The Heck with The Corporate World???

[K-Man]

So I graduated college last May and have been working in the corporate world since last August. (Aug 9 2004) I already see the pointlessness of climbing this ladder which just leads to more stress. I already have permission to take a Leave Without Pay (LWOP) in 2007 to do my thru hike. When I get to Katahdin in September 2007 I am sure the last thing I am going to want to do is go back to sitting behind a cubicle. The question is...What should I do with my life to be able to keep hiking and not be a slave to a middle manager? I have thought about working at ski lodge in VT during the off season and hiking the rest of the time. The only catch is that it's very hard to leave my cushy government job behind that guarantees me a steady paycheck, a well paid retirement, and health benefits. Should I just tough it out here and take LWOP's every five years to hike various long trails or should I just say F it and be trail trash? Can the all knowing WhiteBlaze shed some light on my philosophical dilema?

[the1stranger]

Want fries with that?

[Spiritual Pillgrim]

this year i said screw my job too. sold my house and bought a travel trailer. made a 3,500 mile loop from north carolina as far north as eustis maine. it was great and virtually stress free (except gas prices sky rocketed).
i'm still not working and hope to thru hike next year. i'm trying to down shift in life and accept that material possesions are really just that, material possessions. when i get off the trail, i just want to get a job that meets basic living expenses, nothing extravagant.

i once heard about a guy who waited tables during the colder winter months and spent all his warmer summer months hiking.

bottom line is, what are you willing to give up for happiness?

[Skidsteer]

Maybe try some middle ground? By all means hike the trail if you like, but as to making a living... nobody, not even our government, mandates that you must toil at a job you hate. Are you young? Take the time now to find out what you are gifted at, are content with, will provide a service for folks, and then charge all the market will bear. Life's too short to spend it at a job you loathe.

[DeBare]

I don't understand what you mean "Corporate World". If you have a government job then you are not in the Corporate World. You could try your own business.

[Tin Man]

There are many paths in life and only you can determine which is right for you. Each path has its pluses and minuses. All involve some level of stress. Even being a part-time worker and part-time hiker is going to have some level of stress. Whatever path you choose, do not look back, always look forward and make adjustments as you go. ~Gosh, this is getting a little deep.~

I don't really care for the corporate world myself, but it gives me a comfortable lifestyle and helps me raise a family. Dilbert helps me maintain a good perspective on things and I can say f*** the corporate world while working the system to my advantage. I imagine other occupations can be just as frustrating because when you interact with people, strange things happen that are out of your control. While some may argue the corporate world tends to be stranger than other worlds, I approach it somewhat detached and appreciate the humor of it all. ~Dang, this is deep. Later.~

[Shutterbug]

Looking for advice? You will enjoy your retirement years more if you work while you are young.

I am 62 years old and retired for the third time. Most of my friends in their 60's are worried about how they are going to survive. Social Security isn't enough to live on. Those who didn't work hard and put up some resources while they were young find themselves in a tough situation when they get older.

My advice -- work hard and play hard, but always spend a little less than you make.

[bulldog49]

Life is about making choices. And all choices have consequences. By now, you should be mature enough to make those choices and evaluate teh consequences for yourself and should not be asking for advice from total strangers.

And as someone else pointed out, govt work is not the corporate world. In fact the term "govt work" is itself an oxymoron.

My best advise is to grow up and think for yourself.

[bulldog49]

Life is about making choices. And all choices have consequences. By now, you should be mature enough to make those choices and evaluate the consequences for yourself and should not be asking for advice from total strangers.

And as someone else pointed out, govt work is not the corporate world. In fact the term "govt work" is itself an oxymoron.

My best advice is to grow up and think for yourself.

[Ravendog]

there are many dirfferent paths (deep, huh?). Seriously, I still regret taking several years off before, during or after college to go chase my pashion - surfing! I was always po'd because my friends would go spend 3-4 months in Mexico living on a couple hundred bucks per month. Of the guys that chose to spend their early 20's doing this, one is in jail, and one is a multi-millionaire. The guy that is now rich was the one who spent the most time not working, but he was always working it, so to speak (he could BS anyone in english or spanish). The others are doing just fine. I now go surfing in Costa Rica for a couple of weeks every year, and hope to spend more time backpacking. It's nice to know that my 401K will keep me in quality gear and beans and rice served in tropical style for my later years.

IMO, if you have to ask, then you are probably doubting that living "the trail life" would be for you.

[Tin Man]

My advice -- work hard and play hard, but always spend a little less than you make.

Great advice and this is how I live. I think an alternative lifestyle could emphasize more play and less work. There is no magic formula for work/life balance except as you say, "always spend a little less than you make". Some may prefer to live a moderate or even spartan lifestyle in order to play more while still saving for the future. Playing hard can be done very cheaply depending on your game.

