Competition for the Trail

[Casey & Gina]

Life has a funny way of throwing monkey wrenches at me, I thought I'd post about the latest one and ask if anybody else has experienced similar...

I decided that I'm going to hike the trail next year, hell or high water, because that is where I want my life to go. I've been at my current job about 3 years, and it's degraded slowly over time becoming less rewarding and more frustrating and flat out boring to do. This is my experience with most jobs though, and this is the longest I've been at a single job, so no big surprise there. Either it's an unfortunate but natural consequence of companies growing, or a personal problem. Either way, almost on queue, it has come to light that the upper management has decided they are going to be changing the technologies we use, and beyond supporting what we have in place for several more months, my only option would be to learn and work on a new platform that I don't like, or be out of a job. No complaint there, I'll take the latter! This is also the highest-paying job I've ever had, but personal happiness means more to me, and I don't see myself being happy continuing to sit at a desk without any break for personal ambition. That said, I have never been one to save money like I perhaps "should", so am looking to hit the trail with debts cleared and just enough funds to hike the trail comfortably and get by for perhaps a couple months after that while figuring out what to do next.

Then came the monkey wrench. A former colleague had highly recommended me to a nearby company, one that would value the work I do and sounds like it has a very enjoyable work environment. They contacted me and I told them straight up that I am planning to take half a year or more off working after letting this job wind down over the next couple months. They responded saying they would offer a large pay increase over my current position should I be willing to join them. Not a small increase, a huge increase. $30k huge. I had to sit and chew on that for a couple days, thinking about all the things I could do with that extra money. Ultimately, I sent them the following short message:

"Last night I really thought things over and have decided to stick with my current plan of letting things finish up here more slowly over the next few months, then taking time off from working for an extended vacation. It was great to talk with you and the position offered sounds interesting, enjoyable, and a step up the career ladder, but it's just not the right time for me to take such a step right now. As you mentioned, you are hoping for someone to give a long tenure, and do not want to start into such an opportunity feeling as though I missed doing something I need to do for myself and my family first."

Illogical? Irresponsible? Stupid? Perhaps. But it's what I feel is right, for me.

Over on another thread here, I saw some criticism that those who don't take care to plan their decisions that affect their long-term future are fools. I'm not in a common age bracket for thru-hiking, neither a young man nor a retiree. I am in my mid-thirties. And I have a wife and son, who will be coming along for the ride. I suppose if anyone is to be called a fool for lack of life planning, it's me. But to me, this is the only thing that seems right. I feel that any sort of attempt to predict the future and plan for it is somewhat foolish - not that it's bad to do but we must admit that we have no control over what happens today, tomorrow, or next year, or whether we'll even be there to see it. Or perhaps we will be there but lack the capacity to enjoy that time as we had hoped.

I personally live very much in the present, and by and large figure things out as I go. This has afforded me a lot of experiences I never would have had otherwise. I've lived all over the country getting a real feel for it's diversity, worked more types of jobs - temporary or otherwise - than most, been forcefully broken free of material attachments, had my eyes opened to many things I would have never otherwise understood or accepted, had to overcome big challenges and loss, etc. Not that I mean to brag, because it's not without it's downsides as well. Sometimes I end up wanting exactly what I had decided against a year before, etc. But to me this doesn't seem foolish at all, rather it's made my life feel worth living. "Right" doesn't seem absolute to me, it seems relative and time-based. When I end up "stuck" for too long, despite being well-provided, life becomes boring and less meaningful.

I figure this forum should be as good of a place as any to perhaps find others who can relate. So if you can, or if you just want to call me a fool, chime in. :)

[Uriah]

I think you and I may be long-lost brothers. All my life I've been told to plan for tomorrow or to plan for a rainy day, but have instead heeded my own inner voice (demons!) and opted to chase deep-seated dreams. Most folks live in pursuit of safety and comfort, two things I find rather uncomfortable, since those demons inside only get louder when doing so. I've survived and have got about ten years on you, even though there were some nerve-wracking moments here and there, along with crappy jobs (to me they're all crappy if they're a job) through lean times.

I will say this: you won't regret having hiked the AT, or any other long trail. A thru-hike is life condensed and more of it.

Plus, if your wife and kid are along for the ride, it'll be all the better.

[paule]

Jobs and money come and go,,,time only goes.I had a similar choice to make when I retired,to stay and build up more money or to leave and move to where I want and do what I want.I retired.....love it.

[TexasBob]

I may be wrong but sounds like you are a little uneasy with your decision, like buyers remorse. Not judging just wondering. Good luck on your hike.

