Clearly mine is a minority view on this forum, but I think it was worth it.
From speaking with all the captians at work, half moan like hell. They say that they could be earning more, with better conditions, in more enjoyable jobs in other professions. The other half say that flying is the best job in the world.
I always find it very revealing that the guys who think the grass is greener elsewhere are generally the guys who came into aviation straight from school or uni. Those who had previous careers know just how cushy things are (at the airline I work for anyway!).
I used to work in the City and I dread loosing my medical and having to go back. Airline work is far more interesting, far less stressful and the hours are a fraction of City hours. Maybe I need a few more years experience to loose the rose tint on my "Aviators" but I know plenty of captains who still look visibly excited about coming to work, spend the entire way down to Spain talking affectionatley about their 35 year career and end the flight by begging ATC for a visual approach.