Commuting stinks, but so does living somewhere that you don’t really want to be. My family would be miserable living near any United hub. I used to live in base and driving to and from work was great, but the second I walked in the door we all wanted to go somewhere else. We moved to the middle of nowhere and couldn’t be happier. The commute isn’t fun, but being exactly where we want to be 14-15 days a month is more than worth it for us. Make your job work around your life, don’t work your life around your job.

As to having kids, that is the most important, and enjoyable job you’ll ever have. The industry is full of stories of two pilot or pilot/flight attendant marriages that fail because they have to bid so one parent is home with the kids and the adults never see each other. I have two friends who started out with 2 pilot marriages. One couple, the wife quit flying when kids came along and they’re still happily married. The other couple were both focused on careers and have been divorced for years. It’s hard to make a marriage work when you are passing in the hall as the other goes to work.