Where are you headed?

Since several of us can't figure out which direction Richee was trying to go with his recent post "Quo Vadis Domine?", I decided to start a new thread with my ideas on where his was going.

I found a website that defined "Quo Vadis Domine" as where are you going, Lord? Thus, to me it seems like Richee could have been asking us in which direction do you see yourself headed and what do you want to do with your life.

So, I'll take the plunge and be the first to answer that one.

I honestly had no clue what I wanted to do with myself in college. I just knew that college is where I was supposed to be. So, I chose a major that I really liked (math), but didn't really know what I could do with that. I still didn't know in my senior year and was getting kinda antsy since the only jobs math majors from my liberal arts school seemed to be getting were either high school teachers (bluck!) or an actuary. Now, an actuary is someone that estimates when a person is going to die for a life insurance company. While this job pays well, it seemed very dead-end and boring to me as it's the same thing day in, day out. So, I opted for grad school. They'd pay me to go there, and I could put off that real world job decision for another several years. Thus, the choice was made for statistics since I knew I would have many options when I finished.

All throughtout grad. school, the one thing I knew was that I didn't want to teach. I wanted a job in industry when I was not, certainly not academia. Well, six years later, what did I wind up with? A post-doc. Why? Because I was too lazy to really apply myself for many other positions. I had some interviews with companies, but they just didn't mesh well with me. I also had made a really great group of friends where I was living and didn't want to give them up. They are very special and important people in my life and have become my family. Thus, when the opportunity for the post-doc appeared, it seemed like the best solution for me. But, that also meant I was going into academia which is something I always dreaded.

After being here for 2 1/2 years and now being a faculty member, though, I really enjoy it. The good thing is that I don't teach on a regular basis, but I have the opportunity to when I want. I can do research and get to interact with really wonderful doctors that are doing very interesting medical research on all things from childhood diseases to cancers to HIV to drug additions. Each day brings something different along. So, even though this was not my chosen career path, it is one I do enjoy and am very happy that this is where I wound up.

As far as my personal life, well, it's had many ups and downs along the way as well. What I have learned is that friends are absolutely wonderful people. Making others smile is fabulous. And spite is a very bad and bitter emotion. I've learned that instead of being negative and hurt to try to learn something from the experience and grow as a person. I've also learned not to hide stuff from people and that honestly is a wonderful policy. If you just be yourself (your tru self and not someone you thing others will like), you will be happier for it and people will see you radiating. Not everyone in this world is meant to like everyone else, and that is just fine. Someone out there will understand and love you for who you are so just try to learn from your mistakes and take each day with a grain of salt.

I'm 30, still single, but very happy and fulfilled with my life. Where would I like to see myself going? I'd like to do something more with my job and get more involved in one particular area of research. Which one, I have yet to decide, but I am working on it. As far as personally, I'm at a very happy place right now, but I am trying to work on my interactions with others and being more complimentary of people.

So, now that I have somehow turned this into a rather long post (that hopefully some people will read ), where would you like to be with yourself in the future and what do you have to overcome to get there?

good on you spritie...

i can't really say much.. not coz i don't know... coz i really do! REALLY...

it's just that whenever i tell or talk about it, things go a little pear-shaped for a while and delay plans and goals!

so soz all, but i'm nt going to share this with y'all

well I've reached one of those points in my life where I think I need to find a different road. maybe one that leads to the same place eventually, but I don't like the scenery on this one.


so after getting fed up with sitting behind computers all day basically programming, what the hell else can I do with a Ph.D in physics? Teach? is that my new path?

Hmmm....

Teaching may very well be a good option for you. It would give you the flexible work schedule you enjoy and also out from behind that computer screen which you hate.

Would any research job you are likely to find put you behind the computer programming? Could you look into maybe designing the satellites that you work with so often? Take a proactive stance on things instead of looking at interpreting the results of them all the time?

Just some thoughts anyway. I think finding someplace to settle down a bit more might do you some good as well. Having a place you live in to also call home is very settling.

