My company has an opening at another location. Right now I am at the HQ: promotions can come quickly, many other chances for job opportunities. I live ten miles from the job, but it takes me 30 minutes to drive. If they get the light rail working that could be reduced to 15 minutes, but obviously I would be on their schedule. I'm in a bigger city with all the usual pros and cons.
The other job is in a remote location, but it's near my hometown. Well, it's at least 60 miles from the hometown, 75 minutes driving. There are probably car pools but I can't assume that. I just checked mapquest, they want me to cross a bridge that was demolished 27 years ago. It's not even on the map, just the path crossing the river.
I'd have to take a pay cut, lose the raise/promotion that took me 18 months to get. I don't know what kind of promotion path I could follow up there. There's no guarantee I would have a place to retire from and I have another 30 - 35 years to go. I'm reasonably confident that my current job will still be available that long.
Some things are cheaper. My current house would only be worth 1/6 - 1/3 up there. I could rent a house for 1/4 my mortgage. Taxes are higher. Most basic services cost more. My current house needs repairs to make it sellable; I would feel lucky if I got out without owing money.
The last consideration would be mating. There are more chances here, but since my batting average hovers at zero I can't count it as a minus.
Why would I do it? There are plenty of people who leave a place and never look back. Just as many who wish they could leave but got trapped. I'm the one who wishes he never left. I had to because I was making no money; I couldn't live my lifestyle even in a place that was so cheap. It's what I consider my home. There were at least seven events since January that I would have attended, but didn't because of the drive up there. There are plenty of events that I always attended; at least ten weekends that I must drive up there for. If I lived there, I can think of only two times a year I would travel back here for something.
Not that events are everything. There are other things I like to do. Up there I could walk out my door and be hiking in ten minutes; down here it might take an hour. Sure I may be the only fat man wearing spandex and riding a bicycle in town but I can handle that stigma. I don't care about the city cultural advantages; I like seeing bands and museums but I don't live for them.
I'm not saying I would do this, but there are plenty of civic duties I could do up there. I don't want this to sound egotistical but I'd be a big fish in a small pond.
Enough for now. I got some things to think over.
Kevin T. - VRWLC Wings score! Flames score twice....
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