It sounds like you had an ideal situation. I was in a PhD program, but didn't want the academic life. The article I reference in my story makes the point that academia is one of the most exploitative industries, full of people who love their work so much they are happy doing hours and hours of unpaid work. Of course, most of those people aren't really happy working so hard, but it sounds like you really were. Lucky you, the exception that proved the rule!