I would urge the OP to re-read post #12, and also post #6.
Don Coyote sums it up very well - aviation does have a glamorous image, and yes, piloting a modern jetliner can be exciting and thrilling - but also tedious and knackering - and the downsides are becoming greater and greater. Particularly rostering and the work-life balance, but also restrictions such as taking minimum fuel or MEL defects etc. The locked cockpit door has removed a lot of the fun of the job too.
And it sounds great to fly to, say, New York or San Francisco, but these days you might very well only have 18-24 hours there, so not long enough to do any meaningful sight seeing, and barely worth taking your family, (who probably won't be allowed to travel in the crew transport). I usually managed a 5-10km jog around Central Park or the city, but there isn't really enough time to hire a car and go somewhere. Shopping? well the pound is approaching parity with the dollar, so that has limited appeal now. You cannot drink much, (or anything), of course, and will probably need to (try to) sleep in the afternoon in the hotel before your flight home; while the cleaners are working and vacuuming outside your room, or the hotel-door slamming display team are staying on your corridor.
Or short-haul; doing 4 sectors a day with 40 minute turnarounds.
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Last edited by Uplinker; 10th Jun 2023 at 15:51.
Reason: clarification