From small town life to jet setting around the world, Chloe Potae shares how travel became her career.
Kia ora, my name is Chloe Potae and I am an international flight attendant.
Whitianga is and will always be my home, I’ve grown up there and most of my family have done the same. I started travelling when I was 18 years old, travelling for leisure and adventure as well as working as an ESL teacher. Right from the get-go I was hooked with the ‘travel bug’ and excited to seek out new experiences in different countries as soon as I could.
I had travelled to 15 different countries by the time I was 22 and the world was my oyster! Unfortunately, as everyone in the world felt our lives come to a halt when covid hit, I found myself back home in Whitianga with my family, knuckling down for whatever was to come. I found myself reflecting a lot on my travelling experiences and those of my friends and family who had stayed in our hometown.
A lot of the things I experienced whilst overseas just can’t compare to those of the people I grew up with in Whitianga, if only because of the mindset you have when somewhere new and unknown. It changes you. The adrenaline and awe you carry when meeting new people on your own in a foreign country completely changes your perspective on everything.
I must admit, one of the biggest changes for me was the increased feeling of how much I appreciated my home. New Zealand, the people and our culture. The Coromandel, the peace and relaxed lifestyle. My friends and family who will always be a staple and pillar. Almost every new city, beach or bar, I found myself missing home just a little bit more.
Post-covid I found myself where I had been when I was 18, working in hospitality (which I will always love), feeling a bit lost and to be honest rather unsatisfied. Growing up in a small town, your vision of the world tends to grow a little narrow and the whole world seems very far away. I remember thinking, when growing up, that the drive to Auckland was a massive undertaking and I had since literally flown 15+ hours across the world.
After a few years of trying to find my feet in the world, attempting to go back and study, plant some roots perhaps, I found myself trying to branch out and find myself a career. I moved into a different part of hospitality and took a job managing a motel/apartment complex. This was a fantastic opportunity but became difficult and I soon found myself searching again. With the support and encouragement from some dear friends, I found myself planning my move to the big smoke (Auckland) to start my training to become a flight attendant. In theory, this job had the few things I was looking for – hospitality, travel, excitement – and is considered a career.
With that I set off and now have graduated and been flying for a couple months. So far I have travelled back to one of my favourite countries, Singapore, which I used to frequent every year and a couple of new countries – Hong Kong and San Francisco! I continue to meet new people, get to give the best hospitality and represent my country every day on the clock. Not to mention how cute the uniforms are!
Growing up in Whitianga, I would have never thought I’d be doing what I am now. Not necessarily because I didn’t think I was good enough (at times, yes), but just because the world felt very far away. Taking that leap when I was 18 fresh out of high-school was my ticket out. Not out of a bad situation but out of the little coastal beach town that has its own ecosystem and into the theme park of the world.
I hope to keep you updated more on my journey here with the amazing team at Coromind and Altbays. Watch this space as this little Whiti girl conquers the world. Xx
– Words by Chloe Potae
