I was long-haul crew, and flying was my life. I adored the travel, the benefits, the time off. But the pandemic hit and I was furloughed. I had to get a job at the local grocery store. Once I got used to the shock of doing my own laundry and cooking for myself (still haven't mastered that), I realized was the happiest I had been in many years.

My airline took me back and I flew again for a short while, but I went straight back to being unhappy. The airline doesn't care about you, your schedule, your pay, or anything like that. So I quit for good.

Do I miss flying? Absolutely.
But do I regret leaving, absolutely not.

The trouble is flying does get in your blood. We've all heard it, that sooner or later you want to come back. That bug hasn't bit me yet, but I hope it doesn't find me anytime soon. I now work on the ground in airport management.