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The Great Unknown

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Space Bandito

Space Bandito

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Let's say, hypothetically, you are offered a job (or an opportunity to move) in a far off place. Or maybe there's a love interest. Or maybe its just a chance to try something new. Take out the variables (like bringing along your family, etc) and just assume you can do it how you want, but it is a permanent position in an exotic (to you) place where you know very little about, and have never been.

Everything is in place to make your life at least as comfortable as you have it at home.

Do you:

A. Jump at the opportunity and don't look back?
B. Consult with friends and family to help you make a decision?
C. Refuse, and stay put?
 
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100% A. Jump on it.

Too many times in the past I have debated on a move and decided against at the end. Take the plunge and go for it.
 
As long as it involves work, I'm out, no matter where it is..
I like being a retired boomer. I would have liked being a retired 25-year-old were I able to pull it off.
 
nah, I have an unhealthy addiction to live sports.
 
RetiredBoomer said:
As long as it involves work, I'm out, no matter where it is..
I like being a retired boomer. I would have liked being a retired 25-year-old were I able to pull it off.
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The question isn't about the specifics of the scenario. It's about whether you're the type who would go.
 
A- you only live once!
 
That's really hard. I've made some major moves in my life. Some to places that I knew nothing about. When I got my first job after grad school, I moved to New Mexico. then 3 years later it was a move to Boston. Each of those were moves that fit your description. except in each case, staying put was no longer an option. So embracing that excitement of moving to a new region that i've never been was easy.

I made one more major move for work, but this time I moved to a city that I knew 100+ people, more than any other place, prior to the move. I'm very entrenched here now. So making a major move like your hypothetical would have to be for a very very good offer to make leaving my current situation worth it.
 
To me "exotic" means out of the country, so I would say nope. I love what freedoms I have here in the USA, like being able to own & carry my gun.
 
100 % go. If recent events tell us anything Life is short!
 
mtbloco said:
That's really hard. I've made some major moves in my life. Some to places that I knew nothing about. When I got my first job after grad school, I moved to New Mexico. then 3 years later it was a move to Boston. Each of those were moves that fit your description. except in each case, staying put was no longer an option. So embracing that excitement of moving to a new region that i've never been was easy.

I made one more major move for work, but this time I moved to a city that I knew 100+ people, more than any other place, prior to the move. I'm very entrenched here now. So making a major move like your hypothetical would have to be for a very very good offer to make leaving my current situation worth it.
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It is.
 
Space Bandito said:
The question isn't about the specifics of the scenario. It's about whether you're the type who would go.
Click to expand...

OK, I understand.
Probably not.
I'm 73, and I've never permanently lived much more than a hour away from where I was born.
My college apartment was a twenty-cent (in those days) subway token from my family home.

And if I did move, it would still have to be on one of the coasts.
I wouldn't survive in Middle America for any longer than it would take to change planes.
Not saying it's a bad place. It's not. Just not a good fit for me or most ethnic people like me.
In fact, Europe would probably work better. There are places there that feel more like home that some states would.
 
I would go.
 
For some reason, this thread made me think of Full Metal Jacket.

Private Joker:
I wanted to see exotic Vietnam... the crown jewel of Southeast Asia. I wanted to meet interesting and stimulating people of an ancient culture... and kill them.
 
B- Talk to family first
 
When in doubt, I like to consult Warren Miller quotes. Here's a potentially relevant sampling:

Freedom is when preparation meets the opportunity you have created.
Adventure is the invitation for common people to become uncommon.
If you don’t do it this year, you’ll be one year older when you do.
 
Always take it. Anytime a company is asking you to move you know you’re going to be treated like royalty due to their need to pay to relocate you.

Best move I ever made, got a $15K raise to move to Charleston, SC from Ohio and basically can do as I please when it comes to working from home. During non-pandemic times I work Mon-Thurs from 830-430 and then work from home on Friday
 
B- I would want to consult with family and friends. Because the key to me is that it's a place I've never been and know very little about.
 
I'd go with C, unless there was a B(2) option of "do a lot of reading and research on this unknown exotic place to determine if it's a good fit". I wouldn't consult friends on a momentous career decision, unless they had some unique knowledge or insight that would help my decision process.

No way I'd just blindly seize the opportunity. I don't jump headfirst into water without knowing how deep it is.
 
belmontcc15 said:
Always take it. Anytime a company is asking you to move you know you’re going to be treated like royalty due to their need to pay to relocate you.

Best move I ever made, got a $15K raise to move to Charleston, SC from Ohio and basically can do as I please when it comes to working from home. During non-pandemic times I work Mon-Thurs from 830-430 and then work from home on Friday
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Snowman said:
I'd go with C, unless there was a B(2) option of "do a lot of reading and research on this unknown exotic place to determine if it's a good fit". I wouldn't consult friends on a momentous career decision, unless they had some unique knowledge or insight that would help my decision process.

No way I'd just blindly seize the opportunity. I don't jump headfirst into water without knowing how deep it is.
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I amended the first post a bit. I think too many people are getting hung up on the scenario being tied to work.
 
give us a hint where is this place located? that would be the deciding factor..
 
B - talk with family and friends first.

I don't make any major move like that without weighing my options and discussing with family (wife).
 
Space Bandito said:
I amended the first post a bit. I think too many people are getting hung up on the scenario being tied to work.
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The work part is a minor detail for me. The big detail for me is not knowing anything about the place I'm going to hypothetically permanently move to. "Exotic" doesn't automatically mean "awesome", IMO.
 
It would be B. I have a wife and kids and she would need to be on board. When I was 25 I likely would have gone. I haven’t lived my life that way though.
 
Snowman said:
The work part is a minor detail for me. The big detail for me is not knowing anything about the place I'm going to hypothetically permanently move to. "Exotic" doesn't automatically mean "awesome", IMO.
Click to expand...
Not all all. Google is your friend, I suppose.
 
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