Another apsect to consider: work culture in the trades is a lot different than work culture in the office. The office system of paid "sick days" and "personal days" is non existant. You can take time to be sick or go to the dmv for a day but unlike in the office, you ain't gettin paid to do it. Office workers tend to use and abuse personal days for hangovers or to get 3 day weekends in or whatever.. that doesn't fly in the trades. Our "work" is actual *work* and it *needs* to get done- you won't be just a body at a desk killing time, and collecting a paycheck, you will be doing purposeful work that has a distinct beginning, middle and end. But the flip side of that is that you get all major holidays & weekends off, and the day begins before morning traffic and gets out before morning traffic.
Consider the cultural differences as well. I won't say its not as cushy or flexible as an office job, just cushy and flexible in different ways and in different places.
