O/T Career advice needed!

[Melody]

as Joseph Campbell said: "Follow your bliss"

heh. I did that. Did I mention my last name is now Bliss? I took my hubby's name.

Mel

[LBTC]

wow! Melody that's the coolest thing I've heard today! yay, you!!



Namaste,
~T~

[BikeMomma]

Bliss on a Bike. Now that's poetic!

MM, I have no more advice to add than what has already been said by all these wise and wonderful ladies, except to stress that whatever decision you make, make it for YOU, not anybody else.

Part of the reason I got out of cycling years ago was to spend time with my then BF, now hubby, which usually entailed going with him to do the things that HE liked to do or just hanging out with him just to be with him (he doesn't ride). I forgot who I was and what made me tick in there somewhere while falling in love with him and forgot to pay attention to myself too.

Ten years of marriage (happy, mind you) and three great, crazy children later, I'm putting my foot down HARD and fighting for my "me" time. I completely regret totally giving up who I was to be the model wife, mom, and career woman (still have that too). I wish now that I had not dropped the things I loved doing because I felt I should, in order to build a life with my husband and have a career job with better money.

The point of my gibberish may be: you're getting married soon (I remember from previous posts by you in other threads -- I'm the half-Brit who's English side lives close to you in Basingstoke - hello again!), you have no kids yet, and you're debating the career thing that will take time and you away from the things you enjoy doing, the things that define you. I see a parallel with myself as described above. With my hindsight now clear, if this were my choice to make again, I would definitely choose the job that will allow you to be and stay who you are (a cyclist, dog owner , etc.!), and not you molded into someone you won't recognize in 15 years.

Yet another point of view, huh? You have loads to think about now. I wish you the best, MM!
- Kim

[MightyMitre]

I'm amazed at the number of responses. I guess work/life balance is a pretty key issue to all of us. Maybe I should start another thread about how people achieve that balance.

Apparently us Brits work the longest hours in Europe, and I think I'm right in say you guys in the States work even harder that us. I know from for sure you have far less paid holiday than we get and work very long hours.

It's great to hear so many people are bucking the trend and saying no to long hour and yes to more 'me' time.

[Jo-n-NY]

Quote from LB

I'm an admin myself for a large forestry company that has recently been bought out by an equally larger forestry company so the company is now twice the size. My job hasn't changed a lot, but the morale is about as low as it can go. we've had a small organizational change and are currently waiting for our new building to be finished so we can move in. All of us expects that there will be more "org" changes (read job losses) and we just don't know when. The mood is less than cheerful. When I really look at it - I don't mind my job, I like the wages and benefits and what I get for the fairly low level of stress (the morale issue notwithstanding).

Another thread where you grabbed my attention. As I mentioned above, I am also and admin assist., company sold and bought years ago and now going through those organ. changes. I was the only one given a decision package or stay. As I feel there will be another organ. change at some point, 6mos or maybe 3 years who knows I decided to stay and by my time. At that point I will take the package but I have time to set up my family life. Personally, I also would rather do with less I take the time to do what we enjoy.

My husband owns a business with my brother, retail, which means working weekends. Of course I am off on weekends, so the only time we spend together, including riding together is me taking a vacation day on a Thursday his day off. But I don't have 52 vacation day. I don't mean this to be a sob story, but try to make the point that things have to be put into perspective, it just might take a little time to figure out. I better have mine figured out by the next organ. change

[Irulan]

but I guess you can put it into the leap of faith category.

18 years ago, He had a great $$ job, I was pregnant with our first, and he lost his job. In a lot of ways it was good because he was able to get into ground water ( his love and training) and out of oil. The bad part was he went in at ground level and we have to move to a really expensive area, live with his folks for a few months and so on.

We were living pay check to pay check, he was commuting 40 miles each way that took 2 hours each way, we weren't near the kind of area we liked being in the big city. Long story short, we had the oppurtunity to move, 1600 miles away, no family, pay cut, etc BUT it was a small city with good schools, affordable housing, and most importantly close to the outdoors lifestyle that we needed. We got a lot of crap for choosing to leave. Why would you leave the bay area?

You know, we never regretted our leap, not once. We were able to buy a beautiful home that we could have never afforded had we stayed. The school system is phenomenal. We have 5 ski areas within 70 miles. The cost of living is less. And we recoupped the pay cut and then some.

just 2¢

penny