did you ever quit your job and took a new one where you made say $10-15k less?

[lost in space]

Did that when I left Apple. My next job three years later was at a private university. Salary was less than half, and it was a snake pit. I stuck it out for a year, then got on at a public university, where I retired from. That job was really pleasant, great people around me, except for the IT administration.