Changing careers at 11 years into a job, is it realistic? - 4 months and counting

After 11 years as a teaching assistant I am thinking about moving into a different field. I would rather hear the honest version than the polite one. My family is supportive but nervous. Did you take a pay cut?

I took a small pay cut for a year, and it was worth it for the growth afterwards.

Thanks for writing this out. I went through something close to it last year, and it got easier once I kept a simple log of every call and form.