Ill tell you from experience why people would give up after less than a couple years. Although I didnt give it up, I was actually close due to these reasons:
Time Constraints - 4 kids, wife, job and hunting/fishing activities.
Money- New house, one income, I commute to work, wife and kids commute to school. Solution, cut down on other things to supply feed to the bees, sell more honey to pay for bee related items!!
Property- I moved out of the country and into the city, no possibility of having a hive in town, if I didnt know people, I would have been out of luck. However, I am always on the look out for more property and areas to keep bees incase the local flora doesnt pan out, like what happened this year.
Most beekeepers probably buy a hive and dont realize how big it can get, it goes from this docile little package into a raging hive in a matter of a couple months, and its intimidating to people when bees are bumping off their veils. They also realize that bees can be protective and the neighbor gets stung and instead of being on bad terms with the neighbor, the hive takes a drive out into the country or the river and is set free, kinda like them cute chicks that city slickers buy at Easter............yes people, they do grow up into giant pooping machines.
The reason I am staying in beekeeping is because I am willing to adapt, I expected a bumper crop of honey this year, that didnt happen and the air was let out of my sails, but instead of giving up I am going to expand on things and make some queens and nucs to sell next spring, I have a connection now to sell honey to people making mead so if the flora co-operates I can get rid of large quantities.
If you love something with all your heart, there is nothing that will stop you from achieving your goals.