[htatche]

Yes, twice. I tried starting a career as a guide in the mountains, but after passing my certs realised that it would take me too long (years) to achieve any kind of financial stability, all of that whilst being away from my family a lot of the time. In the end, the pay would still be significantly lower and volatile compared to a dev job.

Also worked as a plumber for nearly a year. You do get the satisfaction of not being glued to the screen every day of the year, and actually seeing the job you did at the end of the day. Again though, you need to put up with some kind of people with whom you may not have the same conversations you're used to, plus the low pay, plus the constant labor. It was freeing to do it for a year, but not any longer.

I'm now in a very boring job which pays pretty well, and my thinking now is how can I become less dependent on my dev salary, so if I burnout again (and I know it will happen), I can take an extended breather again before going back to my desk.