Balancing careers and the outdoors.

[marty]

Wow. This is one of the best threads I have ever read!

I made a decision a long time ago to make sure that I had a career that would provide for my family and me. I have been very fortunate to have been employeed at a great company for over 19 years.

Still, I occasionally wonder if I should have chosen a line of work that fit my passion for the outdoors, as well as a fondness for the somewhat slower pace of a more rural life. Working in downtown Boston can definitely drain me. I overcome that by constantly reminding myself that this is that path that I have chosen and that life is still pretty damn good.

Mongoose, my only advice to you is: if you decide to make the big change, do it NOW, so that you don't lock yourself into something you aren't change down the road.

Marty

 

[jmegillon149]

I stay in contact with my former boss in CT, when trying to leave my prior NH job (not a good place), she offered me one (all I wanted was a reference), turned it down despite a higher salary and free rent (parent's house is nearby) due to not wanting to leave NH (two hours from the mountains I can deal with - 5, not so much). I ended up taking a job that kept me in this general area.

All three of the jobs are basically 8-5, m-f. I also have a career where there are companies all over the place. You'd be hard pressed to find a town in the country that was not 100 miles from at least one architectural firm, so that factors in as well.

 

[John K]

Like many others, the decisions and turn of events has been a constant struggle between the dollars and frills and the balanced, simple life. When my sons were growing up an oppertunity arose to take a job in a whole differnt carreer that paid less than my expense account in my sales job. My family who had always taken the position of more education, more money etc. all chimed in that I was crazy not to take the low paying job. Off I went and for the first two years rode a bike to work - not because of any environmental drive but I had given up my company car. Our house was situated two houses away from the appalachian trail in Deleware Water Gap and we started hiking cause it cost nothing. Our whole family was redirected to the smple things in life and we have never looked back. I moved to Central New York and the finger lakes trail was a few blocks away. the kids became accomplished outdoorsmen and rarely fell for the frills. Then last year the chance to run a facility in Saranac Lake, NY. My dream come true. Unfortunately others in my life did not share the dream and the compromise was to not live but continue to play there. What I have learned in all my years as a therapist is that folks who lack balance tend to not be happy and certainly money does not buy balance. The mental wellness and spiritual growth one recieves from hobbies and such only add to the values imparted to others. My question is always "is it worth it"? I have yet to reach a mountain top to be confronted by a miserable, frowning face but I see lots in my office. So the choice is get balance in life or pay me to tell you to get balance in life or let the stress cause so much tension that you have no life.

 

[Sleeping Giant]

I have turned down jobs in other parts of the country not because they would have taken me away from mountains (I live in CT) but because they would have taken me out of New England. I've travelled around a lot, and when all is said and done I realize my roots are here and I have no desire to rip them up. I freely admit I'm totally biased geographically. As far as I'm concerned, as soon as you cross the Hudson you're either in the deep south or the far west.

Having said that, I'll never live more than 5 miles from the coast. That makes for a long drive to climb mountains, but that's why they invented radios and IPods. And at the age of 55, I won't be leaving my current employer until I retire or they can me, because I've got three years left of putting kids through Berkeley and Michigan, and my current salary lets me do that. I'd love to run a small bookstore, but that doesn't pay. You gotta live as if today's the last day of your life, but in five years I can climb mountains all I want. Assuming they're still there too.

 

[Toe Cozy]

So the choice is get balance in life or pay me to tell you to get balance in life or let the stress cause so much tension that you have no life.

I love that! You should probably trade mark that sentence or copyright it or something. It's got a lot of truth packed into a small space! Efficient advice!
I like the fact that you're not saying you get paid to tell people "how" to get that balance. That's the part we each have to figure for ourselves!

Have fun Mongoose...change is exciting!

 

[KayakDan]

Ya gotta have a plan!

