Patricia Dulay-Petines is a flight attendant for Philippine Airlines. She is also a wife, a mother to a five-year-old girl, and part owner of Cable Car in Clark, Pampanga. This is how she spends her typical day.

I am a sociable person. That is why being a cabin crew and a restaurant-slash-bar owner is something that comes easily for me. I love talking to people because I believe that each one of us has a story to tell and I know that I will get something out of those conversations I have with them. I like it when they impart something to me.

I like being a cabin crew because I get to go to different places, experience diverse cultures, and try various kinds of food. It broadens my horizon and gives me more business ideas.

I also like the fact that I get to establish connections, especially with our frequent flyers in the airline and regular customers in Cable Car Clark, as they are from different fields—business, medical, politics, fashion, religion to name a few.

Now that I’m a wife and a mom, life is more interesting. Here’s a quick look at what my typical day “in office” looks like.

7:00 A.M. – I wake up then read my daily devotions and the news.

7:30 A.M. – I wake up my daughter. I usually skip breakfast, so I just check what our helper prepared.

8:00 A.M. – 9:45 A.M. – After I feed my daughter, the helper gives her a bath and then I dress her up for school.

10:00 A.M. – Bath time for me.

11:00 A.M. – 4:30 P.M. – I try to squeeze in all possible errands, meetings, and appointments. On other days, I manage the household—check grocery supplies, fix closets, defrost the ref, declutter—or I go to the gym and run.

4:30 P.M. – My daughter arrives from school. I check her diary, have an afternoon snack with her and talk about her day in school.

5:30 P.M. – I prepare dinner. I see to it that I cook for my family every chance I get.

7:00 P.M. – Dinner time with my family.

8:00 P.M. – Playtime with my daughter after our helper cleans her up. Sometimes I also help her review for the next day’s lessons.

9:00 A.M. – I put my daughter to sleep. If I have a flight the next day, I use this time to pack and check my stuff for completeness.

10:00 P.M. – I shower then watch Netflix or TV until I fall asleep.

My schedule will only differ if I have an early morning duty, red-eye flight, or long-haul flight.

What is the most challenging part of your job or day?
For me, my job is not as physically exhausting as how others perceive it. It is more emotionally draining because you deal with more than a hundred different emotions all at the same time. It is quite difficult to instantly switch from being happy to apologetic, from being funny to being stern, and so on. At the end of the day after you have absorbed all the negative vibes, it is all up to you if you would wallow in it or let it all go. Luckily, I am the type who just shrugs off the negative vibes. Life is so beautiful to be ruined by something you have no control over.

Also, even as a senior cabin crew member, we cannot choose the “nice” schedules such as holidays, so time with the family is quite challenging. I have spent Christmases, Easters, birthdays, and weddings of family members or friends away from home. But my college education has instilled in me the value of “fidelity to duty” therefore I never miss work especially during the holiday season. I always tell my daughter, “A man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do.” And, fortunately, she understands my line of work even at an early age. To make up for it, I spend quality time with her during my off days in Manila.

What goes through your mind throughout your day and how do you feel?
On days when I am on duty, my mindset is that safety is my utmost concern. I brush up my notes on in-flight safety as well as our company service standards. We fly different kinds of aircraft and different routes so sometimes we tend to mix it all up. I must always be prepared, be attentive and be alert in case an emergency arises.

When I am in another country for work, I always think of my daughter. I see to it that she follows her daily schedule even if I am away. I also keep in touch with my husband and ask him how our business is doing. We are opening another food business this year, so some of my free time during layovers is spent reading online articles and watching related videos on YouTube.

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