Okay, on Friday I got the call about the interview for a new job, and I was thrilled. On Saturday the cold light of reality struck looking at the job, so help me to think this through-- pros:
- It is really suited to my skill set and would be fun
- I love the office and the people already
- It's a wonderful laid back place to work and live
- Very familiar with area and have ties to larger area
- Would make clear to my extended family that I cannot just drop everything and go to help my parents or move into their house or buy something nearer them on East Coast, all the plans they have come up with in the last 6 months
- Would not have to move closer to one set of grandchildren and exclude the other grandchild--the Sophie's Choice conundrum
- It's a govt job with a tiny pension at the end
- More social life down there
Cons:
- Husband not as happy in that area and is willing to relocate but he is bothered by the heat and bugs--I mean really bothered, has massive allergic reactions to the bugs which led to the meat allergy and a couple of ER visits for swelling/hives/blood poisoning ?-- red streaks on arm going up to heart?? He does not like the soil and we both want to be market gardening. It is very sandy and the growing season is weird--there are actually kind of two growing seasons, but to give you an idea, the last island we lived on grew grapefruit. He is a Midwestern boy and can't get his head around it.
- Pay for job is very, very low. Low enough that will be funding move out of retirement funds, and we will both need to be working full time to make it work.
- Housing prices have risen there and I could not find anything we could comfortably afford nearby. Could buy a foreclosure about an hour away but it would be an hour away and then there is commute
- Very expensive to move again, and would be moving away from all family, although closer to aging parents, but still a day's drive
- Very hard to make the transition because renting difficult with the two big dogs, so lots of stress and possible separation for a few months from husband
- Husband is having some health issues lately and is getting sleep study done, but he is having panic attacks for first time
- Children on East Coast sad because still far away from them
- I am sad because still far away from all three grandchildren
- Wanted to be near two out of three of the grandchildren if i could do that
- It's a grant job, which means may not be permanent
- I'm not sure I will be good at the job, and that's a lot of money to pay to move to then lose the job or not have the grant renewed
- I'm not doing so well with the heat lately--it's been in the 90's this week and I don't feel I can catch a breath, and that is how it was last time I lived in a south Carolina summer--constantly struggling to breathe. Only now I would be working full time and constantly struggling to breathe.
Okay, any thoughts about the decision? If I know I could not make the job work, I don;t think I should go down to interview--I am paying my own way to the interview, and it's expensive to make a trip. I'll drive.