[apercu]

I sort of did the same. Quit a job and joined a start-up consultancy as a partner. The politics of that were a little tiresome after 6 years (and that was probably due to the post dot com crash year or two).

I then moved to Canada, consulted for a couple years with legacy American companies and then got enticed to take an executive gig at a Canadian "start-up" (that basically turned in to a consultancy). 8.5 years of that and I was pretty unfulfilled and very stressed.

So I went back to consulting. I will say that Canadian health care made that decision easier, but in 2022 I started my move back to the US.

Still consulting, but for sure, that health insurance bill makes me take projects that remind me of why I left the executive gig.

That said, I've never wanted to fully "retire". I like the work, I just don't like the unreasonable parameters most engagements have, and I'm hoping that in a couple years (when mortgage and some other expenses are over) that I can go back to maintaining healthy boundaries with clients and work.

Because, I do like the work. I just don't like the grinding.

-s