Thanks to the above and the other answers. Its honestly 70% money and the rest a personal desire to see things through. But yes, the earning potential is gnawing at me, especially knowing that I have the age to have a long career. The front-end sacrifice is the part that seems impossible. Everyone wants to go to heaven, but nobody wants to die.

I worked very hard to get my flight experience and establish myself in the career, but my timing was horrendous. I had 2 class dates cancelled with 2 companies in 2008, and finally finished off with a furlough. So there's the thought of just a lot of wasted experience and effort that's never been tested. Otherwise, the job doesn't excite me. Charter jets were ok, but the tasks are still rote movements, and I never made PIC. I still instruct because I've always enjoyed it-stays exciting, and it's always a new challenge.

Staying out has become a conscious choice, for sure. After stumbling close to home and getting established, uprooting the family to chase a regional job for 30k just felt selfish.