Thru hiker needing guidance

[Mags]

Mags advice is also excellent. Contract work is usually higher pay and higher risk, and great flexibility (especially when the market is good). While I was describing the 40 hr/week, with balance as you go (time to play your guitar and hike a little), the work an intense X months and play for Y months is also another valid approach.

HE and his wife have no children. Helps that his wife is also in education and also has a lot of free time. The risk is mitigated with no children.

Again, has its challenges, but works for him.

Speaking of education, with your math skills and degree, may not be difficult to transition to education if that is a career you may be interested in. Less money, but a steady pay check with set time off that is ample.

[grayfox]

There is some very good advice above--I would like to add that while you are looking for that perfect job to come along, you could go over to your nearest old folk's home, or whatever, and apply to volunteer. It would put a real face on the future for you. There are some great YMCA's in Indy--try that if you can't take old folks. Just go do something to get out of the house for now. Time will help--just stay moving in some fashion for now.

[12TH Man]

First and foremost. Thank you to the WB staff for fixing log in problems.

Now to the OP ......................Are you nuts!
At your age I would have killed to have your credentials. Stop whining!
I graduated with a microbiology degree and no job prospects.
Worked offshore oil rigs around the world. Got laid off.
Joined Army and damn near got killed with parachute malfunction.
Hired as controller by the FAA. Worked IAD tower on 9/11.

Life is, and never will be perfect.

[12TH Man]

But I have had a lot of fun!!!!!

[4eyedbuzzard]

Lots of good advice here - contract work, field engineering (I did it for several years and liked the challenge and travel part), military, etc. But ultimately you simply are going to trade your precious time for money unless you hit the Powerball. Everybody from park rangers, climbing guides, professional poker players and rock stars do, and like everyone else even they work long hours sometimes and probably have parts of their profession they don't like. Such is life. You are young. Priorities often change - anyone with children can attest to this.

I hate to say it, but you will likely many times in life want to be doing something other than what you are doing. So, if you're going to have to trade your time for money, it doesn't hurt to look at a nice paycheck each week for doing it. To a great degree, money does buy a higher degree of freedom and allows you to pursue those other interests - take more and nicer vacations, etc.

[slbirdnerd]

Hey Lighthouse, If your up for a move, I can easily get you a job here in CT. I work for Emerson Network Power/ Liebert Services and we are short staffed due to some people leaving and are actively hiring electrical engineers. If your interested and want more information shoot me a PM.

This is awesome--what a great community! So, my advice, is at least look into this... Or, find something you love that you can live on and be happy... Or, you write really well--ever thought about that? Or, so all that. I'm 42 and I did what my mom and dad wanted. I have a solid career. I am SO bored.

[Nuggz]

Man... You sound exactly like myself. I'm hiking the trail in 2014 though. I've been a software engineer for 9 years. Like you, I don't code in my free time. I actually sit around and play guitar too. I wondered what it would be like for what I got finished and I think you are summing it up pretty good. I'm not sure if I want to return to this either. There are many things to do in life and many passions. Money isn't a passion. Trading time for dollars sucks. Get a job with one of the trail crews in the summer. You stay out on the trail doing maintenance for 7 days... become a back country ski patrol at a resort. Go back to school for something different. These are all ideas Im tossing around for when I'm done. Life is too short to spend 40 years doing one type of job. If you don't NEED the high paying electrical engineering job, go do something you want to do.

[12TH Man]

This is awesome--what a great community! So, my advice, is at least look into this... Or, find something you love that you can live on and be happy... Or, you write really well--ever thought about that? Or, so all that. I'm 42 and I did what my mom and dad wanted. I have a solid career. I am SO bored.

What????????????

[Traffic Jam]

I'm sorry about your sister. You've had a lot of emotional upheaval with her loss and hiking the AT. Two life-changing events in the past year...I'd be surprised if you weren't struggling emotionally right now. Talking to a professional counselor or psychologist would probably be beneficial.

[BuckeyeBill]

You may enjoy Hike Your Own Hike by Francis Tapon. It covers 7 life lessons that came from his hiking the AT.

[MDSection12]

I have no philosophical insight to give, but I'll point out that an electrical engineer who plays guitar can indeed make that a career. I know a few electrical engineers that build and repair pedals and amps. Maybe start learning about tube amps.

[Braves#6]

Find work in a sound/recording studio. Work both angles:engineering and studio musician. You'll be doubly valuable.

[Night Train]

I'm a third generation firefighter, my father and grandfather were both wildland firefighters, I took up being a career metro FF. The stories of adventure were never ending, the appreciation of people and planet were evident in how they lived and worked. Most importantly, they were simplistic men who truly lived free. You're a perfect candidate to do exactly that. BTW, pay and pension are pretty good too.

[MuddyWaters]

Nothing wrong with working a decent paying job while you sort things out.

It beats working a low paying job while you sort things out.

You can always change.

[Malto]

I hope Malto chimes in. He seems to have found a nice balance of professional life and play.

thanks Chin, I try.

