Seems it was. I retired very comfortably without having to live in a big city tied to a desk at a university. Instead I traveled widely and worked in National Parks. My final position should have been historian for US Navy at Pearl Harbor. Hired without an interview. I was suppose to start January 2010 but our 14 year-old boy died in the night at Christmas. That broke me. Then lost his mom to a car accident ten months later. Sent me into early retirement for good. But I accomplished enough. Had a few publications, everything attempted, and got to teach people who wanted to learn (park visitors) as opposed to high school (= 75% babysitting). My first post grad work was essentially a second BA in biology so I was well equipped to work anywhere in the Park Service. Being a disabled US veteran helped too. Actually made it hard for employers to not hire me. Yeah, those degrees were a gold mine in many ways (though not always financially). No regrets.