Here's ours.
Bought a nice little house in Bethlehem a few years ago.
Bought a nice sailboat a couple of years ago.
Paying for all of it as fast as possible. Dumping as much $ as I possibly can into 401k and CD's.
In about 3 years I will own a house,a boat,and money in the bank. And I will take a job doing something I really like,that allows me to take extended time off in the winter. Like 1-3 months. Any good ideas?

Her'es how our calendar will look then.
Jan to March-"on the hook"(anchoring on Spice,my 26footer) in George Town Exuma (Bahamas) working part time as a kayak guides. Rent out the estate to skiiers while we're gone.
April-May-Backpacking Season
June-October-Sailing weekends from Portland area(straight shot-2 hrs door to water down 302)
November-December-Backpacking Season

Until then,the weekends are made for backpacking,kayaking and sailing.
The boat gets closer to being fully ready for a Bahamas crossing

I can see the light at the end of the tunnel...I think it's an LED!

 

[MattC]

I'm going to go out on a limb and say I probably make less money than most people on this forum, since I work in human services. But I can bike or walk to work several days every week, on a rail trail that is a few hundred yards from my place, I live close enough to a quiet water creek to carry a canoe, and I can get to the Shawangunks in about 15 minutes, Catskills in about an hour. And I don't even think (much) about work on evenings and weekends. Life is good.

Matt

 

[sierra]

Me, I consider myself very lucky. I chose to focus on the mountains when I was young and have never looked back. In the last 20+ yrs, I climb every week ( few exceptions). MY family never thought much about it, I climbed enough that thay just excepted thats what I do. A few years back, I left the manufacturing world and found retail, while many of the pitfalls of retail rang true, my company tranfers me anywhere I choose when Im ready. I bounce back and forth from east to west and consider myself a resident of CO and NH. I would not be forthcoming if I didnt admit, sometimes I wish I made more money, but there are many many times, when I crest the summit of some great peak out west, that I realize, Id take the summit over the money any day.

 

[bryan]

i made the decision a number of years ago that i would not work any job that didn't leave me time to do what i enjoy. i make just enough to keep my head above water and get out for a trip to the mountains at a minimum once every two weeks. jumped from a corporate job to working for a non-profit this spring (doing lots of work outside) and feel even better about myself.

bryan

 

[iceNsnow]

kinda along the same lines.....

I "gave up" a career to stay home w/ our daughters - absolutely NO regrets. Now that they are off to college, I have plenty of time to work and it's fun because I can focus on my job and not wonder ...

As for outdoor activities, where ever I am I make time to get out! Sometimes it was running on the streets of Albany, others it was sailing on The Sound or racing my bike around the country. Sometimes I had 1hr/day and other times I had days at a time; but I always squeezed in as much time moving in the outdoors as I was permitted.

My new career is surveying - chosen because it utilized some of my education and one of my "hobbies", as well as being OUTdoors.

Life is flying by and I'm going to give it my best! Family first - that's what I've learned so far.

 

[Willoughby]

Wow, lots of different stories and everyone balancing as best they can. My own balancing act is based on 2 separate realizations over the past couple years: 1) I have always lived in New England, and that's silly unless you get out to the mountains and lakes (or the ocean but that's not as high on my list) and 2) my family situation pretty much ties me to Boston for the next 10 years or so. So I keep the high-tech job, but I was able to reshape it to get rid of the endless travel, and with the travel a good bit of the stress. I've been with the same small company for 8 years - so when the weather's good and I'm not absolutely needed at work or home, I grab a day and head to the mountains. Even the days when I can't get out, are better for the days (and memories) when I did.

I hike solo a lot, partly because I'm not in the shape I'd like to be in and I make a lot of last-minute "let's go" decisions - but also because for me, part of hiking is about not being responsible to other people for what I do. Push on to the next peak? Slack off and enjoy the view? I don't have to explain myself, I just hike my own hike.

Meanwhile I'm trying to share my love of the mountains with my son, I climbed my first 4Ks (before I knew what a 4K was) with my father.

