I have wasted much of my 20's. I wanted to do this at a couple of different times, but women, band, or finances always kept me from being able to and/or having the drive to do it. My current situation allows me to take only the expenses of a car down there with me right now. If I do not do it now, I will just end up finding another one of those southwest Georgia ruts that people usually find themselves in. This is a dying town. Speaking of tire manufacturing, one of the few industrial operations here (Cooper) is now shutting down within the year.
I get a laugh out of some of the threads with people complaining about the lifestyle. That first year regional FO job might not pay worth a damn, but at least the hotel you have to stay in is paid for. I spent over two years on the road in a band touring out of a van. We rarely knew where the next meal was coming from, where the gas to get to the next gig was coming from, or when all of that hard work and sacrifice might even come close to paying off. When we could not afford a hotel and got tired of crashing in the van, we would go to a local theater, get tickets (usually one of the LOTR movies at that time), and sleep in the theater. Living that way is scary. It is usually going from one disaster to another, but I got to take a crack at something that most people only dream about when they start that garage band with high school buddies.
That meager FO salary is not a pay cut that I look forward to, but I have already done worse than their QOL for much less money. I know that a good career is there to be had, but dues must be paid to get there. I am not worried about getting married again or having children. I am not looking to plant roots, start a family, and have 9-5 life. I have never had roots. I have moved around almost my entire life.
