Monday, August 10, 2009

When you're at that age...

So everyone hits that age when they feel like they are at a crossroads. It might be right before you go to college, it might be right afterwards, or it might be where I am now, a few years after you graduate. Some may call it a quarter-life crisis, but maybe its just growing up.

I'm on my second job since graduating, but only held my first job for about 9 months. Four and a half years into Job #2, I've done well for myself, but is it really what I want to do for the next 5 years? Probably not. Do you move jobs? Do you go back to school? Everyone has a lot of friends that have been real good about continuing their education. I have lawyer friends, friends that have gone back to get their MBAs or some other graduate degree. But I don't really want to go back to school just because I don't know what to do, that seems like a horrible idea. Recently I've had a few friends head back to school and some have been rather confident that I'd like it, but with my undergrad GPA, is it worth going to a school that isn't a top 20?

I feel like a lot of people my age find themselves doing something because its a paycheck, and not because its their career. How long does one wade water before its time to move on? I grew up right outside of DC and that's where I find myself today. Does a new job mean a new city? Perhaps, but where do I go? In the past few years, I've found myself traveling to places like Chicago, New Orleans, San Francisco, Boston, New York. Do any of them fit me? I feel like you never know until you try it out. But maybe I'm just scared. Moving to a new city by yourself is never easy. I'd like to think of myself as not a chicken shit, but maybe I am. I look at a few of my good friends and I have Ari who moved out to LA because he wanted to. Raf went down to Argentina for a couple months and is now moving to China. Yousef is moving to Chicago to start his acting career. I envy these people. I respect them for their ability to do it. All these people in all these places. I guess I have options, but where do I even start.

I contemplate this quite often, but continue to stay on my current course, not knowing where I'm going. How do I leave all my friends and all that I know? I get jealous when I see people traveling the world or doing something that they love for a minuscule paycheck just because they are enjoying life. It sounds trite, but I try and live life, not watch it go by. The words I live by are that I work to live, not live to work. But can I ACTUALLY do it? Maybe one day I'll have the courage. When I do, who wants to start anew with me in a new city and where should we go?

3 comments:

Courtney @ Eat Pray Run DC said...

yay you blogged! i think now is the time to try something new. you are young, single and have nothing keeping you here. chicago is one of my favorite cities -- sooo fun! or maybe just a new job here? you've got some thinking to do, mr. manatee. oh and in case you were wondering, boot camp was HARD! i thought about crying.

Laura said...

ah, this echoes so much of what i feel, rick. and i even went to grad school! i've started reading a book about things to do with a law degree and have given myself a deadline for picking something new. now i just have to actually move on all of that, but it's my first step rather than just thinking i'm unhappy where i am. i say you start thinking about it seriously. and don't be scared to move somewhere else! there are so many awesome places to live! maybe we could move somewhere new and start all over together so it's less scary! tho lately i've really been enjoying DC, tho moving is still a possibility. you should COME TO MY BDAY PARTY THIS WEEKEND and we can get drunk and muse about it. =)

Anonymous said...

But how many manatees do you give life right now, that's what I want to know? Cambridge for life buddy, you and I (and Brett) love it. At least we have our porthole...

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