The big news
Remember the financial, uh, situation I alluded to the other day? Well I’m finally able to share what that’s all about…
I quit my job.
And I don’t have another one.
And I live in the state with the worst economy in the country.
And the highest unemployment rate.
Yes I’m a frickin’ crazed lunatic.
That’s the bottom line for all you bottom line type people, but for everyone craving details, here’s the story. About a year ago I started to feel restless and unhappy in my situation. I live in a town where I have no friends and no family, a place where I have no hobbies or connections. And I started to get really lonely. My whole life was work and Brad, and I was no longer getting fulfillment from work. So we started to talk about what we should do.
It took us a long time to figure that out. We both knew we wanted to move out of this place, but we weren’t sure where. Eventually we managed to identify four very important goals that needed to happen no matter where we ended up:
- Brad needs to finish his bachelor’s degree
- Shannon needs to start a graduate program
- Brad needs a job
- Shannon needs a job
Since last fall, we’ve been exploring all kinds of ideas across the country and world. In March I started applying to jobs all over the place, but we quickly realized that we wouldn’t really be able to afford school very easily if we moved out of state. So by mid-April, we had pretty much narrowed our searches to Michigan. By May, my entire family (four siblings, two half-siblings, two sets of parents, a niece and a nephew) had returned to and settled in the Grand Rapids area, and I was eager to join them. So I began to focus on GR.
In the meantime, Brad and I had both applied to and been accepted in programs at a college in GR, and Brad had figured out a way to keep his current job and work from home. Goals 1-3 accomplished! Now I only needed to find a job. Since March I have been searching for employment daily, which is the first problem because there are so few jobs in Michigan that I often go days without finding anything to even apply to. I’ve sent out countless resumes, I’ve done phone interviews, and I’ve traveled back and forth to GR for in-person interviews. I’ve been a finalist three times. It’s been nearly five months and still no job.
School starts next month, our lease is up next month, Brad is moving next month. Time was running out and I had to make a decision: stay here until I find a job in GR, all the while keeping my paycheck but setting myself up for serious depression and loneliness? Or quit my job, move next month, be broke and pray to God! that I get a job very very very soon? I’ve never been much of a risk-taker when it comes to life-changing decisions, but I went with the latter.
I heard a quote somewhere the other day. Google tells me it was someone called Epictetus who said it:
If you want to improve, be content to be thought foolish and stupid.
So go ahead and think I’m foolish and stupid. Hell, I think I’m foolish and stupid! But it’s done, I’m taking a chance. In a month I will be in a city I like, I’ll be with my family and my friends, I’ll be starting a master’s program. An yes, I’ll be jobless and utterly broke indefinitely, but I really think that at the end of my life I’ll be able to say I made the right decision.
Like I’ve said many times before, someday I will be on the other side of this. Someday I’ll know how it all works out. I’m scared to death right now, I actually felt sick about it this week, but people have done crazier things and survived. I think I will too.
Now, if anybody happens to know of any job opportunities in the GR area, I beg you to share them with me. Ideally it would be something in the nonprofit, higher education or communications fields, but at this point I just need income. And if anyone has any suggestions for freelance writing/proofreading/editing/transcribing work that pays, I’d love to hear about those too.
Along with continuing to job hunt, I also have to find a way to make money in the meantime, pack up our apartment, figure out how we’re going to move everything, figure out where we’re going to store it all until we can move into our new apartment in mid-September, figure out a place for us to stay in the interim, wrap up things at my job and prepare for the transition, and get everything ready to start classes in a month. Yeah, I definitely can’t wait to be on the other side of this.
Congratulations to you! I know it’s scary, but your situation is not that different than our situation when we moved to Seattle. Only one of us had a job (me) while the other (Roth) had quit his job about a month earlier in order to attend his own wedding and honeymoon. It was the hardest decision I’ve ever made – to say “yes! we’re going to move to the city of our dreams with only a couple hundred dollars in our bank account and just one income to start, even if we have to eat ramen and frozen pizzas for the first couple months (we did). Sign me up!”
And you know? It all worked out. Roth got temp work for a couple months while he looked for a permanent job. My job was OK – it only lasted 7 months, but it got us through. Now two years later, I can’t believe I was hesitant to move. Truly, the best decision ever.
I wish you all the best of luck. I think you’re going to be fine.
That’s actually very awesome, and no I don’t think you are foolish or stupid! Good luck to you, and I’ll pray for you. You could always try for the Fifth third call center till you find a job in your field. They are always hiring.
congratulations ~ i can honestly say that i have been where you are and from one experienced jumper off of cliffs to another … its all going to work out because it always does one way or another
the universe looks after us i think when we are following our hearts ~ i am so happy for you and know that its all going to work out just fine!!
sending you tons of lucky vibes …
Wishing you good luck! Sometimes the scariest things in life reap the greatest rewards…I hope that is the case for you!
Yea! Things always have a knack for working out, especially when family and friednds are involved. What’s life w/o a little adventure??
Yay for coming back home!
I’m sending you lots of healthy job vibes!
Do me a favor and drop me a line at nannersp at gmail dot com. I can’t guarantee anything at all, but I want to hear more about your freelance writing capabilities.
Ok, I don’t know why I said “healthy” in that last comment. Maybe I can just hire you to follow me around and edit my blog comments.
You’re very brave and I totally admire that! You’ll do fine!
Go for it girl! I’m sure everything will work out. With that many family members, I’m sure there will be more than one helping hand when you need it the most. Congratulations!
My dear Shannon, you aren’t foolish OR stupid; you’re courageous and daring, and those are two of my very favorite qualities in a person. And you’ll be rewarded for your willingness to take a risk, I’m sure of it.
You already know how I feel about this–go Shannon! And thing #1 you can do is sign on with a temp agency and scour craigslist for “gigs” (writing, editing, etc).
YAY!!!! You already know that I think you are doing the right thing! Congrats on finally being able to let the cat out of the bag though!
If you need a helping hand in moving, please, please feel free to ask me. I can probably even get another truck. I’m, uh, free most weekends…. I’ve never been to GR.
Good luck and congratulations!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
hooray!!!!!!!!!! i’m sorry i havent’ dropped by lately… it’s been nutso.
but yeah, that is so good. everything will work out a.o.k.