I was a solo flightie for 5 years. Sometimes we would do 8 sector days.. and it was very tiring.. especially in the middle of a hot australian summer with no APU to keep the A/C up and running on those turnarounds.. the cabin temp would sometimes reach around 43-44 degree celcious, you literally thought you were going to melt. I didn't enjoy the cleaning on outer port turnarounds, all that feral rubbish picking it up, changing the bins, crossing seatbelts, checking seat pockets (not to mention the interesting bits of rubbish you would find in them) and wiping tray tables, and then really wanting to wash your hands, but you find that the tank is empty that stores the water for the sink!!! Safety brief after safety brief, forgetting where the hell you have just landed as you have travelled from one end of the state to another in the last 10 hours.. and who was the crew you were flying with again... doesn't matter.. I'll just make their names up.. its the third different crew today!!!!!
BUT with all the negatives there were the good times too, 95% of the pax were lovely and they were interesting to talk too, the hours were mostly good when you weren't doing HUGE days, sometimes you would only be at work for 3 hours and be home by 930 am just as everyone else was going to work! I haven't flown now for 18 months, and yes i do miss it, but I have enjoyed returning to nursing, where i find I have been able to use my brain just a little bit more!!!