Yeah, it's a balancing act. I just passed a big certification tonight, that has been stressing me out. So I'll have some time to relax for a bit (I still have school, but it's just book reading, the tests always stress me out). PNW is chill, I'm in Portland and I really love it here. Plan on staying in this apartment for the rest of my life, provided nothing crazy happens.
In terms of work, I get job offers all the time. Mostly regarding my previous experience, which was in community management. I also get interest in doing 3D work, but it's mostly from somewhat shady characters. People doing NFT stuff or weird start ups. I plan to try the indie dev thing for a few more years. I feel comfortable with my skills, it's just a matter of making something that is worth buying. I would rather do that if I can make it work.