Should I become a welder?

I am 23 years old, looking to relocate to the PNW in the US and my plan is to look for a (hopefully union) welding apprenticeship. I have never worked in the trades but have felt drawn to it, I went to college and dropped out because I prefer to work with my hands over sitting at a desk all day.

Welding in particular seems really interesting to me, but I am open to other trades if it’s something that would suit me more. I am interested in welding specifically for two reasons: I am an artist and would love to be able to take on sculptural work. I would like to build my own house one day (with friends/family) and welding would be a beneficial skill to have once I am able to afford the land. (Welding paychecks would help with that too!)

However I am a little bit concerned about the lack of work-life balance. Is this something that all welding work has an issue with, or do some jobs allow you to work part time? A four-day work week is ideal for me. If that’s something I can work towards, I’d like to know.

Another concern I have is being a woman. Do the benefits outweigh the harassment? Is it as bad as I think? I have a friend who’s an electrician and it seems like there’s always a new story about some guy touching her or making inappropriate comments.

Not sure if this will make any difference, but I have a huge interest in soft soldering work as well. I make jewelry using this technique so anything similar to that kind of work is probably something i’d like.

Anyways, not really sure what I’m looking for here. Just some reassurance maybe? What was it like for you starting out? How did you decide on what trade to pursue?