So Spritie, I can see you did it...
Well, as for me, I am afraid i will never know where i am heading. I am young, yes, but still...
There are too many things you have to consider when choosing your track in life.
I was to deside what i was going to do in the last grades of school, and then I thought I could be a journalist, since my mum didnt let me be a jail psychiatrist (yeh, LOL, i know =))

But after a couple of years of studying at my university, I understood, that doing smth ok instead of smth you really wanted to be is totally wrong, and left the uni.
For several years I was just working in different PR agencies, and that didnt satisfy me at all. Then occasionally, I met a person who sugested me to work with him - do PR in electronic music. Thats what I do now. And since I was much into all the russian club scene for several years already, and I loved it, I love my job now. And i think that its what I will continue with. I hope so... That is why I am going to enter another univercity this summer. The uni, that has a faculty of musical management, PR and producing. I hope that will work out... Because at last I am there, where I belong. But i had this thread here, where I was telling about problems with my mum in this subject. The problem still exists. And that is what was always standing on my way to the life I want to have - the missunderstanding with my parents...
Anyway, inspite of anything, that is the first time in my life, when I am sure about what i want and what i do. Hope that lasts for more then a couple of years...

Thanks for the thread and your story

Since about 15 I've been wanting to do research (specifically computer networks). I've done a lot of my own study in computing since around age 8 and research not funded for by/overseen by anyone.

This kind of assumes having a PhD and working in a university, so i reluctantly did the first step: an undergrad degree in Electronic Engineering when i finished school, which was as predicted quite boring. I chose a university which is in my view one of the best in the country for research in my chosen topic, unfortunately although being the same department and lecturers, the attitude towards undergrads (kids with no brains of their own) was very different to that of their research (which was all literally behind closed doors (with the windows blanked out just incase any undergrads peaked in)). So i just used the time to enjoy my life for 4 years and left with a medicore degree (I don't know everything, sadely the stuff i didn't know from my degree was mainly the boring/irrelevant stuff which i hadn't taught myself previously because i found it boring/irrelevent and hence had issues finding motivation to learn about).

My life plan currently involves working in industry till i'm mid 40s (partly for the experience, partly for the money to get a house), then getting a research job/lecturer in a university. Since leaving uni last year I've gotten a job in the area I enjoy and am about to start a part time MSc (one step closer to PhD) whilst I work. Sadely I can't afford to just take another 4 years off to study full time, but that's life; my parents are neither rich enough nor do I want a huge debt (commercially speaking, in this area, the extra pay for having spend thousands getting extra acaedmic qualifcations doesn't compensate).

Overall thou I'm on pretty track and although sometimes a bit impatient, optomistic about the future

cool

i left high school with almost nothing as regards grades or qualifications. this wasnt from lack of abliity it was because i didnt care. I qualified for college but my father wouldnt let me go because he said i didnt deserve it. So i opted for a one year course in electronics instead. I hated it (and my life at the time) and ended up leaving that and my home to go live with my mum.

From there i took a three month goverment sponsered course in Computer Aided Design and it was obvious to me from the get go that i really liked it and was quiet good at it. Even better was that i was hired right out of the course by one of the biggest engineering consultancies in the world. With excellent training and crap money i had what i needed to move to dublin and get a well paid job. I then had about three CAD jobs in a row and left all of them just before I was fired. usually i became dissafeccted after about six months and from there my work relationships started to decline. I blamed them mostly.

From there i went travelling for a few months and it opened my heart and mind. When i came home i got a job in a bar where i stayed for a year and had the time of my life.

After that i went to work for intel on a crappy database job that sounded fancy enough to ge me a job where i am now. I work as a project co-ordinator in a large US based company. My job is to co-ordinate all the office moves and internal projects. This means working with with all the management and then in turn coordinating all the contractors. Its really a great job. The money is fantastic, the training and managment exposure is brilliant. My boss is a saint and so is his boss.

So why am i leaving? again...

Well i promised myself i would make good on this job and i've really tried my best. It seemed to go down the same road though. I just seemed to lose my enthusiasm after about eight months.

