Hello. How far in the future is this potential retirement?
I always suggest dipping the toe(or leg) in before jumping. That often means private pilot training, especially if you have 9 months or more before ending the current job. Think of that training as starting the foundation on which we’ll later build the house.
The quality of what’s available locally matters, training options will vary. The AOPA site has a list of flight schools.
Have you taken a family trip to Oshkosh for the big fly-in the end of July?