Anecdote: I had been programming for ~12 years consistently by the time I got my first job. Almost entirely for fun. I'd managed to get jaded with software (especially commercial software) by this time.

I'm considering going back to school for tropical paleoclimatology, largely because I never cared much about the career prospects.

Maybe there's nothing wrong with doing it if you want a good career? Hobbyist programming is substantially more rewarding, in my opinion.