Well, IŽm gonna give you another point of view...
IF and only IF you can leave Southwest on an unpaid leave, and after some time, you can go back to SWA, maintaining your seniority etc...Go and give a try to RYR.
It will be a good experience for you. If you werenŽt loving SWA...You will start loving it from the very first day you fly in RYR.
You can also see how your money "flies". Taxes, specially now, are painful.
If you get tour base in Italy, Spain...well life down here is good..nice weather, good looking girls, even better food, nightlife is awesome...And hey! We do say hello to strangers! Specially to hot babes
. Not everything is good of course..IŽll let that to people from the upper Europe,
IŽve been living for some time in Ireland..and I got depressed (Not in RYR), Rain, wind, cold, food is...well,was that food at all?, Expensive place and nightlife was ---- compared to the one in Spain.
On the other hand, youŽre never ever going to see a greener place on Earth..Easy, taking into account how much it rains there!
Now, being serious, Europe is a good place...but so is the USA, and if you have the perfect pilot job...Give a try to Europe, BUT..secure your job in SWA first!
PS. Uncle Wiggily, you just described what I think about the French