This whole section is very interesting, and as a former airline guy, I thought I'd share my experience:

I was a logistics officer in the USAF who always wanted to fly, but couldn't get in to flight school during the early 1990's drawdown. I did six years of service, got out as a captain, and earned my civilian ratings. A pretty good regional F/O job soon followed, flying good equipment, on fun routes, with great QOL. Everything was looking up.

Trouble was, I missed the hell out of the military. It was the camraderie, the sense of mission, the overseas assignments, etc. that I missed so much. Life as an anonymous civilian airline guy was routine, boring, and isolating for me. I never fully adjusted and I really just wanted to go back to being in the Air Force, even as a ground-pounder. Eventually I took a job with a federal agency that has lots of the things I was looking for, and I went with it. I've been out of the flying business for over 14 years now, and I miss the flying part, but I could never quite adjust to the lifestyle. It just did not fit. Of course I got all the quizzical looks and the "are you crazy?" reactions when I announced my departure from flying, but it was something I had to do. I did not hate flying, nor did I hate the industry. It actually worked out well for me, but it simply wasn't the right path. No harm, no foul.

All these choices in life are very personal, and no one size or story fits everyone's circumstances, but that's what I went through.

Has anyone else had a similar path unfold?