I'm only at my second year at a regional. I live in base. I initially commuted for two months before I got awarded a base where I live. This month I will spend 7 nights total away from home, 0 nights in a crashpad, and my wage is livable (still feel underpaid though).

Overall, there is always room for improvement and I know that QOL will improve with seniority and longevity, and hopefully I can get on with a major sometime in the future, but my QOL is better now than when I was in the military and better than when I was a flight instructor.

Overall, I really enjoy the job and it's the best job that I've had so far. I enjoy the traveling aspect, I like the variations in schedule, and I haven't missed a birthday yet (I missed thanksgiving last year but I got Christmas off).