Of course there are exceptions. You have to be lucky.
Every experienced chef I\'ve ever met complains an awful lot about all the things I just mentioned, and then some. Working public holidays, working birthdays, and other important events, social and otherwise. Not to mention younger chefs becoming increasingly burnt out. I\'ve also known a lot of apprentices who dropped out because they didn\'t want to sacrifice as much as they were starting to.
At the moment I have a cruisy job, and am enjoying my social life immensely, not to mention have taken up sports again also. However, it is painful every time my friends ask me to do something and I am unavailable. Or anytime my girlfriend wants me to go on holidays, or even a weekend away, it\'s nearly impossible. And that\'s with an amazingly cruisy job. So many sacrifices have to be made, and with very little monetary benefit.
Overall, I wouldn\'t recommend it as a proffession. But if you\'re passionate about the cooking, then I suppose you\'ll love it.
Edit: It\'s also known as the second most stressful job in the world. Throw that into the mix.