I strived to be an academician through my 20s and 30s. I don't regret it, but didn't have nearly as much fun in my younger adulthood as many of my best friends had. I also had to sacrifice many of the things I loved most in my youth, such as music and theatre. Lately, I've been going back and forth between being a true academic and earning more cash as an administrator. I'm not sure which is better. The extra money has become a bit of a necessity, but so has extra time...