Breaking out of the status quo

[herbgeek]

Yesterday, I talked to someone I'm acquainted with in our local technical community, about an opportunity she's working on in Boise, ID. They are looking for someone with my skillset (software testing). My first reaction was, oh no, I can't even consider Boise, I've got too much going on here in New England. There's my wonderful spouse, and spoiled cats, and my garden that needs care, my elderly parents, my new grand niece that I see every week or two, my friends, my comfortable life here.

But then I thought, why not? Is the status quo really that precious that you aren't willing to risk an adventure?

So I sent in my resume. For me, it will come down to how flexible they are willing to be about my working remotely, or if they will pay for me to fly home on weekends. I think the work lends itself well to being done remotely, its really a matter of culture. And with web conferencing and skype, does it really make any difference if I'm in the next cube or on the east coast?

Anyone care to share stories of taking a risk, or jumping out of their comfort zone?

[shadowmoss]

I'm in Honduras. Need I say more? I'm a long-haired, middle-aged hippie earth mother geek. I'm working at a military post in Honduras.

So far it's ok. Helped me break free of a lot of pre-conceptions I had about life. I'm about ready to come home, but if I stay at least another 10 mo my debts will be paid off and I'll have some money in the bank. Would I do it again? Yes. Am I about done with it now? Yes.

[Zoebird]

Moved to NZ.

It's really a family decision. If DH didn't want to move to NZ, then that would be that, right? :) I like to move more than other people.

[cdttmm]

I was quite comfortable in my semi-retirement, teaching as a adjunct and dabbling a bit in other things. The trickle of income was nice and I was comfortably hanging out with a bunch of educators, a peer group I was very accustomed to. So what was I thinking trading that to be the COO of a media start up based in Texas. Now I'm faced with managing a virtual team spread out around the globe and learning a new industry in a trial-by-fire fashion. Um, yeah, risk taker. :D

Quite possibly my best decision ever.

[SteveinMN]

At the end of the month, I leave my "excellent-pay-and-benefits" job in IT officially and start my own business. I still have some groundwork to do for the business. And, while I have contacts with whom I can start talking, I don't yet have a single paying customer. But I'm confident I will. I've been eyeing this market opportunity for quite a while and I don't have a fixed roadmap on how events need to work out. I have a cushion in my wife's income. I know I'm so burned out on IT that I need to do something else. But sometimes it still feels like walking off a ledge.

I'll keep people posted. :)

[tamrajo]

Wow! So my small story of stepping out of my comfort zone is as follows:

I quit my “career” job as a food scientist when I was 4 months pregnant with my first. I had all intentions of staying at home with her and if needed, I would find work on the side. From the time she was 5 months old to 1 year, I started a home based sewing business (sewing baby carriers, and a few other things) and I also started consulting part time as a food scientist again for someone who I knew from my previous career. Both jobs were going pretty well, but I decided my heart was really more into sewing so I decided to put my notice in for the consulting (stepping out of the comfort zone of regular money). Within 24 hours of “quitting” I had an actual full time job offer from the place I was consulting at worth way more money than I ever imagined, so I decided to ‘scrap’ the idea sewing- because I could always continue to do that on the side if I wanted to, but the full time job paid more than sewing.

What I wanted to tell YOU though is, I grew up in Boise, ID and it is a wonderful town! Now I live about 50 miles away, but go to Boise almost every weekend because my parents live there. If you haven’t been here you should at least come visit before turning down an offer. IT’s always in the top 10 (or what ever top) of most desirable places to live, and I totally agree!

[bae]

Anyone care to share stories of taking a risk, or jumping out of their comfort zone?

In our mid-30s, my wife and I quit our Silicon Valley 80-hour/week careers and moved to a remote rural area, where we redirected our energies towards public service.

It was pretty scary at first, but worked out well.

[redfox]

Dude, Boise area is GORGEOUS!!! I hope you get the option to just say yes.

[herbgeek]

It looks like I won't have that option, I haven't heard back and my contact told me they were looking to hire last week.

[shadowmoss]

Worthwhile to have the oportunity to ask yourself 'what if?' Next time it won't seem quite so out of the norm.

[jp1]

Three years ago SO got an amazing opportunity for promotion that involved moving across the country. Despite worries about the economy (late 2008) and the idea of moving from the city I'd lived in for 18 years I quit my job and moved with him not having any work opportunities lined up here. 5 weeks later I started a new job in a slightly different aspect of my field which I like much better then my old job. And I like the new city equally well compared with the old one.

[Kestrel]

Sorry you missed out on Boise ... it's a great place to live ... aside from the politics. Great people. Magnificient scenery. Out in the middle of nowhere. Boise State Broncos football! We moved here in '05, and odds are we'll die here ...

... (confession - we don't actually live IN Boise - we're in Meridian, right next door to the west - but we spend a lot of time in Boise for various reasons, and <fingers crossed> will move into co-housing there in about two years) ...

[Selah]

Stepping out of our comfort zone? We moved to Israel. We've only been here five months and there have been definite periods of discomfort already, but then we were uncomfortable in other ways living in the U.S., so it's no big deal. Wherever we go, there we are. Sorry you didn't get the Boise gig!

[Kestrel]

Selah: I am enjoying reading your blog. Thank you!