ll finally be happy, but the thing is you have to truly love  and accept yourself first.  You have to be happy on your own, be grateful for what you do have, and then everything else will fall into place.  There is only one person who holds the key to your happiness and that person is you! 

Self-love and self-care should be something that we are constantly working on.  They should always be evolving.  In today’s blog I wanted share a few instrumental daily rituals that have helped me along the journey to loving and accepting myself… flaws and all.  We were created to shine, but that light has to come from within! 

1. Change your thoughts 

How do you talk to yourself?  I know I am my worst critic.  I still sometimes struggle with this because it’s so easy to talk negatively to yourself.  However, we have to free ourselves from being so hard on our bodies and ourselves.  One of my favorite quotes is “your thoughts become your words, your words become your actions, and your actions become your character”  It’s pretty crazy how powerful the mind can be.  Everything we do stems from the way that we think, which in my opinion is pretty amazing because we can choose to create positive thoughts.  Try writing down some affirmations everyday…  I am beautiful, I am strong, I am enough.  Before you know it, you will be confident in all of those things! 

2. Express gratitude every day 

One of the best things you can do is take the time everyday to write down 5 things you're grateful for.  I know it can seem petty, however this has been life changing for me.  When you start focusing on what you do have, rather than what you don't have, you're entire perspective on life changes.  Expressing gratitude and appreciating the small things is an amazing and beautiful way to live life.  I encourage you to try expressing gratitude everyday for one month! 

3. Practice the things you expect from your partner  

So we expect the world from our significant other, but can we offer the things we yearn for?  Every other relationship we have- friends, family, career, and happiness stems from how we feel about ourselves. Take a moment and write down all of the things that are important to you in a relationship and then ask yourself (and be honest!) if you can offer each of those things.  Instead of looking for the perfect person, work on becoming the perfect person and then you will start attracting like minded individuals.  

4. Take time to unplug 

Whether you need to do this everyday for 15 minutes, once a week, or once a month, take some time to unplug from social media and center your thoughts.  Without distraction, think about your needs, wants, and goals, and make a plan to achieve those things! 

5. Take baby steps towards a healthier you  

When you feel good, you look good!   Regardless of your goals, we can all work on becoming healthier.  Fuel your body with nutrient-rich foods and be intentional with what you put into your body… you only have one, so take care of it!  Try doing one small thing every single day that makes you a better, healthier you! 

There is so much magic in loving yourself that will make you radiate from the inside out!  Self-love brings so much peace into your life and it overflows into everything you do.  Once you start to love yourself, life will feel ridiculously good. 

This Valentine’s day, decide to make a positive shift and move forward with ease. Embrace having a deep, loving relationship with YOU! 

Xoxo, 

Ash 

#SparklingFromTheInsideOut 

Makeup by Alanna Garcia 

Photos by Rebekah Villanueva 

Makeup by Alanna Garcia 

Photos by Rebekah Villanueva