Experience
WBB,
Lived in Sydney with a wife and a mortgage ( I see you live in NSW ).
Was comfortable in a non-aviation job when I got my CPL/ME/IR. Then the aviation bug soon took a real hard bite at me and decided to go to Asia to fly light twins. My wife was good enough to support me during this time of almost non-existent income. So, I was lucky enough to clock up nearly 800 hours of twin when I decide to go back to Sydney. My frustration was I couldn't get myself to leave my wife and house anymore so got stuck into instructing in a city - believe me, it sux. From flying twins to a C-152 it was a bit depressing for the meantime. By this time I was already 35. I was feeling so depressed thinking that I haven't finished my ATPL with no prospect of an airline job with even not a sniff of a turbo prop job. So, I took the final step and said this is it.... do it or quit....so, I got a connection inside an asian airline, slowly completed my ATPL, got a TR and the rest is history ( of course there's more to it but that's another story ).
So, I now live in Asia with my wife and my office is the RHS of a 734.
Look forward to coming back if Jetstar or Virgin has any vacancy but I'm happy here for the moment. I still get to come to Sydney when I want to.
So, there you go...... it was a hard slog, believe me.
Cheers mate,
D6