Tuesday, August 15, 2006

Decision time

The Rocket Scientist finally got her call back from HR at Rocket Central. She has a verbal offer (they explain they'll put nothing in writing until they have a verbal acceptance and a tentative start date). The offer is basically dead even on salary with what she's pulling in now (though we suspect the cost of living is somewhat cheaper there, at least housing is almost assuredly so).

We head to Denver for about a week tomorrow morning (lots of vacations this summer, much more than I'm accustomed to). So, we'll have time to think. [Anyone in the area want to meet up?]

My gut says, new is good. My head tells me maybe it's time to be out from under the spell of the University of Paradise. Cut the umbilical cord so to speak. There's little here (professionally) to keep me. But there's nothing for me yet there. I've sent out feelers, but I've got nothing in return.

Downside is, we might find ourselves in the same position in a year. Maybe I'll have an offer in hand, and we'd have to consider yet another move, or I'd be commuting to who-knows-where. Yet, that's down the road. It might be the same if we stayed here. I'm always the one who's game for change. The Rocket Scientist is a bit more cautious by nature. In part, it reflects our upbringing. She lived in two homes before she went to college, having moved from a condo into a house when she was about 4. Me? Well, I lived at least 8 different places before college, but bear in mind, I started college at 15. Then I moved another 7 times (we're talking cities here, not households, that'd be about double I guess) before meeting her.

Professionally the decision is hers but I think her leaning in that regard is clearly on the side of change. Her present employer (at least in this location) is making weird moves, leading rumors to fly that they may be shutting down this facility in the next year. Right now, we're in a good position for a move, other than the likelihood that I won't find permanent work in the area, meaning either a commute for me, or another upheaval for the family in a year or so. Who knows?

Decisions decisions.

2 comments:

DrOtter said...

Congratulations to the Rocket Scientist. It does sound like a good thing that even if not accepted does wonders for the confidence level. And cost of living reductions are always useful(Canada vs the UK is phenomenal). You moved a lot - I moved 50 miles from home to Uni then 5000 miles for a postdoc!
I hope it works out.

L said...

I'm always game for change too, but it wasn't always that way. I moved more than your wife did, but my husband moved almost as much as you did - at least three times more than I did. I have changed a lot and become more like him since we met 16 years ago...

Well my best wishes to you and your wife in this decision making process!