By George is exactly right. Enjoy the journey because when you retire that is the part you will cherish most. With no financial help I got my ratings as I worked. Crop dusting, basic, multi, aerobatic and jet type rating and ATP instruction to start. Then I was lucky enough to get into charter in tons of aircraft including D18, singles and a lot of types of jets. Got to fly a lot of celebs in Hollywood. Even flew Ron and Nancy Reagan to PSP one night to have dinner with President Ford. Then the big time flying a Jetstar for a corporation flying the execs to Europe, golfing and once in a while on business trips.
I thought I had died and gone to heaven when I got the airline job I was fortunate to retire with. I could have been happy most anywhere along the way because I was doing what I loved to do.
I see Bob Hoover every year at the Reno Air Races and feel much of what he has expressed through his incredible career in his book, Forever Flying.