Retail really sucks. I only did it for about 5 years, but it drained the life out of me. Good on you for getting out of there!

My mom just finished her master's degree at the age of 58 while still being a mom and a wife. She's proven to me that you can do whatever you want, regardless of age. Might it be a bit more difficult? Sure, but you can do it. You don't have to go get a master's degree either, that's just what she wanted. You could maybe look into a trade skill or some sort of technical degree that would be cheaper or possibly offer paid training.