It’s something you don’t think about until you’re an adult, but the prospect of never again flipping through the pages of a yearbook to spot horrible candids of the most awkward versions of yourself in black and white is kinda depressing. The messages your schoolmates would write, some endearing, some vastly stupid, other hilarious all together in one place along with pictures of days gone by.

While most of the time I’m grateful to be out of the stage where I thought wearing a dress over jeans was a LOOK, I can admit that reminiscing can be fun sometimes.

So, while it’s only been a week since NACU, I thought it’d be fun to look back and build a virtual testament to our time there. In a yearbook format. And because my high school didn’t do the whole voted most likely thing and I feel like I was robbed of a formative youthful experience we’re going with that. Also I myself did not attend NACU and have no idea who these people are aside from the fact that they are dedicated airline employees… you can see where this is going…

Here we’ve got our ELP reps at NACU, Brian, Stephanie, and Erwin. Between the 3 of them, I have no doubt they would have been able to destroy that world-ending hunk of rock without needing to sacrifice Bruce Willis in that one movie. Their airline expertise mixed with attention to detail and their ability to attack a problem with a barrage of fixes driven by solutions…NASA would be so lucky.

Andrew and Erik from Endeavor Air at a vendor sponsored dinner

Is it creepy that this photo just makes me happy? They look genuinely in friendship-love, and I feel like there are many high-fives if indeed they work together. Probably a secret handshake. Perhaps a friendship dance. They look like they have some moves.

Between Stephanie’s attention to detail and the fact that all three look like they could carry a jaunty tune whilst tap-dancing, the charisma oozing from just this photo leads me to believe beyond a shadow of a doubt that they could make a play for the ages.

Bobby from Spirit. Brian and Stephanie from ELP. Al from Spirit and Carol from Spirit in yellow- enjoying the sights after an ELP hosted dinner.

Listen, at a certain point it’s just a numbers game. Also, they all look scrappy enough to take on a Grizzly, and the fact that they all work or worked in aviation lets me know they’re down for whatever is thrown at them- working Miami flights during a hurricane < angry black bear.

I’m not sure why I’m getting Nick Cage energy from Stevie there in the middle, but again if you have Erwin and Brian on your team, you could literally take over the world- at least digitally. I feel like between the three dudes pictured here they could devise the ultimate plan to keep the foundational document of this nation safe from the clutches of Sean Bean.

Erwin, Steve-o (SkyWest), Brian

It wasn’t all fun and games (though there was plenty of fun). At the end of the day (and the conference) it was about bettering airline systems and procedures to in turn, better the lives of those who work for those airlines. That’s not only a cause we can get behind, it’s our reason for existing. We love these photos because they’re visual representations of everything we believe – it’s you and us, working and collaborating to find solutions. Because it’s only together that the status quo is interrupted in the name.

Well friends, a good time was had by all at this year’s NACU conference, and we can’t wait to see you at the next one.

…so my yearbook always closed on a senior poem? Is that weird? I don’t know, anyway here’s a Haiku.

NACU

Eagerly we met

To forge ways to the future

On wings of new dreams

* agressive bongos *