[Traveler]

Since you already sent word you don't have an interest in working with the new company, its a moot question, you have already made and executed your decision. Nothing anyone says here can make it right or wrong.

[Just Bill]

You're only a fool if you haven't thought it through.
Is your response premature or the correct one for you?

I'll give you the flipside- I recently got a 20k raise, 2.5k signing bonus, and 5k increase again in 12 months. So close enough to your 30k i suppose.
The only real hangup was a 2yr non-compete and of course an expectation of additional hours. (60-70 week).

That said-
My daughter is 2 years old in May, my son is 5, my wife is at a job that remains stable until august and then she is up in the air.
I'm trying to do other things (financially) to free us up in the future to hike more when my kids are a bit older.

So in my case, not a monkey wrench, but a timely tune-up on the path I chose to take.

However-
I hesitate to say the economy is better, but there is a generational gap in the workforce and hiring issues for folks our age in certain places.
I got the big bump because there may only be few hundred people in the country who do what I do. And it's a burn out job for older folks and one you can't slot a college grad into without a 5 year investment in training.

Point being- if you are in a spot where someone is tossing money at you the question I would ask-
Is the generous offer made because there is alot of work at the moment that needs to be done? (my case in construction)
Or is the offer made because of the labor market shortage specific to your field and this job?

I can't say, likely you can't either... but sounds a bit more like the latter. And this job will probably be there in the foreseeable future.
It also sounds like your mind is made up (especially as you already declined the offer).

My long term goals and plans make the soul sucking imbalance of too much work and no play acceptable in the short term.
It sounds like your short term goals would likely lead to a trainwreck if you took the job and skipped the hike. So long as you take a hard look and evaluate if you do have your financial house in order, provided for your families needs, and are taking the trip responsibly it sounds correct.

I try to live in the present too, and go where the trail leads.
The nice wind down at work to put everything in place, a willing family, and the opportunities presented all seem to point to sticking with your plan to hike.

But just because the trail is laid out pretty clean and neat doesn't mean there hasn't been a recent re-route or last years blue blaze wasn't converted to white this season. So take a hard look at the whole map before you pick which fork to take.

[Casey & Gina]

I may be wrong but sounds like you are a little uneasy with your decision, like buyers remorse. Not judging just wondering. Good luck on your hike.

Nope, no remorse. Just curious about the perspectives and similar experiences of others. Thought it would make a good topic for discussion. :)

[TexasBob]

Nope, no remorse. Just curious about the perspectives and similar experiences of others. Thought it would make a good topic for discussion. :)

I am glad to hear that. I was concerned that it might hang like a shadow over your hike. Maybe I will see you in the spring on the trail.

[Casey & Gina]

So in my case, not a monkey wrench, but a timely tune-up on the path I chose to take.


Indeed! Hence why I said that "right" seems relative and time-based, rather than absolute. In another time and circumstance, past or perhaps future, I would make the opposite choice. The humor is that life throws you bones when you don't want them, and when you need them they are sometimes hard to find!

Some years ago I was hiking across California, along roads... The terrain was dry, the weather was hot. Water was infrequently available so my already heavy load was weighed down more by a rather large quantity of water. It felt a lot more difficult than what I had planned for. I had quit smoking maybe six months before. Then there on the side of the road, I saw a whole cigarette in perfect condition, just lying there tempting me. I must have stood still staring at it for 5 whole minutes before deciding "#*&* it" because having quit or no I really wanted to have a smoke, so I picked it up while pulling a lighter out. Then, to my surprise, the cigarette turned out to be utterly void of tobacco - it was just an empty paper shell and filter. No idea how that happened but it made me laugh hard at myself for a long time.

It's moments like that, or when the best job offer of your life comes right when you are decided to take time off from working altogether, that make me wonder if there is a higher force that is having a joke at your expense. :P

Though I think if you follow your heart in the present, it generally always leads to the right place. Turning away from one opportunity often paves the way to another that is even better. Or if not, perhaps the first one was not as good as it seemed on the surface.



Or is the offer made because of the labor market shortage specific to your field and this job?

I can't say, likely you can't either... but sounds a bit more like the latter. And this job will probably be there in the foreseeable future.

Yes, I work in a fairly niche market. I never went to college and it was just a matter of luck that I ended up enjoying working with something that is not all that common. Jobs will always be there for the willing. I may even give up working in this field altogether, because I am pretty sure I'd rather be doing something more physically active rather than sitting at a desk all day.