[Tin Man]

IMO, if you have to ask, then you are probably doubting that living "the trail life" would be for you.

I imagine that rings true here as with many young people just starting out. We all have something that seems important to us now and later we find it was not so important to us at all. Sometimes it is best to just get things out of our system, like your friends when they were young, and move on.

[Just Jeff]

In fact the term "govt work" is itself an oxymoron.

You saying the military, firemen, policemen, teachers, etc don't work?

I disagree.

Anyway, K-Man, as long as you're pulling your own weight then do whatever you're comfortable with, IMO...without regard to what others think is right. Just keep in mind - the harder you work (and save) now the easier you'll live in the future. Find your own balance there.

[TooTall]

Just go do your hike in 2007. You'll have all that time away from work to ponder what you'll be doing when you finish the hike. Maybe you'll return and maybe you won't. Stay flexible and see what happens. Let the trail shine on your conundrum. It's all good.

Too Tall Paul

[K-Man]

My best advice is to grow up and think for yourself.

Damn dude...I assume everyone here has gone through a similar questioning of what they want out of life. I also assumed everyone here has a similar interest, (the AT) so I just wanted to know how ya'll worked through it.

[K-Man]

Just go do your hike in 2007. You'll have all that time away from work to ponder what you'll be doing when you finish the hike. Maybe you'll return and maybe you won't. Stay flexible and see what happens. Let the trail shine on your conundrum. It's all good.

Too Tall Paul

This is the path I have chosen as of now...Thanks everyone for your responses. I hope I didn't piss anyone off with my youthful dreaming.

[Ravendog]

dream. Just don't waste your talents.

[hungryhowie]

When I was 16 I decided that I didn't know what I wanted to do with my life. So, to figure that out, I set off to hike the Appalachian Trail. Along the way I figured out a lot of things, and came to the realization that deciding what I wanted to do with my life was a bit of a limiting proposition. A job is a job. A career choice is just that. That's not life. That's not what matters to me. When I die I'm not going to care about how far up the coporate ladder I climbed. I figured out that I wanted to experience the world...and I didn't want to do it alone. I decided that I don't want many material posessions, but the ones I wanted, I wanted to be nice. So I live simply, enjoying the company of my fiancee, getting out whenever I can, and doing things that make me happy.

Whatever is best for you, take some time and figure it out. You don't have to hike the trail to do that, but time alone...without interuptions from the world...is important to really getting into your greymatter.

Good luck,

-Howie

[stag3]

Lets get realistic...K-man is 23.. this good adise needs to reflect where he is now. I don't know a single 23 year old who is planning retirement. K-man will look back in 10 years and be shocked how much he has changed.Corporate life is not that bad once you learn the system and accept it. The other choice is be your own boss--another set of problems come with that. Vacations can be scarce.The best advise I could give is not make any big mistakes--like babies before you can afford them, wasting away on drugs ...... Enjoy the freedom that you have now, there will be ample time for house payments, car payments, and the other famiy type stuff.Stag

[MOWGLI]

Damn dude...I assume everyone here has gone through a similar questioning of what they want out of life. I also assumed everyone here has a similar interest, (the AT) so I just wanted to know how ya'll worked through it.

K-Man, it's not personal He does that to everyone. And BTW, some of the hardest working people I know work for the government.

I'm in a pretty good position to address your concerns. I worked 19 years in the Corporate world, and left almost 3 years ago to move 800 miles and take a job with a non-profit organization.

Here's the thing. The longer you stay in the corporate world, the harder it is to extract yourself. The whole deal is setup to get its hooks into you. The longer you're there, the more you make, the better the benefits (vacatime time), etc. It was really tough to leave a job, halve my salary and relocate from what had been home for many years.

But you know what? There is life after the corporate world, and its pretty darn good. Yeah, I can't afford to buy as many things as I used to, but you know what? I've got everything I need. Yeah, I can't afford to eat out as much, but you know what? The food in Chattanooga isn't as good as it was in New York. So its OK.

The trick is to find what you love to do, and do it. And even then, you'll get frustrated with your job from time to time. I have what many would call a dream job, yet I rarely have time to hike. I still have to make time to hike. It doesn't fall in your lap.

But then there's the good times - like this weekend. Today I leave to spend the entire weekend at a lodge in NW Georgia with representatives from more than 25 hiking organizations. These are amazing folks. In fact, I'll take a 2-hour hike today with some of the, and get paid for it.

So... find what you love, and go for it. Life is too short.

Oh yeah. Have a great hike. It may just be the best thing you ever do.