I agonised over this for about six months. Not knowing what to do next. Then i met some people, then i injured my back. All these things came together and now it looks like im going to be a full time performer. And whats more, I've never been happier. I still stress out about it. All the time in fact but its far outweighed by the excitement. I love it, I love to dance, play, teach and spin. And i just dont seem to have enough time to do that and work in an office anymore. I've finally realised that im just not the kind of person that can function in an office enviroment. And its ok now. I dont feel bad about leaving. My boss understands and im happier in my last few weeks in work.

I dont know whats going to happen next. The plan is simple. Work very hard for the summer and see what happens. Not knowing makes it even more exciting

So, thank you to everyone that has helped me along the way and shown me love and support when i needed it. I couldnt have done it without you.

im all teary eyed now



aidan

for you. It sounds like you have definitely figured out which type of job suits you best. All the best of luck to you with the performing thing. Just remember to save some money from the summer to use when gigs are harder to come by in the winter and you should do well.

There are to many things to do in this world!

I'm 17, in my final year of high school and I'm hoping to go to Uni to do a Bachelor of Social Work, or Behavioural Science or Occupational Therapy. I've had my mind set on those for a few months.

But then I think about it more, our preferences have to be in soon. What do I really want to do? I'm not sure. Sometimes I get really enthusiastic about getting into one of those courses and then sometimes I doubt it because I might not enjoy it.

I want to travel, I want to go to the U.K...especially Ireland. I want to go to New Zealand and of course Europe...But Ireland is on the top of my places to go list.

I'm scared of asking people what they do for a living because some people have really exciting jobs for instance'I get to go bungee jumping for a living!' or 'I'm a security guard backstage, I get to guide celebraties around' then they'll go on a list of awesome celebs they've worked with. And here I am wanting to do Social Work. That's not particularly exciting compared to all the exciting jobs people have in the world.

I was thinking of going to New Zealand for a month or so after school on the few month break before Uni starts but my parents don't want me to go, especially not by myself. I don't mind going by myself, honestly.

I want to go to Uni next year...I want to make heaps of friends...I want to hopefully find someone to love and love me and then, I want to travel.

Ever since I can remember I wanted to do research with the view of eventually getting into university lecturing. The subject was always vague and eventually I settled on geology pretty much because it annoyed my dad who wanted me to do industrial chemistry. So, three degrees later I found I really can't tolerate teaching undergraduates, and most post-grads too; something about their idealistic I'm -going-to-change-the-world mentality really winds me up, but then I'm bitter and twisted.

I flirted with the army because the Royal Tank Corpe is a familiy tradition, aimed to do stuff as a mining geotechnitian, and have ended up as a consultant to the mining and civil engineering industries in central Queensland. The pay is a lot less but every tiem I go out to Blackwater or Pilbara or some other godforsaken fly-hole I'm willing to take that cut.

I still really want to be a professional comic book penciller, but I have to be pragmatic about it as an injury to my hand means I can't do the hours needed at it.

I'm in a relationship with a great bloke, and have a decent income. I miss my good friends from the UK and I really need some girlfriends up here. I want to get certified as an explosives engineer, but it might mean leaving this company at some point, I'm going to play that by ear.

I'm just waiting for whatever the next day brings (unless it's redundency and a nasty disease)

Written by:

---

probably as a result of the steady stream of hollywood films over the years depicting geologists/climatologists etc as world saving super heros

---

You've got it in one. It's kind of a pity they never feature REAL geologists; 60 year olds with bad hair and piles (an occupational hazard of sitting on cold rocks your entire working life)

erm................ I just like rocks - and they've already changed the world

Would you be one?

I quite like trees and reckon if i had the chance i wouldnt mind trying it out for a while

'Sadely I can't afford to just take another 4 years off to study full time, but that's life; my parents are neither rich enough nor do I want a huge debt (commercially speaking, in this area, the extra pay for having spend thousands getting extra acaedmic qualifcations doesn't compensate).'

