How easy was it to mine when Bitcoin just came out? I just arrived at this scene. Heard about it years ago and feel really bad I didn't jump in sooner. Oh well, it's still young. It should be a good investment for the next couple of years.
Unless you have an advantage for mining or already have an investment in mining, I think the most profitable thing you can do for bitcoin and for yourself is to run a business in the bitcoin economy and make it profitable. What good or service can you sell to bitcoiners? Start thinking about that, and you'll probably be able to do better than you would mining.
Like a wallet service? I don't really have the technical skills, sadly. I'm not a real programmer. I can program a bit but I have no experience in any big project.
By investing I meant buying Bitcoins. Their prices are increasing. I don't think it's a stretch to say they'll get back to the all-time peak of $30 soon.