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Big decisions are the pits, aren't they?
Talked with my old boss yesterday, about the manager position he has open which I was interested in. I'm sure the job would be a good fit for me, I know and like my old boss, he knows and likes me, and all in all it would be a known quantity, which certainly has a strong appeal. He told me that if he knew I was good to go with the position, he wouldn't bother to interview anyone else, because he knows I'd do well and he knows I am in need of a position. So that all sounds good, right?
But the bad news is that, while he says he's still not 100% certain, it seems that the location of the job will be in Tampa. From where I live now, that office is 97 miles away--about a 90-minute drive each way. And that would be a big No. I asked it it would be possible for me to still work from here, and maybe go out there once or twice a week. He said if it were up to him, absolutely--but the higher-ups want the team to all be based out of that office, no ifs, ands, or buts. So to take that position, we'd pretty much have to move to Tampa, sooner or later. I could maybe do the commute for a few weeks, or work something out for a month or two. But long-term, no way.
And the wife has pretty much said no way to the idea of moving. But it seems like a knee-jerk response to me. She's thinking of the fact that we like our life here, which is true enough, and she's thinking of her impressions from the small amount of time we've spent in Tampa. And yes, selling our house might be tough, and buying a new house could be stressful, and of course moving is a hassle. And we'd be giving some things we all like up by moving over there, for sure. But there are some significant positives, too. Like:
-Her sister lives over there, and being close to her would be nice. (Though this is tempered by being further away from my Mom and Dad, not that we see them all that often as it is.)
-We love exploring new parks and museums and stuff, and there are loads of both in the Tampa area that we've never been to.
-She doesn't like the busy-ness of downtown areas, but the new gig would actually be in the suburbs, like we are now. We could surely find a house that offers the space and quiet that we like.
-We like our current house, but it's.. quirky. The design is custom and a bit strange in places, with smallish bedrooms and space wasted elsewhere, and it's starting to show its age. And we could use a bit more space too. So getting a newer, larger, nicer house appeals to me.
-We also bought the current house near the peak of the 2007 bubble, so we've been underwater almost since day 1. That could make selling it difficult--we're not AS underwater now, but a short-sale might still be necessary. But if we could sell, whatever new place we find would almost certainly be a lower monthly payment, plus it would actually earn equity, which is still a distant dream for us now. So overall, we could end up in a far better financial position if we can sell and move. Plus the company would offer relocation assistance, so moving (and maybe selling/buying homes) could cost us nothing.
-I might also be able to angle for a raise with the new position, if I say it's another condition of relocation. And hey, more fun money every month (and more travel money!) is always a Good Thing.
So while the severance package would be good, and could offer us a similar (if temporary) financial boost, assuming I can find a new job quickly, I dunno. I waver back and forth, but the idea of taking this known and stable position definitely appeals to me, since it would remove the unknowns of job hunting. And I'm already starting to feel the stress of knowing I HAVE to find a good new job to support the family, since that's my responsibility. And hey, with the right attitude, moving could well be an adventure that turns out great for us in the long run, though it certainly has its own unknowns.
But it's all moot if the wife is dead-set against pulling up stakes. I'd ask the kids too, though I'm sure they'll say no because they don't like change and don't appreciate the magnitude of the decision at hand anyway. :)
So.. yeah. Any thoughts?
Talked with my old boss yesterday, about the manager position he has open which I was interested in. I'm sure the job would be a good fit for me, I know and like my old boss, he knows and likes me, and all in all it would be a known quantity, which certainly has a strong appeal. He told me that if he knew I was good to go with the position, he wouldn't bother to interview anyone else, because he knows I'd do well and he knows I am in need of a position. So that all sounds good, right?
But the bad news is that, while he says he's still not 100% certain, it seems that the location of the job will be in Tampa. From where I live now, that office is 97 miles away--about a 90-minute drive each way. And that would be a big No. I asked it it would be possible for me to still work from here, and maybe go out there once or twice a week. He said if it were up to him, absolutely--but the higher-ups want the team to all be based out of that office, no ifs, ands, or buts. So to take that position, we'd pretty much have to move to Tampa, sooner or later. I could maybe do the commute for a few weeks, or work something out for a month or two. But long-term, no way.
And the wife has pretty much said no way to the idea of moving. But it seems like a knee-jerk response to me. She's thinking of the fact that we like our life here, which is true enough, and she's thinking of her impressions from the small amount of time we've spent in Tampa. And yes, selling our house might be tough, and buying a new house could be stressful, and of course moving is a hassle. And we'd be giving some things we all like up by moving over there, for sure. But there are some significant positives, too. Like:
-Her sister lives over there, and being close to her would be nice. (Though this is tempered by being further away from my Mom and Dad, not that we see them all that often as it is.)
-We love exploring new parks and museums and stuff, and there are loads of both in the Tampa area that we've never been to.
-She doesn't like the busy-ness of downtown areas, but the new gig would actually be in the suburbs, like we are now. We could surely find a house that offers the space and quiet that we like.
-We like our current house, but it's.. quirky. The design is custom and a bit strange in places, with smallish bedrooms and space wasted elsewhere, and it's starting to show its age. And we could use a bit more space too. So getting a newer, larger, nicer house appeals to me.
-We also bought the current house near the peak of the 2007 bubble, so we've been underwater almost since day 1. That could make selling it difficult--we're not AS underwater now, but a short-sale might still be necessary. But if we could sell, whatever new place we find would almost certainly be a lower monthly payment, plus it would actually earn equity, which is still a distant dream for us now. So overall, we could end up in a far better financial position if we can sell and move. Plus the company would offer relocation assistance, so moving (and maybe selling/buying homes) could cost us nothing.
-I might also be able to angle for a raise with the new position, if I say it's another condition of relocation. And hey, more fun money every month (and more travel money!) is always a Good Thing.
So while the severance package would be good, and could offer us a similar (if temporary) financial boost, assuming I can find a new job quickly, I dunno. I waver back and forth, but the idea of taking this known and stable position definitely appeals to me, since it would remove the unknowns of job hunting. And I'm already starting to feel the stress of knowing I HAVE to find a good new job to support the family, since that's my responsibility. And hey, with the right attitude, moving could well be an adventure that turns out great for us in the long run, though it certainly has its own unknowns.
But it's all moot if the wife is dead-set against pulling up stakes. I'd ask the kids too, though I'm sure they'll say no because they don't like change and don't appreciate the magnitude of the decision at hand anyway. :)
So.. yeah. Any thoughts?
