What should I do with my life?

[moderndayflapper]

That is true, I have so much stuff that I hold on. For what? I feel like it's just weighing me down. I have lots to do

 

[Derrel]

Yes, definitely, move to Portland. YouTube - ‪Dream of the 90s‬‏

 

[molested_cow]

Good luck moving to portland without a serious gig waiting for you.
Good luck moving to any where without a serious gig waiting for you.

 

[Josh66]

Good luck moving to portland without a serious gig waiting for you.
Good luck moving to any where without a serious gig waiting for you.

It's doable. I wouldn't do it with no savings unless there was no other option ... but it's still possible.

Like I said before, if you have nobody to care for but yourself, it's easy. You might have to lower your standards a little, but eventually you will get back on your feet.


With a wife & kids depending on me... I wouldn't do it unless I had enough money in the bank to support us for at least 2 months. I have a small advantage though, since I can get a job pretty much anywhere. It might not be a good job, but it will be a job. I guess, really, anybody can say that though...

 

[molested_cow]

Of course it's doable. Anything is doable. But I've seen too many friends who all fantasied about going to NYC right after graduation and ended up with low paying sucky jobs living in lousy housing with poor quality of life, yet they don't understand why they are unhappy. They thought being in NYC is everything, but still feeling unhappy.....

Portland is kinda new hip place for young people. Lot's of creative industries around. However, that's where everyone flocks to. Unless you don't mind working as a waiter at an organic taco stand, or as a bartender at an organic micro brewery, or as a part time staff at an organic bike shop.... good jobs don't come very often because they are taken by much more experienced and competitive people. Of course, no one's stopping you from living off the streets while you figure out what to do with your life. You will probably find many buddies while at it.

For me, one key to being competitive, other than the talent and skills you already have, is being flexible and mobile. You go to where the job is, not go to some lala land and wait for something to happen. I found my official first job in Aug 2008, just before the automotive industry went belly up. I moved more than 700 miles for the job. One year later, my job was not secured anymore, so I found another job 700 miles away at the end of 2009, when the economy crisis really hit the country. People are amazed by how I can "just find a job", but it's more than "just". You got to know what you want, what's important in your life and make necessary sacrifices. To me, this is the time when you don't dream about fancy jobs or career. This is the time when you find something that doesn't make you miserable and save everything you make.

My current job makes me miserable but at least I get to save quite a bit. When better times comes, I am more than ready to pounce.

Having a family is totally different. I can't speak for that myself, but definitely feel the challenge as many of my friends are dealing with it.

 

[Josh66]

...I didn't know that Portland was the new 'hip place to be'. Anyway, I suspect that it's not much different than anywhere else...

These days, I go where the money is - and right now, that's Texas. In my industry at least. Personally, I think it will stay that way for a while...


Sometimes I hate the fact that I've moved around so much (I have no 'roots', I live thousands of miles from my family & friends. Most of my family has never even met my wife or kids.), but other times - I just want to move again...

I'm kinda in the same boat as you in that I hate my job, but it pays too good to quit. If I was still single, I would have left a few years ago... I almost did once, but damn - there's so much to plan for when you have 3 other people counting on you... I wasn't confident enough that everything would be fine again, so we stayed here. Maybe I just got scared - I don't know. I never had to move a family before. It was always just me before...

edit
What makes it harder is that my wife's family is here. Not only would I be moving, again, but I would be moving my wife away from her family - which she says she is willing to do. But, she has never done it before, so even though she says she will do it - she doesn't really know what she's signing up for. She doesn't know what it's like to have nobody to depend on but yourself...

 

[molested_cow]

Portland is the most hippy town I've ever been to. I was there for a job interview 3 years ago and I swear that everyone who was on the street on Friday night was high on weeds. It's a heaven for anything organic and vegetarian or vegan. It's a crime to drive a car that runs on gas and bikers are the biggest bullies on the streets. There are many creative jobs, just not really available for the takes. Portland is where one of the most well-known advertisement firm is, has some design firms and companies that hire designers. Nike is just a stone throw away so that creates a lot of opportunities. Intel is near by as well.

I am what you can call a professional hobo. My principle in life right now is, own as little as possible for the most freedom I can have. When I move, I can fit everything I have in less than half of the smallest box truck you can rent from Uhaul. I have to rent that because I need to tow my car. In fact, I don't even own a bed. What I have now was given to me by someone.

I will be moving again soon. This time, across borders so I really have to trim down what I own.

I have no family member on this side of the hemisphere. Every family member is at least 24 hours of flight away. I'm used to it. I am feel more comfortable traveling than staying at one place. Right now, S.Florida isn't working out for me and traveling helps me feel a bit more alive. On the other hand, I get somewhat depressed when I come back.

Anyways, it does take a lot of trial and error to realize what is important to you in life. There is no absolute answer, you just have to go with your intuition. The outcome is a bonus but the experience is everything. Doesn't matter how big your dreams are. Nothing will happen if you don't take the first step.

 

[ArizonaSun]

What do you WANT to do?

I am at that point in my life asking the same thing heh. I have moved three times in the past three years between states, but with safety nets. heh. The next time I move I would like it to be without one.

The way you write sounds a lot like me, just trying to figure it all out heh.