I would agree with many of the comments on this forum. I strongly agree with 'Cliff Secord's' posts, and 'Greenlights' makes some very good points.
I was a keen not-so-young thing only a few years ago; all that mattered was getting that first airline job...and then everything would be OK.
I trained via the modular route, kept my training costs to around £65k and paid cash so I'm debt free. I finished training in 2007 and after 9 months of searching I joined an airline which rated me on a Jet and paid me well (for the first couple of years). I'm simply telling you this because I think I've been about as fortunate as it is possible to be in this game. I am also now paid about 25% less than I was in 2008, but...I still have a job.
I have been trying to get out of this business for 3 years now and with a bit of luck I will make the jump later in the year. Flying can be fun - though it can also be boring - and I know I'll miss it. But I'm going to make the jump because it has cost me my life for the last 6 years and it's not worth that high a price.
You won't fit into with the rest of the world because your work pattern won't be a 7 day cycle. When you get home from a trip all you will do is sleep, wash and then you're back out the door again. You will have to request leave 6-12 months in advance, and it is likely you won't get it. As a result, you won't have many close friendships or relationships.
You will live out of a suitcase; you will become an expert in the art of frugal hotel living. Your diet will be poor, especially if you eat airline food. Your health will suffer, and you'll probably put on weight because you will frequently be too tired to exercise, but you won't want to sleep during the day because you have to get up early the next morning. This will also mean that you watch a lot of useless TV rather than getting on with the stuff that you need to do.
Every 6 months you will run the gauntlet of the sim check, and every 12 the line check. This can be quite stressful when the airline is using them as a means to reduce headcount.
I had a career previous to this one and so for me at least, I'm going to enjoy my life eating well, sleeping enough, spending time with my wife and friends, and working in an industry which isn't so badly managed.
Ironically enough, this decision will actually cost my airline because they will have to train a newbie who won't know how to operate the aircraft as well as I can, but they'll have to pay him the same because they haven't given me a pay rise.