I feel very retired b/c I bailed from the demands of trial attorney work in an ever expanding aggressive law firm. However, I planted myself in an assistantship program (meaning I teach a class and take full time grad courses) as a severely non-traditional student. While I now have long breaks between academic semesters (though, being the workaholic I am, I did summer school), I work very hard week to week in my program; more than a 40 hour work week. But it doesn't feel anything like the grind of the legal career. It is, for the most part . . . fun. I could go on but what I am wondering is how others define that stage between bailing from the desperation of competing for the pile of chips that will enable you to say sayanora (or FU as the case may be) and planting the ass firmly on the rocking chair.