The homeowners of the house we're building have started putting the push on for an occupation date. The builder made a surprising promise of June 1st so now the tradesmen (us) are really feeling the pressure to get things done. What's more, one of my coworkers quit/was fired, another will be taking time off in late January for a honeymoon, and my boss will be taking time off to get an operation. So I didn't choose the best time to give my notice.
If I had no other options, I could choose to make carpentry my career and I could enjoy it. There are definitely things that I like doing with my job, and there are plenty of challenges to make the days more interesting but I've always had a nagging doubt that it wasn't really for me. Compound that with the fact that the dusty environment aggravates my asthma and I really wonder how long I should carry on swinging a hammer. So when the option of a extended South American road trip came up, I really had no choice but to accept.
Here's the plan. I work through January 2008 and then drive to Vancouver leaving my car at my mom's. I fly with my friend Luis to Brazil, attend a friend's wedding and then make our way North by land, perhaps with a dip into Argentina first, visiting as many interesting sites along the way as possible. I will work this summer; I'm hoping to find some sort of job that involves physical activity, interaction with good people, and the possibility of making big money. In the fall I plan on, though I haven't yet applied, attending university. The problem now lies with what courses I should take. And this question, hard enough already, poses another question somewhat more difficult. If I'm quitting carpentry to go to university, it means that I believe there to be a more satisfying life road to travel even though I don't know what it is. The question then, "Is there a career for me where I won't have constant doubts as to whether or not I should be doing something else?" I am wondering if I'm suffering from youthful idealism. Perhaps no matter what I do I will have these nagging doubts. I just feel that I should be able to find a career that I can be passionate about. Is that naive?
So, off to South America I run. Perhaps I can find some sort of epiphany on the foreign roads. In any case, it should be fun.
3 comments:
Public transit is excellent for epiphanies. I highly suggest you use some form of public transport at some time.
i knew a guy once who had decided (maybe just for the moment or for the rest of his life, i'm not sure)that instead of working towards a career, he was just going to work to travel. he decided to choose a home base, work for 6 months, save, then travel until he had to come back and work again.
i quit school only to come back to school in the same program. i still have nagging doubts about whether i chose a career that i will enjoy doing for the rest of my life.
whatever you decide to pursue at school, no matter what it is, it's knowledge.
i have a professor who onced soothed my own insecurities about similar things (not travel though that is also something i fear) by telling me about a friend of his he went through school with. Right through their post doc.'s. Byron became a professor of ancient philosophy and his friend got a job in a factory ... so he could think about philosophy all day, and leave his work at work when the whistle blew. ... ... im still not sure how i feel about that...
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