Page 3 of 3 FirstFirst 123
Results 21 to 25 of 25

Thread: Last day at work tomorrow, returning to the US on June 27th

  1. #21
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Posts
    6,248
    Quote Originally Posted by lhamo View Post
    I'll let you know if/when I'm heading your direction. Not sure if I'll make it this summer/fall, but I hope so.
    i owe another friend a trip to that region as well, so there is a chance but not soon as well.

  2. #22
    Geila
    Guest
    Have a great time on your sabbatical! It sounds like you can really use the time to restore yourself, both emotionally and physically. Enjoy!

  3. #23
    Senior Member flowerseverywhere's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Posts
    3,061
    It will be interesting to see how you feel about this in six months or a year. I went to MM and read your story. It seems a few years ago you were so sure and hopeful about reaching FI yet this last stretch took a lot out of you. In retrospect it will be interesting to see if in the long run you would have done things the same way. I know in my life there are definitely some things I would have done differently knowing what I know today.

  4. #24
    Senior Member lhamo's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Location
    Seattle
    Posts
    1,625
    Quote Originally Posted by flowerseverywhere View Post
    It will be interesting to see how you feel about this in six months or a year. I went to MM and read your story. It seems a few years ago you were so sure and hopeful about reaching FI yet this last stretch took a lot out of you. In retrospect it will be interesting to see if in the long run you would have done things the same way. I know in my life there are definitely some things I would have done differently knowing what I know today.
    I learned a lot -- professionally as well as about myself -- in the last two years so I think I probably would have still accepted the acting director role. But I would have insisted on having performance goals and compensation structure outlined in advance. Then again, I read "Quitter" by Jon Acuff the other day and one of the things he said that struck me is that you have to know about yourself is where your strengths and passions really lie and resist the urge to follow different paths because they seem like they might be good. The Acting Director role was that for me. I can do office administration/management stuff, but it isn't my passion. I am a program person. I love to design/implement/refine programs and see how they benefit people. The higher level position was much too far removed from that and I spent 80-90% of my time stuck with mindless administrative minutia that just about drove me insane. I lost a lot of what I enjoyed about my work, and didn't even have a higher salary to compensate for the extra stress/unhappiness. So I don't know -- maybe in hindsight I wouldn't have taken that offer. But if I hadn't I might have just been happy to stay in Beijing and then I wouldn't be sitting here in Seattle right now. If only life were a Choose Your Own Adventure book that you could go back and have a do over just by flipping some pages....

    The transition has gone fairly well so far aside from me overdoing it physically and messing up my surgical scars. Hopefully nothing worse than that. Will have an ultrasound later this week to ensure there are no deeper complications. DS is doing very well in his math classes (doing homework as I write this). We are waiting for our furniture to arrive/be assembled. Due to physical complications and lack of a vehicle to transport I couldn't use used sources for our bigger furniture so we went the Ikea route. Should be able to sell it off at 50% of what we paid if we don't end up staying. Cheaper than renting a furnished place. Hopefully I'll be able to lift again in a few weeks and we can get the remaining pieces we need from used sources.

    Only 2 weeks until DH and DD arrive for their 3+ week visit. I'm glad we timed things this way. It will be good that we are settled in and DS is almost done with his classes by the time they arrive.
    "Seek out habits that help you overcome fear or inertia. Destroy those that do the opposite." Seth Godin

  5. #25
    Senior Member razz's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Location
    Ontario, Canada
    Posts
    8,169
    Lhamo, what I have found out over my life is that if you do what seems best given the known info of the time, it is always a gain in so many ways that you cannot see at the time.

    I remember being devastated when we had to sell our farm and later move with DH's job. It was the best opportunity for both me professionally and completing my degree and my children to complete their education both as school and socially.

    I now at age 71, look back and count my many blessings from all the challenges and life experiences that took me in directions that I would not have explored otherwise.

    You may need more time and distance from the past as yet but you will see the same degree of benefit to your life with all your storms and joys.

    You will succeed at whatever you do with the knowledge and skills that you have earned. Best wishes!

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •