I think
Desk-pilot has hit the nail on the head:
Despite all this I absolutely love the job and feel immensely privileged to be a pilot. I love the hardware, the flying, the views, the camaraderie of the crew and take great personal pride in doing a good landing or just coping with a new busy airport/bad weather/crosswind etc and trying to hone my skills. Perhaps the most rewarding thing is that you are never as good as you want to be as a pilot, whereas in IT I really felt my learning and personal development plateaued years ago - there was rarely any great satisfaction to be had and I was just bored by it.
I work for the same airline (how do you manage a 'good landing' in a Q400?)
and have a similar background, albeit with a different previous career. Desk-pilot's words explain in a nutshell why I love this job, despite the not insignificant downsides.
I learn something new every time I go to work, picking up tips from guys who started flying when I was in nappies. Their advice sometimes saves me from embarrassing myself (and occasionally I get to return the favour - even twenty thousand hour captains make mistakes). No two days are the same, you never stop learning. I am a perfectionist, but I know there is no such thing as the perfect flight - there is always something you could have done better. That really is what makes it such an enjoyable challenge. And on the rare occasions I manage to pull-off a greaser, I find myself grinning like a kid at Christmas.
Don't underestimate the negative aspects of the job, because there are many. Don't underestimate the grief and sacrifice involved in getting this far (see my previous posts). If you truly love flying, however, it will more than make up for it. After a few days off, I start to get withdrawal symptoms. For me, it's the best job in the world.