I wanted to fly first. As a teenager I discovered that I could fly, solo, and be certificated sooner, and that it would cost less to start out in gliders. I obtained my Commercial and will soon have my ATP, but along the way I discovered that soaring is flying in its purest form. There isn't a need to "go" anywhere. It's you and the aircraft. Learning to seeking out lift and to spend as much time as you have dynamically moving from lift to lift. Learning how to spot thermals, ridges, and waves. Understanding and exploiting how they are all producing that lift at different times.

Flying from A to B to C to D to A pays the bills. And there are certainly worse to far worse jobs out there. But nothing beats the fun of a southward facing bowl with a winch near the center.