@SNS3guppy : my deepest respect for you!!!!!!
I can assure: the road to become a pilot can and will be very hard. Even when you are a pilot, life is not always that shinny:
I always wanted to be a pilot, since i was a kid (like a lot i suppose). But the problem i was not a good student. My marks were always bad and had to fight to get a 5/10 mark for homework or a test. I remember when i was 16 i was kicked out of school because my marks were too low and the principel and teachers had the opinion i should do something easier . I even remember thats teachers told me to be realistic and putting the pilot dream out my head. Even to study after highschool for a bachelor, master was for them not realistic.(accoridng to them i was not intelligent enough). It was very hard to hear that from them. When i went to an easier school my marks were still not good and the teachers had the same opinion about me. But somehow i always kept the dream in my head and that is what you also should do. After graduation i ignored the opinions and i went for a bachelor. (not in aviation, did not have the money). And there i've learned how to study. Sounds crazy but i found out that i've always studied in a wrong way. And yes my marks were good. I still had to work hard but it paid of. After graduation i worked for an insurance company but i felt quit unhappy about my job. When i got the money i decided to give it a try. During the day i worked part time and during the evening i went to the flyingschool and yes i got everything.
After graduation i had to look 3 years to get my first job. In the meantime i did some flightseeing tours, attended some courses, was memer of a local flying club. It was also hard because i saw friends driving a BMW, having an nice appartment, nice girlfriend, having kids etc.
Now i'm finally a pilot, flying a nice jet, pay is good but it still hard. I don't have a social life anymore, i'm still single, far away from friends and family and living in a place i simply hate. But i achieved my dream (wish i could see the face of my former teachers)
So Francie everyone has his own story. If being pilot is really in your mind, just do it BUT be aware it is going to be hard, you get a lot of critics (which is not always bad) and you have to sacrifice anyway. No question about that.
Good luck