Thanks for your thoughts here - fortunately I've been working on some relatively involved novel development for my friend's startup. Worst case I can just continue contracting and use this to gap fill my resume for a year or so.

I feel ashamed not due to the drop in my salary, but more so because I feel like I'm no longer improving my career. Feels like I'm moving backwards and its embarrassing I'm making less than I did right out of college at Amazon.