BootsnAll Travel Community

...and you see a bunch of people who have been doing a job like yours for decades...or you see people get into routines (last night my pal told me that couple over there comes to this bar every night for supper and drinks)...and you think jeez where am i going and am i really all that different and what if they all once did a rtw and now this is what becomes of one years later.

i mean, like YIKES!

i think i am going to have a panic attack.

zopa, that's one of the reasons why I quit my old job. I just don't know how those people stay there!

Zopp,

A good response to this is to effect your best anime villain voice and yell "FOOLS!" while pointing at them. Then collapse in maniacal laughter.

damn
girl, you need to quit!
find a job you like and stick with it as long as you like it or as long as the work involved MEANS something to you. If it doesn't, run like HELL !!!!!!!!

i've felt it in my own bones when I had the same routine for a year and a half after college.

i just finished my subway for lunch here, my routine.. i want to get get get out, and i will, as soon as this damn semester ends!!! leave, the kids aren't all right is what i say.

Zopa,
I have the same fears that after my trip I'll just settle back into my old lifestyle. Because in reality, i don't know what my other options are. besides going back to school for something else, but i'd still end up a unhappy, working stiff. i'm hoping that i have an epiphany on my trip and figure out what the hell it is i want to do with my life!

sue

My first (legal) job was at Wal-Mart when I was 15, and one of the big reasons I quit a couple of years later was because it scared me to see some people, even those my age, that were thrilled to be there and wanted to do it for the rest of their lives. I knew with almost 100% accuracy who is going to be there forever. Sure enough, years later, when I go back to the store I see many of the same old faces. Wal-Mart is NOT a place that you should aspire to work for as a career, unless you're a Walton and are worth $10 billion+

yeah, yo.
i mean i do happen to have an awesome job which i love.i guess i was just looking around at my neighbors, working stiffs with themost boring ass (not to mention LOUD) lives. tv tv and more tv plus bad parenting. did our ancestors really struggle for survival over 1000s of years so we could plop down and watch tv?

methinks nay.

During my 20 years in the military, I was moved around the world every 6 months-3 years.

Now retired, I have worked at the same job-and at the same place- for over 4 years!

That's why I hate it-my subconcious mind is saying"hey, it's time to go!".

I'm not alone. My co-worker is retired Army. He's ready to quit. He said "You know this is a curse we have-we need to keep moving."

My buddy that's retired Navy tried his best to adapt to the "regular routine", the boring life described by others here.

After a year, he said "That's it! He quit, moved to Southeast Asia and married a local girl.

Others laughed at him, I didn't . For I have the curse, too. And I'm so glad I do.

BillGlo: Greetings neighbor! Funny how us military-types get stuck around the Beltway isn't it?

I'm separating from the Navy next week after 9 1/2 glorious and fun-filled years on active duty. It was a drawn-out and agonizing decision with dozens of competing concerns. I hear the cries already: "What? You had the Navy paying to send you around the world and now you are quitting and traveling on your own and not getting paid?" -- does sound crazy, I admit it. For me it was just a bit more complicated than that.

Basically it boiled down to taking time off now to feed my desires for independent travel and go explore a raft of new things I want to go see and do, versus putting 10 1/2 more years in the Navy full-time, get the retirement check, and do it all then. But what if I kick the bucket inside of ten years? What then??

At the end of the day, I figured there'll always be good work out there when I need it, but this opportunity to realize some personal goals is precious indeed. In essence I'm aiming to balance the see-saw of my life a little differently.

Time will tell if it works out gloriously and I write an enviable book about it, or if I end up living in a refrigerator box behind WalMart...

"Howdy" Steve.

You'll be fine.

I still travel the world (just got back from Israel and soon heading to the Philippines).

Want to know how?

All of these trips are made possible because of something we never recieve until we get out of the military-OVERTIME PAY!

I know what you mean Zopa~ The 9to5 grind which I seem forever trapped in will NOT be the death of me!! esp not a state job *grumble grumble* even with interestig work and a month+ of vacation a year...

One secretary just retired after 35 years(!!) and there are MANY more people here who are doing similar time... I like it here but not THAT much

Zopa,
For my work I tend to end up in a lot of factories talking to people who have been there for 30 and 40 years. I can't handle it. My reaction is to stash my money for a travel. Don't worry those other people arn't you.
Jet

This all sounds so familiar! One thing I've seen in most places I've worked is that people can get into the position where they feel trapped in their jobs - sometimes it's that their outgoings (big house, big car, etc etc) are so high that they can't afford to move to a lower paying job that they might enjoy more. That trapped feeling can have a terrible effect on people, and one reason I left my previous job is that I could see myself slowly being dragged into that situation. Not good. I think the important thing is to have lots of possibilities in front of you - like choosing where to go for the next trip!

Steve

ZOPA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I say to myself, "This is my job, not my career, and it is certainly not my life."

I like escape plans...trip to Europe...moving across the country...fall in love...run a marathon.

I don't like getting stuck in a rut. Right now I somewhat am

Heh, I fell out laughing when I read the "FOOLS!!" comment - good one TunaJuice!

Most of it is very familiar to read, though. I'm somewhat trapped by my job right now. I've been there six years, which is just unreal to me. Before this, technically the longest job I had was two years as a Teaching Assistant - I could hardly equate it, though. working like 10 to 15 hours a week... please... In reality, the longest job I had was 9 mos at a grocery store. I got tired, I found other menial labor at that point in my life.

Right now, I guess I could fore-go the salary and all, but it would mean delaying my dream of paying off the student loan and car so that I can have real freedom... hopefully not too far in the future...

Sometimes life is delayed gratification - yuck!

But I don't think I could do it forever. I have co-workers who are just there - they've been there for 10, 15, 20 years... I shudder when I walk through the covered parking - you have to be a VP or have been with the company 25 years... they just had to add reserved parking because of how many we have who are reaching that level of service... just frightens me to think of it..

We have all come to boots n all because we are different than those people you described. Dont worry that will not be you, mainly because you already feel the clausterphobia closing in on you as you even watch them! We are a whole OTHER animal. Just as you or I would look in horror of that type of lifestyle, people look at me the same way. They see me on vacation after vacation. They only know that once a year they book a flight and pay wayyyy too much for it, then stay at a "resort" and then pay for tours etc... They cant fathom HOW we see the world, and we cant understand how they DONT. No worries, you are you, And always will be. Good for you!

quote:

I say to myself, "This is my job, not my career, and it is certainly not my life."

i think thats a great way to look at it. Cherie, good call.

My current job in Toronto is fantastic but it is minimum wage working at a music store. Yeah the pay is not the greatest but if you ever have seen the movie "Empire records" or "High Fidelity" that's how my job is like. But I don't want to be making 8$ an hour for the rest of my life I have bigger plans and goals and so do my co-workers who are all in rock bands that are going to make it big someday, so I guess everyone at my job are the type that don't want to settle for a minimum wage job which is cool because it inspires me to follow my dreams. I want to start up a website and make a documentary on hip hop/urban culture in Asia and I am going to Indonesia/Japan for 5 months starting FEB06 to do it.

I hate seeing people just settling sitting there playing X box in the mothers basement eating Doritos and Reese’s pieces and going to their mc job to support their video game habit. They're going to be 40 years old still working at their minimum wage job not knowing what the world has to offer besides Halo 2. I actually met this one lady at my record shop who is 55 years old and was picking up some kids music for the kids that she teaches in China and she said to me "Young man don't waste your youth sitting at home not knowing what the world has to offer, don't be like me doing something now that I should have done when I was your age."