Believe it or not you are in a great position. But first..... You are still going through a huge transition. It took a full year to get back to the new normal and I will never return to the prehike me. The biggest changes are my ambivalence to possessions, titles and status. This is a good thing. So use this time to sort through your life and find how to keep work from sucking. It is BS that you can't find a career that is enjoyable. I am also an engineer, mechanical and there are so many paths that your career could go. I have worked in automotive, electronics, and a long time in consumer products and food. I even started and ran a business for a couple of years. Today I lead an organization n a field completely unrelated to what I did earlier in my career. Net, a career is a series of adventures, if you chose, not just one continuous path. Find what you're good at and success, however you define it will come.

if I were in your shoes at your age, I would:
1) find a job in your field. you have a highly sought after and well paying major, use it. It is easy for folks to say chunk it and work a seasonal job. It makes little sense to do it with your earning potential.
2) find a job you like and/or where you like it. If you can get both great. I would be looking at somewhere like Colorado where I could hike every weekend if I chose. It's amazing how getting out in nature makes the work week more enjoyable.
3) be a tight wad. You can earn a lot, so save a lot. Do this for a while and you can retire at an early age.
4) look for a job that would allow a leave of absence. I did this for my thru and if the opportunity presents itself then I will hike the CDT to complete my triple crown. Often west coast companies are a bit more progressive on these matters but you may have to wait a few years to take advantage of that benefit.

you are fortunate because you likely learned an important lesson before you got caught up with spending to keep up with the Jones. I didn't learn it until I was 45 but fortunately I have a great career that I love and have lowered my overhead to maximize my savings to allow freedom to hike. So be patient, find balance between work and play. The better work is the easier the balance. Good luck.

[prain4u]

Few things in life are as emotionally "easy" as a long distance hike. To oversimplify things----Wake up. Break camp. Walk. Take care of bodily functions. Set up camp. Eat. Sleep. Repeat. If you like a spot--or want to rest--you simply stay someplace longer. There are no time clocks to punch, no rigid schedules to keep, no major bills to pay and no one telling you what to do. No one is telling you what you must wear. Heck, you don't even have to shower, shave or change your clothes for days at time if you don't want to. Not too much stress associated with such a lifestyle.

However, for most folks, such a lifestyle is not possible (except for very brief segments of their life). As much as we hate it, most of us have to do things like have a job (and have to endure things like bosses, schedules, stress, and monotony). It stinks--but it is a harsh reality for most people. Even those individuals who are suggesting that you hike more, ski more, contract your services (and work less often)--are still all pretty much saying that a J-O-B seems to be a necessary evil and something that most likely be in your future. In that respect, people (including myself) are agreeing with mom. Vacation is over--time to face reality.

HOWEVER, I do acknowledge that going back to the real world is hard. The real world can be frustrating, stressful, and depressing. Many of us daydream about running away--but we have "obligations"--so we suck it up and work our jobs. We might dislike most of it--but it is a necessary evil.

Part of the problem is also that you are age 25. The 20's can be a rough time of soul-searching, frustration, and indecision for many people--especially for many unmarried, college-educated, males. (The late 40s and early 50s are another one of those times). "Who am I--and what do i want to do with the rest of my life" are questions which torture the mind and soul of many people at those times in their lives.

I agree with those who have suggested that you MIGHT need some professional help in making the shift back to the real world. That does not mean you are crazy. You are just "stuck" and in need of a guide to help get you back on the pathway. I also agree with those who suggest that you try to find a job that gets you outdoors and/or hiking as much as possible.

Good luck with the transition. I am rooting for you. I have faith that you will find a good pathway.

[faxanadu]

Lighthouse,

I'm not sure if i bumped into you on the trail (Shake N Bake). But, i'm in the exact same situation as you. I didn't finish college (was in school for EE) but i made great money in the oil field doing exactly that (irony). Leaving that job for the trail was the hardest life decision ever. Once i finished the AT journey i had a plan in my head to travel around, work on some website/business ideas, etc. But, once i got home ... i've been getting pulled in all directions from people wanting me to:

Go back to school
Travel with them
Job offers
Ex girlfriends (lol)

The idea of being sucked back into my old life (long hours like you, stressed out all the time) is just so distasteful to me. Worse, i'm not sure why im struggling so hard to follow my own heart again. It brought me great joy on the trail ... and every day was amazing. I guess what holds me back is that my family will:

Think i'm a moocher or lazy
My plan might not go as expected

...There was something liberating on the trail when i just let go, enjoyed the moment, and followed the paths available to me... instead of trying to force things.

[faxanadu]

What's interesting is i had this documentary called "A Map for Saturday" where the guy backpacks around the world for a year. Everyone that he ran into and interviewed after had all the same sentiments as you described Lighthouse.

[4eyedbuzzard]

Things I've learned:
Vacations don't last forever.
It is definitely nice to just hike around or travel or __________ and not have to work for a living.
If one is retired, independently wealthy, trust fund kid, etc., all the above would seem just one of many options.
Most people, however, will have to earn a living somehow to obtain housing, food, etc.
Finding something one enjoys (or at least doesn't hate) AND something that pays well can make the "drudgery" of earning a living more enjoyable.
Such is life.

[Nyte]

I guess what holds me back is that my family will:

Think i'm a moocher or lazy
My plan might not go as expected

...There was something liberating on the trail when i just let go, enjoyed the moment, and followed the paths available to me... instead of trying to force things.

Spending time worrying about what others think of you keeps you from spending that time living life for you. Do you want to live your life, or the life they expect you to live? While I am certain they care, and are speaking to what they think is what is best for you, they are not you. They cannot know your feelings and thoughts, dreams, and desires as you do. They are also, as most are, coming from an opinion that since the world generally works this way (something people have been deluded into to provide for those holding the strings), that it is the way things must be, the only way. WRONG!

You just did it, you took 6 months off from that world, and made it work. Yes, you have to find a way to interact with that world, to be able to obtain what you need, but it can be on your terms, not someone else's.

Plans never survive long in the real world. Everything in reality is fluid, changing, influenced by millions of factors that are in turn influenced by... well you get it. Have a path, be ready for it to change, and to adapt to what comes. Like you did on the trail. Live your life, every minute, to bring to you what makes you smile, what drives you to want to get up and go on.