Your 25 and have the benefit of youth (compared to most others).
I'm 43 and I'm doing reasonly well - career in law, house, wife, 2 kids, etc.. the whole domestic nightmare (and enjoying most of it).
I regret every day that I didn't continue with my flying in one form or another. I'm still considering throwing it all in to get a gig as a charter or regional or maybe aero med.
We are here for a very little period of time. Do want you want to do.
If you have a burning desire to be a pilot - do it.
Don't worry about the money, poverty, women, property, children, education etc.. - that will all fall into place. Everything is a compromise.
My advice:
(i) Keep working in the mining gig to finance your flying to frozen ATPL;
(ii) Keep out of debt;
(iii) Search for opportunities in aviation and take whatever you can;
(iv) Don't commit to a relationship unless she (or he as the case may be) is 100% supportive financially and willing to move;
(v) Do it becasue that is what you want to do. if you disciver that being a pilot is not what its all cracked up to be, find another vocation (preferably not the law) or move back into mining.
(vi) Don't be dissuaded by the incidence of difficult or ar5ehole people in the industry. I can assure you that the incidence of ar5ehole and difficult people is consistent accross almost all industries and employment, unless you want to become a buddhist monk.
If you don't have any other competing commitments, passions or desires, then you have nothing to lose except a bit of time and money.
Last edited by PaulDamian; 6th Jul 2012 at 05:54.