 

[rocket21]

I took a new job with the hopes of working less hours and being able to get outside more. This didn't quite work out that way for the first year, however I was able to finally relocate and shift duties so that I can get outside a bit more often. Gotta do it while I'm young!

 

[Maddy]

I think I saw this on the forums some time ago. Don't remember who posted it.
It went something like this:
"When you are on your deathbed, most folks will not be thinking as they pass into the great beyond...'Oh how I wish I had just one more day at work!"

 

[DNAgent]

work, outdoors, family

We doubled our days on the snow last winter (I eeked out 42 days, my wife skied or boarded 63 days, our kids somewhere in the middle), and we hike or mountain bike every weekend. We spend a whole lot less time in front of the TV, and a whole lot more time engaged in life. The kids' gym classes hike, mountain bike, ski and swim in the town athletic center.

Right on! Very interesting thread, especially how to balance family with work and the outdoors. Some have observed that when you have a family to support and save for college, retirement, etc, then you have to go for the money, and I sympathisize with those who do, but as Drew points out, the family can really benefit from living somewhere with more recreational opportunities. A little less money may be more than made up for by giving the kids a chance to get off the couch, get outside, and do things. Kids just don’t get together anymore on their own for pick-up games or outdoor play in general, so for kids to learn to love the outdoors the parents really have to take them.

Some of us have careers that can be done from anywhere, and in locations like northern NY where the cost of living is low and one can get by on a smaller or single income that may work out well, but others (like me) work in fields that can only be done in a metropolitan area. Particularly tricky if both spouses have to work. Thank goodness that the San Francisco bay area, the number one area for me and my wife's field, biotech, is also the number one area for outdoor recreation IMHO. We lived in Buffalo and Long Island NY for many years and although I loved being close to the Dacks, I only had time to go a few times a year and there was not nearly as many things to do in the immediate area for weekend day trips. We also didn't have kids then and were working much longer hours as grad students and postdocs, so I didn't seek them out as much as I do now. For us, San Francisco has the jobs while also offering fantastic parks and beaches less than 30 minutes from our house in the suburbs. Must be why it costs so darn much to live here! In the SF bay area, you don't forego the high-paying job to live close to nature, you need to have a high-paying job to afford to live there! Houses in idyllic Woodside, where silicon valley execs live and through which we pass on our way to the Santa Cruz mountains, cost in the low millions. I think the best thing would be to make a lot of money young and then relax and enjoy the rest of your life. Would that it be so easy.

 

[sierra]

Right on! Very interesting thread, especially how to balance family with work and the outdoors. Some have observed that when you have a family to support and save for college, retirement, etc, then you have to go for the money, and I sympathisize with those who do, but as Drew points out, the family can really benefit from living somewhere with more recreational opportunities. A little less money may be more than made up for by giving the kids a chance to get off the couch, get outside, and do things. Kids just don’t get together anymore on their own for pick-up games or outdoor play in general, so for kids to learn to love the outdoors the parents really have to take them.

Some of us have careers that can be done from anywhere, and in locations like northern NY where the cost of living is low and one can get by on a smaller or single income that may work out well, but others (like me) work in fields that can only be done in a metropolitan area. Particularly tricky if both spouses have to work. Thank goodness that the San Francisco bay area, the number one area for me and my wife's field, biotech, is also the number one area for outdoor recreation IMHO. We lived in Buffalo and Long Island NY for many years and although I loved being close to the Dacks, I only had time to go a few times a year and there was not nearly as many things to do in the immediate area for weekend day trips. We also didn't have kids then and were working much longer hours as grad students and postdocs, so I didn't seek them out as much as I do now. For us, San Francisco has the jobs while also offering fantastic parks and beaches less than 30 minutes from our house in the suburbs. Must be why it costs so darn much to live here! In the SF bay area, you don't forego the high-paying job to live close to nature, you need to have a high-paying job to afford to live there! Houses in idyllic Woodside, where silicon valley execs live and through which we pass on our way to the Santa Cruz mountains, cost in the low millions. I think the best thing would be to make a lot of money young and then relax and enjoy the rest of your life. Would that it be so easy.

