I think the author, having spent their entire life in college, has lost touch with real life a bit. I support their leaving that job. Sounds like it made them

I think the author, having spent their entire life in college, has lost touch with real life a bit. I support their leaving that job. Sounds like it made them unhappy. I don't like how they made it seem like it would have been better were they just paid more. If you hate your job but stay for a raise, that's a bandaid that won't be worth it, however much it is. Plus, ONLY 54k per year is better than about 40% of the country earns and I'd wager the majority have jobs that exert a far greater physical toll on their bodies and yield overall a much lower quality of life than a tenured professor can expect. Additionally, most people move to be closer to work or out of the city - not to switch climates so their kid can play outside, thats not in the cards for most people. Tbh, the whole thing kinda read kinda like a humble brag - more for the author maybe than anyone. It's all gonna be OK. Don't panic. You will be fine.