But just because the trail is laid out pretty clean and neat doesn't mean there hasn't been a recent re-route or last years blue blaze wasn't converted to white this season. So take a hard look at the whole map before you pick which fork to take.

Well said! :)

[Mags]

I've been at my current job about 3 years, and it's degraded slowly over time becoming less rewarding and more frustrating and flat out boring to do. This is my experience with most jobs though, and this is the longest I've been at a single job, so no big surprise there. Either it's an unfortunate but natural consequence of companies growing, or a personal problem.

I don't have much to add..but as soon as I saw these sentences, I thought "This guy works in some form of IT". :)

I know the story..believe me...

best of luck in any decisions you make...

[squeezebox]

There's a lot to say for economic stability , also a lot to say for happiness. What are you partners thoughts.

[Hangfire]

When you turn 65 I'm sure you would be more than willing to give all it all up to have that chance to hike the AT while you were 35, young and able. I cashed in my chips a few years ago at the age of 38, hiked the Camino, then the AT and hopefully can hold on long enough (financially) to do the PCT next year. I met more than a few middle aged people who were either retired or close to it and they all agreed "do it now", as injuries and years pile up it becomes more and more difficult to achieve something as difficult as a thru hike on AT. Remember your clock is ticking...

[Dogwood]

"I saw some criticism that those who don't take care to plan their decisions that affect their long-term future are fools. I'm not in a common age bracket for thru-hiking, neither a young man nor a retiree. I am in my mid-thirties. And I have a wife and son, who will be coming along for the ride. I suppose if anyone is to be called a fool for lack of life planning, it's me."

I'd reassess! Be mindful of whom's definition of life long planning you are rating your decisions by and describing yourself as a fool. Sounds VERY MUCH like you are thoughtfully taking care to plan your decisions that affect you and your families' long-term future.

[Malto]

The only thing that I would have done differently would have been to leave a hook about future employment with the Company. Something along the lines of "I am very interested and would be interested in potentially joining the team at the conclusion of my trip." You never know how this may play out.

[Casey & Gina]

The only thing that I would have done differently would have been to leave a hook about future employment with the Company. Something along the lines of "I am very interested and would be interested in potentially joining the team at the conclusion of my trip." You never know how this may play out.

Well, I did actually include something similar in my closing signature, and they wrote back saying to keep in touch in the future, so that's sort of there. But I don't think I will be living in this area post-hike so probably will never entertain that possibility. I want to move farther south, and west. The population and traffic is way too dense here for my tastes, and I have found it easiest to connect with people in the southern states. The unfortunate reality of the work I do (as Mags alluded to, I do work in IT - database work in particular) is that employers are always in the middle of urban environments. When I have done temp work out in more rural places that's when I've been happiest, though the pay was minimal. We always had 10 or more acres around our house when I was growing up, so I suppose that's a part of why that's really what I'm most comfortable with. Funny that I used to dream of moving to the city when younger, and now I hate it.

When we lived in Maryland, my mom used to commute about an hour and a half each way to have that amount of property and be able to afford it, working in an area with good income and living in an area with lower property cost. That same commute today would be over 2 hours due to increased traffic, and the financial balance is probably worse now too. My longest commute has been an hour each way and I don't think it's worth the loss of time. So my intention longer-term is to live somewhere where the cost of living is significantly less, and be happy earning less, in a new profession that I can actually enjoy more. Or who knows, maybe I will continue doing the same sort of work, but for a smaller company that pays a lot less.

A few years ago I lived in Indiana (working in Indianapolis) and that was the best balance I've found in my life travels so far. I made less than half of what I would in a city on either coast, but the cost of living was very low as well, so I lived quite comfortably. The traffic was never a problem there and commuting to work downtown was only about 25 minutes. Winters were colder than I prefer and the terrain is flat and boring, but otherwise it was great. Living in Maryland on the cheaper end of the housing spectrum costs about twice as much and I get a lot less for the money. Of course, some things cost the same everywhere, but I sleep a lot easier knowing that I can manage to make ends meet working a temp job earning very low wages for a while if I have to.

[dudeijuststarted]

At the age of 35, I was in junior management in IT at American Express. I had done everything I wanted to do in my career and the hours were murder so I told them I was done with IT, and I went off and hiked the trail. After the 6.5 best months of my life (I really took my time and flip-flopped several times,) I was at a loss as to what to do. I needed a car, bought a used one, and realized that I really wanted a new one. My health started to turn upside-down, so I wanted the best doctors. After a long course of decision making and traveling across the country, I realized that I'd be just fine in my old career, but that I'd look at it in a new light.