I lived in San Fransico myself and agree, theres alot to do outside, but I drove to Yosemite almost every weekend and somtimes all the way to 395 for the big peaks and thats a tough weekly drive. But man Ill take the Bay areas weather year round over NH anyday. Say hi to my ex. for me huh.

 

[hikingfish]

That's a very interesting thread for me right now. A few months ago I left Montreal to come to Quebec City, where we're quite close to the local mountains. My employer had offered me to work from home (I'm a programmer, so I VPN into work). Unfortunately, our new project has a requirement that we meet, in person, every week and I'm not willing to drive 6 hrs (assuming absolutely no traffic) to get to work. This would mean I'd have to drive to my parents place (close to Montreal) on Sunday evening, which would cut into my outdoor time!

So I said I wasn't willing to travel that much to get to work. Now I have to find a new job

Fish

 

[Adventurous]

I think this is a topic that only those of us that love nature would understand. Every year during my performance review, my boss asks me what I want to do next. If I want to move into management then they will help me get there. She knows I love the outdoors and understands why I continually turn the opportunity down to stay in my current position. I don't want to sacrifice my personal time for all of the overtime that would be required. The money just isn't worth it to me. You have to do what makes you happy.

 

[hikingfish]

I think this is a topic that only those of us that love nature would understand. Every year during my performance review, my boss asks me what I want to do next. If I want to move into management then they will help me get there. She knows I love the outdoors and understands why I continually turn the opportunity down to stay in my current position. I don't want to sacrifice my personal time for all of the overtime that would be required. The money just isn't worth it to me. You have to do what makes you happy.

I guess a good way of putting it is: The mountains will always be there, but you won't.

I totally understand. I'm sure a lot of others will as well.

Fish

 

[MadRiver]

My wife and I have always viewed our free time as more important than our salaries. I work in academia, while my wife works in the graphic arts field. Our salaries are modest by corporate standards, yet we have carved ourselves a very comfortable life together. Except for owning two homes, we have very little overhead. We drive Mazda Protégés, do not dine out very often, and have no children by choice. Prior to owning the second home, we traveled each year to some exotic location and collectively have visited over thirty countries. When we bought the Thornton house from my wife’s grandparents, our world traveling came to an abrupt end. At first I thought I would miss the traveling, but as the years have gone by and we have hiked and skied more, our traveling has become a distant memory, albeit a fond memory. If my wife had asked me 15 years ago which trip I would prefer for our 25th anniversary; playing golf at Saint Andrews or hiking the Inca trail to Machu Picchu, Saint Andrews would have won. Today, Machu Picchu wins hands down.

It is difficult to explain to our friends who do not hike why we love NH so much. They are used to the constant activities of their children coupled with the niceties that urban living and their salaries can afford. The down side that they cannot see, which is quite evident to us when we try and get them to come north, is that they are a slave to their lifestyle. You work hard to provide your family with all the luxuries that you might not have had, yet you have no time with which to enjoy these luxuries.

For the past 11 years we would drive home after work on Friday, throw a small bag in the car, lock the house, and head north. Saturday would be our day to play in the woods; skiing in the winter, hiking the other three seasons. I never had to deal with little Montana throwing a hissy fit, or little Iphigenia pouting because her friend Clytemnestra wasn’t invited along on the trip. We have a simply life with simply needs and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

 

[charlos]

i am moving from East Harlem, NYC, to Ulster county because i just cant take it anymore!!!!
It's a hail Mary....i plan to commute three days a week to Chinatown and hope that eventually i will find work upstate near our beloved mountains and nature. Our first home...wish us luck!
If anyone wants to carpool or has any job leads in the arts i am all ears!
Peas, Charlos