Got any practical advice on this situation of mine?

and everyone is pushing me to move up in the company but I can't see myself working there for years. I would rather work around the world, moving periodically from place to place, soaking in the culture.

Ah. Well this changes things. If you don't want to move up in the company (which I thought was part of the initial dilemma) then go do this instead. A degree or diploma or trade certificate isn't going to help you find work busing tables in Europe or wherever else. Like I said earlier, it's your life. And if this is what you want to do with it, it sounds interesting. Be aware there are pros and cons (such as a chance of destitution in old age), but it sounds interesting.

[quote="Jester"]


I've asked you this before: wasn't the government your biggest customer? I'm curious about the dichotomy of being Free and Owning Your Future by virtue of Self Employment vs essentially relying on the government for your income. I don't mean this as criticism - you did it for 30 years and you've now retired down in central america so obviously you must have done something right. But if we're going to differentiate between 'salary slaves' and business owners, why can't we differentiate between business owners who make a living in private industries vs business owners who contract with the government?


In my case only about 20% of my company income came from school board, home to school runs (government contracted) income. A further 60% was from the schools themselves for educational & sports trips, a very competitive segment of the market & by no means contracted, each trip was bid on separately. The remaining 20% came from the general public & by no means contracted.

Actually I think you would be hard pressed to find a business that is completely divorced from government money in your so called "private industries". Especially since around 50% of the countries workforce is directly or indirectly receiving their wages from the government, it is almost guaranteed that a big percentage of their sales are being paid for with government money.

Sounds like you want to go, so I say just do it.

Like I mentioned, I took a leave to get away because I was fortunate my company had one available for any permanent employee who had been there over a year. However, I planned my trip without that possibility in mind. My original idea was just to quit work and go. You have to do what you want to do for your life.

It's hard to give up security but that's exactly what long-term traveling is. It's putting yourself in a completely different mode and going with the flow.

So my advice is tell everyone at work that this is what you need to do for yourself. Perhaps, like my old boss, someone will appreciate you so much that they're willing to hire you back or find some way to "keep you" like mine did. And if not, then you move on. The experiences you gain traveling will make you a better employee for your future employer then.

Acutallly, one of the best deals for a leave of absence, PAID FOR , is become a college professsor and the take a paid sabbatical for a year. No wonder tuition goes up at two or three times the inflation rate. when i heard about this i about shit myself, what i heard was that one state was thinking about stopping the practice cause they just couldn't afford it anymore and the proffs all had a gasser over the threat to this little perk.

here in the state of Washington, we got the state employees to take a cut in pay of 3%. Acutally that's not quite right, they don't work for 3 percent and are not paid. Imagein you had been payiig a trucker to go to Chicago x amojun t of dollars and then you negotiate a lesser rate, so he drops your shit off by the road a little short of your destination. pay cut my ass.

what am i doing on this site anyway???? Musta just wanted a place to rant, i guess.

WOW! That is crazy about the Professors! I was just telling my mom about your post zoomcharlieb and she works at NYU and knew exactly what you were talking about and told me a similar story! That's pretty messed up.

Good luck whatever you decide to do.

Since you're becoming interested in Whole Foods and presumably their philosophy on food, have you thought about including some kind of experience like organic farming during your travels? I've never tried it. Has anyone else on the boards? You might check out http://www.wwoof.org.

I'm thinking that:

- it sounds like something you may be interested in exploring, based on what you've said about yourself
- it may help convince Whole Foods to give you an unpaid leave, or make you more marketable in getting the same, comparable, or better job when you return
- it may reassure your mom that you aren't interested in selfish hedonism (or at least not entirely!) and that you intend to use your travels to think about how you fit into the world and how you want to contribute in the future...which may then include a college education to help you meet the goals you've identified for yourself.

Again, best wishes!

I read what you'd written on another post and see that you've already done some WWOOFing. So, ignore my suggestion. Still, I guess it does reinforce my idea that it's the kind of thing you'd like!

rhythm_blues, that's exactly what I'm going to do. Island hop and WWOOF. I am NOT interested in selfish hedonism. LOL! I talk openly with my mom about my ever-changing plans every so often and she fully supports me as long as I stay productive, maintain my wellbeing and do good in the world. I hold myself to higher standards and I don't only focus on my wellbeing.

But anyway, I've considered the unpaid leave thing for Whole Foods. I don't think they'd let me stay away for a year or more. Although I do know a kid who just got back from a volunteer trip with Red Cross that lasted about three months, so who knows. Either way, I'm gonna talk to my Team Leader and bring up my plans when quitting time comes. I really do enjoy working at Whole Foods and I don't have any real plans for a career except to be a musician in a band. LOL! Whole Foods pays really well so it could be stable if I decided to return after my trip.