I wish you well. Don't know you, but I do know the choice to improve your life takes courage, and that's worth applause.
My initial path to this forum was a search for knowledge, but now, with retail being almost not played, the reason to still come back here is because of the community. The game has indeed changed, and some of the players with it. Gameplay creates habits, habits create perception, and perception determines what we value and prioritize, in this case, accumulation over connections. You seem to already have the most important answer: you have to know what is best for you as a person, what you really want inside the game and out, and then pursue that, sometimes leaving old habits behind when they get in the way. Make your life what fits you as best you can, fill that cup with joy.