I have come to a turning point. I have worked very hard to get where I am in life. I was never expected by any teacher, or either of my parents to make it past a paper hat for job prospects. However, I now work for a multi-billion dollar company managing a product that delivers health solutions to millions of people around the globe. I really love what I do for a living, but it’s not what I would have chosen for myself. I was shooting for rock star. Still, it’s more than what I expected, and definitely surprised a lot of people who didn’t expect anything from me. So I’m at least very proud of where I am.
Therefore, for personal reasons it comes as a particular conundrum that as I am at the pinnacle of my career that I am considering making a change. During the last economic down turn in 2007, I started on a particular venture for documenting some of my cycling excursions around the country. I’ve still been doing this, but the bulk of the work lasted until the economy returned and I started making real money back in the IT world. I didn’t abandon the venture, but I also haven’t been putting the effort in it that I possibly could. In the interim, several other sites have supplanted my place among the blogosphere, making it an extremely challenging prospect for me to return full time. However, that is what I’m considering.
Keep in mind that for the moment my job is safe, and I have no intention of leaving said employment just now, but we are on the precipice of an economic fucktastrophy. I might just be forced into a new opportunity by no decision of my own. I’ve learned in my career, and in my life in general, that I have zero control over what someone else decides, only what my reaction is to that decision. That’s how I got into the world of writing blogs in the first place. I just plain didn’t know what else to do and let’s face it, my marketable skills are limited to fast typing, a quick wit, some cycling skills, and a marginal ability to turn a phrase.
So I’ve been considering a few things. Not the least of which is selling my house, packing up all the shit I can fit into a travel trailer, and selling or donating the rest. I’m pretty sure there’s some poor guy sifting around the DAV needing a large couch that very briefly supported my old tired ass when I was able to spend a few days at home.
I am also considering starting a travel/mountain biking blog, documenting my exploits while I travel from one end of the country to the other. Think about it. I love to write. I equally love to ride. I also like to tell people what I know, and what I think. It sounds like a perfect fit. If you consider all the things in the world I could be doing right now, it really doesn’t sound like a bad idea. Then again…how do I pay for it? Also, how do I get the most important person in my life to come with me, or at least fly out to see me when I’m at fun places to stay?
I’m sure to many of you it sounds like the most horrible idea you have ever heard. I’m not sure I can fully disagree with you. For one thing, it is true that I can’t really afford not having a full-time job. It’s not like I’m independently wealthy. For another thing, how would I put it all together? Sure, I can write content. I also have the tools and technology needed to document many of my exploits. What I don’t have is a safety net if this all comes crashing down around my ears.
So what I’m trying to do now is determine if selling all the things I have worked for, and the house they are in and just telling the world to fuck off is the best course of action. It would allow me to quickly high tail it to Mexico when it all goes to shit (I would have chosen Canada, but my wife hates the cold). However, I do like having a home to go to at the end of the day and an office to go to for working with the people I love. So I think for now, I will just see which way the wind blows and make my decision then.
Rex