Good luck in your choice.
I was a regional pilot for 3 years, I was one of those guys who was lucky enough to upgrade and bring home a captain salary in short order (good timing) but unfortunately I suffered a downgrade after only a year in the "good seat" ... Losing $30k salary, and the flight time needed to move onto the "good life" left me a bit upset, so I started looking for more lucrative options (either flying or on the ground). I ended up finding work with the federal government and have been doing it for five years. Good salary, home every night, with occasional travel (rare)...I miss flying, but went back to instructing (which is considerably more fun when you're not worried about making a living off it) and I get paid $23/hour to fly around in a skyhawk...
You'll miss the airlines, you'll miss the crews, and you'll miss the overnights (even the ones that suck)...you won't miss airport reserve, not getting compensated for time you work, being re-routed on your last flight home, or dodging phone calls from scheduling. All and all, it's a tossup, but I wish you the best of luck in coming to your decision. Feel free to PM me if you have any other questions about "life on the outside".