Being a flight attendant means my life doesn’t follow the neat little Monday to Friday rhythm most people have. Some days I report for duty at 5:30am or 6:30am, and on those weeks, my schedule looks like a game of Tetris played by someone who refuses to lose.
So I made peace with one truth: if I want to switch careers, my study routine has to bend with my lifestyle not the other way around.
On days I meant to report early to work, I do something a little wild… I wake up at 3am.
This is because I refuse to let an entire day slip by without learning something new. It’s quiet at that hour. My mind is fresh. And somehow, cybersecurity concepts feel less intimidating when the rest of the world is asleep.
My off days? Those are my secret weapon.
While everyone imagines I spend them brunching or binge watching shows, I am usually buried in my classes. I don’t work a 9–5, so I use the gaps in my schedule to catch up on anything I missed and on a good off day, I can study for ten hours. Not in one stretch though; I am dedicated, not robotic. I break it up, breathe, stretch, snack, and then get back into it.
I have sacrificed a lot of “fun” things like visiting friends, watching movie at the cinema etc not because I enjoy being serious, but because time feels different now. I am building a second career, and I want to show my kids what determination looks like in real life, not just in talks only.
Of course, there are lazy days. Days where my brain says, “Let’s just scroll and forget cybersecurity exists.” But then I remember my why: two little humans watching me with wide eyes, learning what resilience looks like from my choices.
That usually snaps me right back into focus… gently.
But I am also learning to be kind to myself. I rest on Sundays (unless I’m flying), and I remind myself that even determination needs room to breathe.
I am juggling motherhood, aviation, and cybersecurity if my routine isn’t perfect, that’s fine. What matters is that I keep showing up. And honestly? I’m proud of the rhythm I am creating.
