Being airline cabin crew is more than just a job. It is a lifestyle and takes over everyday life. Civilian life is hard to adapt to once you fly for a living. These things might seem a little unusual to an outsider, but to cabin crew, they are perfectly normal.

1 The suitcase

Cabin crew are always packed and ready for the next trip. Once a trip is over, the clothing is washed and replaced inside the suitcase, often in the same place. It saves time and precious energy. Cabin crew are always ready and waiting for the next adventure.

2 Fire extinguishers

Safety equipment checks on aircraft are mandatory for cabin crew and are completed before every flight. One of those checks is that fire extinguishers are in the 'green zone' and ready for use in an emergency. Most cabin crew will admit they have checked a fire extinguisher in a public place just to make sure.

3 Shopping

Most cabin crew love to shop down route, for precious memories mostly but sometimes out of necessity. They often like food and buy their favorites in the local supermarket. Sometimes they will plan their shopping around a certain destination when they know their schedule. It is often cheaper to shop whilst away, and they don't like wasting their days off on chores.

4 Personal appointments

Cabin crew do get used to adapting to the unusual lifestyle and lack of time off. This sometimes means booking routine appointments according to their schedule. It is not unusual to have a hairdresser in one country, a masseuse in another and a dentist in another.

5 Hotel life

Being frequently away and constantly in hotel rooms, cabin crew often take inspiration from their surroundings. They notice the small details and will often find those details showing up in their own homes. With jet lag and lack of sleep, things like black-out blinds, comfortable bed linen and plush towels become essential. Hotel comforts become home comforts and they start to look surprisingly similar.

6 Eating meals

During flights, cabin crew are usually very busy, and meal times have to be taken during a quiet moment. These are few and far between, so most crew eat standing up in the galley. It is not unusual for a call bell to go off or to have to answer a crew call during your meal. At home, cabin crew often find themselves eating their meals standing up in the kitchen, just as they do at work to save time.

7 Crew bag

Cabin crew like to be prepared for any situation so they will often carry around essential items in their crew bag. This may include toiletries and cosmetics to freshen up during a flight, a sewing kit for sewing uniform buttons back on, and a small first aid kit. This extends easily into everyday life. New shoes and need a band-aid? Your cabin crew friend has got you covered.

8 Hotel amenities

Everyone loves amenities in their hotel room, especially nice ones. Cabin crew will often take them, as they are useful for their crew bag, and the small size is great for a short trip away. If they don't use them, they come in handy for when guests come to stay. Alternatively, most airlines have charities they support, and collecting amenities that are useful for those in need is also something cabin crew like to do.

9 Chimes

Another ingrained habit of cabin crew is to look upwards when we hear a doorbell, cell phone sound, or alarm clock. During a flight, a chime or series of chimes can mean a number of things. It can be a passenger call bell, a lavatory fire, or a call from the captain. Cabin crew look up at their overhead panel automatically to see what color it is and if it is flashing or not. During moments of tiredness and jet lag, it's easy to forget that you are not on the aircraft. It can be awkward when there is an announcement at a supermarket though.

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10 Crew speak

Cabin crew have their own way of talking, their own technical terms often shortened and love to tell you about their last trip or flight. Outsiders don't often understand the way flying takes over your life and how we live through our work. We might refer to our car being 'tech' or ask someone to 'standby' or that we need 'chix' from the supermarket. It is what it is, and that is cabin crew life.