I too have worked in consulting, government and in private industry.

Started out consulting. It was the same grind as seen in the comments: balance between billable work, travel demands, pressure to find more work was always looming over the job. It was fun. Turning out projects on tight deadlines/budgets was fulfilling. Helping clients maneuver the regulatory minefield was a big payoff.

After spouse downloaded the kids, I wanted to be home more. It took a couple of years to transition out into the private sector where I was overseeing 50 field offices in three states. The travel did not get better. The pay was slightly better, the benefits too. But I found my employer was compromised and frequently ignored the law when it came to compliance. I left them for a government job. I hated it. I was bored to tears and had little or nothing to do. I left them to go back into the private sector where my current employer needs tons of help with compliance. They struggle to keep up.