I'm one of those 777FOs that's leaving for the NBCA. I'm basically doing it for a couple reasons, at least one already mentioned.

The first is I'm tired of the time zones. I was on the 756 doing Europe for 6 years before going to the 777 doing China for the last 7. I've found it's wearing me down some and wanted to stick closer to home, time zone wise. Of course there are still some redeyes and what not, but it's not "sit in PEK for 50hrs while your body slowly wonders what you're doing to it."

The other is I'm doing it for a change of pace and to knock the dirt of the flying skills a little. While I do fly a fair amount on the 777 (I rarely play the landing class game), I've seen how some of the guys that camp out in the back seat for a decade do when it's finally time to go back to work.

I still like flying planes. I'll revisit that response after my seat lock is up.

A semi-long shot on this one, but I won't be locked out of bidding EWR787FO when it opens up later this year or early next, so assuming I can hold it, I have an "out" if I don't find the NB lifestyle to my liking.

I live local and am actually a little more senior as a NBCA than a WBFO. That should be a red flag I guess. Senior enough and live local enough that if I need certain days off I can bid RSV. While that sounds absolutely nuts to most, the lack of rolling days off is huge so guaranteeing weekends off if needed is actually plausible.

So anyway, into the mind of a 777FO that never thought he'd leave the plane.