Yes to all of this. Of course, I'm in Canada, so substitute American dream for Canadian dream. I chased it for decades. It left me exhausted and depressed. And that's why I jumped off the hamster wheel. I'm living in a modest apartment now, but am saving for my dream, which is to have a small little place (shack, house mobile home, don't care as long as it's clean, warm and dry) on s couple of acres back home within reasonable proximity to the ocean, away from everything where I can garden and enjoy nature and peace and quiet and just write and do whatever.