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Sometimes it takes getting back to the core of your existence(Photo Credit:Myself)
This is vacation week for me, as I start back working next Wednesday and spend tomorrow-Sunday with the family in Atlanta. With that, I had wanted to do a proper reflection of my 18 months back at home on May 27th, but things just kept getting busy. However, with today being the second anniversary of when I believe my quarterlife crisis began, I'll go ahead and reflect now.
When I put all my new furniture in storage and walked back into the doors of my childhood home as a resident in December of 2008, not happy was an understatement of my mood. Yes, I wrote on this subject before back then and it sounded like I was ok, but in reality, it was a quarterlife crisis waiting to happen.
A post like this could get into negativity, but it's not, starting right now. Here are the good things that happened in my life:
-Becoming a professional: When I moved home, I was very much into the millennial mindset(the negative one) that what older folks did, I should make them quit doing and do it better. I believed in the perfect job and the one I was in didn't appear to be perfect enough. I had to be a writer and nothing else. Well, fast forward 18 months and after working in administrative support, through a tough economy, there is nothing I can say about the perfect job besides it being the one that pays the bills to let you travel, and invest in other projects that fulfill you. I have walked away from some negative situations, but I've become more flexible.
-Becoming entrepreneurial: I was surrounded with entrepreneurs in my first gig, they rubbed off enough to help me start my nonprofit group and also get involved in other emerging startups. Entrepreneurship takes time and hard work. However, if you are jobless or working in a field that's not your ideal, it may be your career path.
-Embracing the village: I tended to shy away from my family while I was gone, but you never know when you might lose them. I had a close call with my dad in the spring and I couldn't thank my family enough for being behind me. No, family's not perfect, but I can't tell you how many people envy me for having a close-knit family.
-Saving money: I could do a little better on this, but being at home allowed me to save up for networking trips. My next goal is to pay off student loans and save up for the next adventure. Live lean now, so you can live large later.
-Finding a career path: It was an accident that I stumbled on urban policy, a coincidence that I chatted up the YNPN DC booth at the Idealist Job Fair and a blessing to have gained the research assistanship and all the connections I've made by attending networking events in the city. Just like the entrepreneurial piece, I'm not adverse to rejoining an organization in the future.
While this is a small reflection, I wanted to take the time to tell people to take advantage of time living at home. Contribute to the family life as much as you can, but also take time to give back to your city, no matter if it's really just a farm.
For those of you who are or have done what I've done, what advice would you give to stay positive and build on the situation?
Copyright 2007-2010 Kristen E. Jeffers
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Comments
07.09.10
I'm not returning back to my parents' house, but I am returning to the area in which I was raised- eastern Kentucky. After living near Boston and in San Antonio, it will be quite a change to go back, but raising my 5 year-old there will be a positive thing. There is endless free parking, lower-cost things to do, and I feel I can get a bit of a financial jumpstart by not being so close to places I like to shop!
07.09.10
Agreed on the not being close to places to shop. Plus, having a kid, it's important to be able to live somewhere where you can afford to take care of them. Best of luck as you return to your hometown!
07.09.10
I just celebrated(?) my one year anniversary moving back home from Tokyo. I took a big reckless leap and have done my best to get a business off the ground. I'm still not sure if I'm going to succeed yet, but I've learned a lot, and feel I'm much more equipped to get a job more in line with my passions should my business fail.
I miss the Tokyo nightlife, partying, dating, going on trips with friends in the Japanese countryside, but all of that was only really two days every week. The rest of the time was spent in a job that I knew wasn't right for me, and all the fun (and yes it was fun) was hardly worth it.
Now I don't have much of a social life (rural retirement community) and much more meaningful work. Hopefully this will change in the near future, but I don't for a minute regret the trade off.
07.09.10
Funny thing was I thought Greensboro was going to be like Mayberry again(it's a sad, but running joke around here), but only our goverment officials really act like it is. I miss Raleigh's nightlife and restaurant selection, but we are only a few paces behind here and I can always drive an hour and a half down the road. Thanks for reading!
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