Life can get pretty bumpy when you’re living it at 30,000 feet.
To us ground-dwellers, the fast lives of flight attendants, constantly jet-setting off to far away lands and getting paid to take exotic excursions, may seem like a dream.
But one discontented cabin crew member is coming clean with claims that the mile-high post often comes with a few nightmarish disadvantages.
“There’s a lot of dark sides to being a flight attendant that I don’t think a lot of people talk about,” Megan, an airway worker, from Denver, Colorado, lamented in a now-viral vid.
“We experience so many highs and so many lows,” she continued, “and it starts to get exhausting after a while.”
Airing out her grievances to nearly 35,000 TikTok viewers, Megan, a private flight attendant, revealed that the most cutting consequence of the job is constant loneliness.
Deemed an “epidemic” among young adults under age 35, loneliness — also known as the “alone-virus” — has recently become a global health crisis, per new data.
The World Health Organization has even likened loneliness to the ills of smoking 15 cigarettes per day, warning that the effects of feeling socially isolated can have lasting negative impacts on one’s overall wellness.
And Megan concedes that doing day-to-day life without loved ones by her side has taken a toll.
“Yes, we are blessed to see so many amazing places and travel around the wold, but that does come with a cost,” she said before recalling a work-related trip to Rome that left her feeling forlorn.
“I remember thinking to myself, ‘Dang, this is beautiful, but I feel a little empty inside because I would so much rather be here with my mom or my friends,’” she groaned. “It means so much more when you are seeing and experiencing beautiful things in life, when you’re with the people that you love.”
And while Megan typically enjoys working alongside her fellow crew members during lengthy work stints, the brunette often feels estranged from the folks she cares for back at home.
“I feel like I’m living in a completely different universe than my friends and family,” she confessed, noting the differences in their job schedules and lifestyle.
Owing to the demands of her on-the-go position, Megan is currently single due to the fact that she’s rarely stationary long enough to build a meaningful romantic relationship.
“I feel like my life is constantly on pause,” she said, “because I’m unable to make those connections when it comes to dating.”
Despite the benefit of traveling for free — both professionally and leisurely — the sky hostess says she’s either stuck in a sad hotel room during work trips or companionless in her apartment.
“When I’m home, and able to go out and do stuff, I’m still alone because my friends and family are work,” she spat in frustrated tones.
The bombshell, who doubles as a beauty content creator, then tipped her hat to flight attendants who are married with kids, commending them for juggling the job done while being active partners and parents.
“I’m really not trying to complain or anything,” Megan said, insisting that she “loves” her career. “But I just got home from a two-week work trip yesterday, and I was looking around in my apartment and I was just empty.”
Thankfully, a flock of flight crew staffers flew to Megan’s comments section, leaving words of hope and encouragement.
“Being a flight attendant isn’t for the faint of heart,” a comforting commenter wrote, in part. “Hang in there. It will get better.”
“Girl you spoke what’s inside me honestly,” another cheered, thanking Megan for spotlighting the bleakness of their trade.
“I tell new flight attendants this job [and] lifestyle isn’t for everyone, and that’s ok,” added a sympathizer.
“You’re not alone girl,” said a supporter.
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