As you describe, later in the career it boils down to a simple equation
(cash-brought-home X family-days) / days on duty.
The formula may miss some square roots, logarithms or exponents, but well noted it does NOT include what the job is like or any soft effects. And is pretty valid for comparing different paths one against another - later in the career.
You are not there yet, nor were others at your (st)age.
Iggy pressed the big red button with 'could not stop themselves from seening the glass half-empty'. That reveals the big truth, cheesy as it sounds, that happiness comes from within.
Imagine a pilot who has 160 days of pure family time with annual net 250k and is still consumed irritated? What other job or lifestyle could fix that? (*)
I've met the happy ones with a decade under their belt but truly enough I did not speak to those who ran away after 3 years or even ejected from their contract. And the ratio is about 1:4!
(*) Actually, any job or no job at all did it for the escapees, who desperately sought relief from mental and emotional purgatory.
I won't praise you for your zen-like clarity of mind, having sensed (trough double translation probably) trace amounts of shiny longhaul metal syndrome. Not really diluted by the last post.
But does it matter? Absolutely not. If you need bigass metal for stop hating being stuck on a crossroad between two nowheres, you owe to yourself, parents, future spouse and the creator himself to go and do it!
Everybody plays their cards differently but you know the game well enough. All-in, have a blast and feel good about what you decided to do if that is your heart's calling. Following your heart is the easy part, understanding it is what gets complex.
That will define your mental health.
My previous post is not contradictory, only filling some perceived holes in the narrative. But then again, taking an informed choice to get what you want is not the problem, understanding the need itself is.
Loop back to the original question. Despite that being a relayed experience, not personal, there seem to be 3 patterns with lads happier in QR than EK
- genuinely liking the place better to Dubai
- got their deep wish fulfilled by ejecting from EK
- smiling at the money bucket filling the fastest no matter what.
For the moment, you seem to describe yourself being the opposite on all three accounts.
Sure, event the most beneficial solution will have its cost to pay and never be returned.
Last edited by FlightDetent; 11th Jun 2022 at 09:36.