No kidding. I also switched to a paid service (disroot.org), but given how many people and services have my Gmail address, I just keep Gmail configured in my IMAP/SMTP clients so I can continue to receive and send from Gmail when needed. I've been hooked into Gmail and its related services since it was in its infancy. Back then, you needed an invite from an existing user to create an account, and you were given 5 invites to share with family and friends. I don't think I could practically excise myself from Google at this point.