I'm back in IT, but not management. I will not take a management job. I refuse responsibility beyond what I originally negotiated. I don't look at my work as a "career," only a job to get me the things I enjoy. I get paid well for reading WhiteBlaze all day. I set boundaries with my employer and say "no" to anything that impedes on my life outside of work. I can do this because I learned that if all else fails I can live out of a small pack on my back and that a community of wonderful people will help find a way to put me to work. After my thru I went back to Mountain Harbor Hostel and just...slept. There was a book on the table: "How to Stop Worrying And Start Living" by Dale Carnegie. It was there for good reason and it further changed my life.

There is for many an initial depression after the AT. However, the hike is not over and the journey is just beginning. Life is MUCH better after the AT, but you gotta put in the work to gain the transformation. They say the "AT ruins your life." It ruined mine, and I wouldn't have it any other way. The thing about the AT experience is that no one can ever take it away from you. It's just too big, too powerful, something most people have never endured. Life = accomplished.

[egilbe]

I don't have much to add..but as soon as I saw these sentences, I thought "This guy works in some form of IT". :)

I know the story..believe me...

best of luck in any decisions you make...

my same thoughts, but i dont mind learning, or teaching new technologies. Its the nature of the beast.

[Just Bill]

Asheville, NC would be the only eastern city I'd seriously consider... you may want to consider a side trip just to check it out.
Indianapolis is a good Midwestern City, southern IN and Illinois are quite pretty. Mountains- no, but there is some terrain. Nice balance of economy, people, and leisure.

Denver area (not denver) is still on my list as my Father is there... But as far as places for IT workers it's right up there if you don't want to go further west.
I'm coming to like the eastern plains a bit more, where land is relatively affordable and the commute isn't too bad. The problem I noted with Denver was that you do have to drive a decent bit no matter where you are, so might as well save the bucks day to day and go east a bit. The view is the same, the housing is half, and so is the commute. The lifestyle is relatively laid back from a work ethic standpoint too.

I may get a chance to design and build a tiny home subdivision there (600-900sf) for 90k to 160k houses. If that gig comes together... I'm out.
But... without knowing enough about Washington and Oregon... Denver area seems to have quite a bit going for it overall, especially if the tiny home stuff does work out and gets more common. Colorado in general is a good state for that type of living. Yar you can get your 40 acres and a mule somewhere, but if you can't afford it outright, don't wish to home school the kiddies, and do require a job; minimalist housing communities in suburban areas seem like a good solution for many seeking a better balance in life. The zoning is still messy but some of the Colorado towns are starting to get creative on that front.

Who knows, by the time yer done with your thru foundations may be going in the ground.

Not sure what we'll be drinking though... still hard for me to look too far west of the Mississippi long term given the water issues.

[Mags]

my same thoughts, but i dont mind learning, or teaching new technologies. Its the nature of the beast.

In IT you pretty much have to switch jobs every 2-3 years otherwise (I find)

* Your pay stagnates. In most companies, the only way to get a real raise is to take the new skills you acquired and move on to a better paying job. A typical "merit increase" is a mere 2-3%. (http://money.cnn.com/2015/08/10/pf/pay-raise/)Unless you go management track... Heck no to that for me.
* The job itself becomes rote and is no longer challenging
* As the OP mentioned, companies grow and/or the companies change. I find this usually translates to a more bureaucratic structure...

Just my experience in any case...

[Spirit Walker]

A couple of years after my first AT hike, I was stuck in a job I didn't much like and was seriously thinking about leaving to go for another long hike. I heard about a job that sounded ideal, so I went for an interview even though I wasn't entirely qualified for it and didn't really expect to get the job. Because I didn't really care, of course I got the position. Instead of being an ideal job, it turned out to be a nightmare. My new boss and I did not get along at all. Four months later I realized that I could stay and be miserable, and probably quit by the end of the year, or I could quit immediately and go on the trail. Guess which I did?

As long as your wife is agreeable to uprooting your lives, I see no reason to regret the choice you made. Life is short. When DH and I decided to hike the CDT, one of our motivations was the knowledge that his younger brother had already had two heart attacks and bypass surgery. We don't know what life has in store. If you have the money and the health, now is a very good time to go for a long hike.

[Mtsman]

It sounds like you have just made up your mind to *commit* to your hike.

I got offered a management position at my current job as well and turned it down because I plan on going on the AT in 2016. It bothered me for about a week or two and sometimes I still think I messed up, but I am willing to bet that I will not regret it once I am on my thru hike.

For two years I made excuses on why I couldn't go on the AT. None of that, not now, its my time to go!