Money, family, or time?

I’m tired. I left a good job in the city, (working for a woman every week day, no song here), that meant a $10,000 cut in pay a year. Yes, the cost of living is cheaper where I’m at now, but not that much cheaper. I miss being able to go out to eat, to not write down what I spent; and Marshalls. I have some decisions to make in the next six months to a year. The timeline is due to owning money, (moving three times in two years is expensive as well as getting divorced), applying for positions away from home, and can I leave my kids again? The answer to the kid question is yes, as long as I’m a short drive away; which to me is two to three hours one way. The jobs I’m seeking are in education, teaching at the community college level, or working for a larger university in student success and wellness. I’m not sure why the success and wellness calls to me, (aside from the good yearly salary), I am sure why the teaching position calls to me it has a good salary and I’d only be working nine months out of the year. There it is, money, family, or time; I’ll take all three for a thousand Alex.

I will continue to teach online as long as they will have me which truly is a solid base once my finances are in order, (come on February 2021). Teaching online does require some level of time for grading and student communication that can’t be done on a lunch hour; I need a job where I can “double-dip” so to speak. It’s been awhile since I’ve had that kind of position; again the teaching job would work as professors don’t truly work THAT much. The appeal of staying where I’m at but trying for higher paying positions, (retirement to part-time is only 14 years and five months away, but who’s counting), I’d probably live with one my kids and honestly would save money in the process. All this sounds great now because I’m single, (just call me Casper as I get ghosted as well as I ghost), but if I do find someone I think living even with an adult child might be awkward. Then there’s the dream retirement.

I don’t plan on retiring until I’m medically forced to; I like being busy and not sitting alone with my thoughts. I’d like to own a Bed & Breakfast but with zero savings that’s not likely for at least five years. The same goes for dream number two; a hobby farm, same timeline but complete opposites. With the B&B it would be about never being truly alone, guests would come and go, year to year, until one year I’d be gone; hopefully retired not dead. The hobby farm is more about the quiet, and love of animals, and everything green. I’d raise chickens, worms, and have a trout pond; yeah not the most realistic thing to think I can do in my later 50’s by the time I buy one; but I can dream.

The next few months will settle me down into what’s next, I need to keep my options open as my current day job isn’t stable, and I wouldn’t keep me if my caseload doesn’t pick up. In the mean time I’ll keep writing, keep grading, keep looking for work, and a partner in crime.