Have you tried the research councils?

Hmmm... this is kind of the big question, isnt it?

I am in my third year of university now, so I have one left. I will leave with BAs in Religious Studies as well as Theatre. However, I will be spending my next semester studying in Chennai (the capital of Tamil Nadu, which is the southernmost state in India). While I am there I will be dancing Bharatanatyam, which is neo-classical South Indian dance, which I have already been doing for a year and a half now anyway, and I will be learning Sanskrit which I am going to start this summer before I leave, and I will be studying South Indian vocal music, Hindic Yoga, mrdangam (South Indian drumming,) the Advaita (Hindu philosophy) and Hindu Theology.

The funny thing is that I am a devout Buddhist, and while there are lot of Buddhist Studies programs in India (obviously) there are NO Buddhists in Chennai, so I will probably hook up with a good Hindu Guru, explain that I am Buddhist, and see where it goes.

Then I will return to New England (Connecticut) for one more semester of school...

After that, things are in the air. If I am lucky I will get a scholarship that allows me to return to India to study on my own in a non-graduate program, and hopefully I can get someone else to pay for it, during which time I will continue learning Sanskrit as well as dancing and Buddhist Philosophy.

After that I am not sure. I want to continue to do Indic studies, with a focus on Hinduism and Buddhism, and hopefully at least one foot in the arts. But I dont know where that will get me, I have no desire to join Academia. Grad school is always an option.

There is also a good chance I will join a monastery, probably Tibetan, for a little while. While I have no devotion to being a monk for the rest of ym life, I could definitely dig some hardcore time on a cushion, and thats where to do it.

There is a Buddhist University in Nepal, where for only $8,000 a year, after four years you get a BA in Buddhist Philosophy, as well as mastering Hindi, Pali, Sanskrit, and Tibetan, and possibly Nepali as well. That is kind of a long shot, I dont see that happening, but it is always an option (if $8000 a year seems to be a lot... the school I go to now costs $43,000 a year, though with financial aid I only pay about $7,000 and I have a whole hell of a lot of loans which will be haunting me for a while...)

SO I have absolutely no idea where I am going. My goal is to kind of go where the Dharma takes me, keep studying, keep learning, keep practicing. His Holiness the Dalai Lama has said (and this is kind of a core ideology in Buddhism) that it does no good to dwell on the past, because it cannot be changed, and it is pointless to worry about the future because that achieves nothing, and all we can ever do is Be Here Now.

So thats what I am tryignt o do. Luckily, for me, being here now also involves playing with fire...

what a lovely thread

i'm also at a huge crossroads in my life right now

after leaving school at 17 i worked a couple of small jobs in the fashion industry. my mum was a dressmaker so i could sew, knit, crochet etc, from about the same time i could write my name. i always wanted to go to art or fashion college, but my parents couldn't afford it, and as none of our family had ever went to college, they had no idea about any grants that were available.

at aged 20, while travelling in egypt, i met and fell in love with cute blonde dutch guy. we travelled to & fro seeing each other for long weekends for about 6 months, then he came to live in ireland. we moved in together immediately. i was still 20. my parents were very upset but i was always a wild child and wasn't letting anything stand in my way. ireland was in a recession at the time, and both of us could only find parttime jobs, so after a year we decided to move to holland.

there i worked in bars & saved up the cash to go back to college, to learn dutch, and also to study fashion & textiles and soon got a job as a designer for an aircraft interiors company. it involved designing the interiors of everything from passenger airlines to saudi oil sheiks private jets. great job, was at it for 7 years, but by that stage my relationship had started to fall apart.

after almost 9 years, it ended in disaster, whereupon i moved around holland & germany for about a year, and then returned to ireland. i got quite well paid office job, dealing in foreign, mostly dutch, taxation and dutch translating. i never ever wanted to work in an office, in fact i'd sworn for years that i never would, but the money was ok, and i'd come back to ireland with the intention of settling down. so i bought an apartment, tried to be serious, and tried to settle, but i'm here 5 years now and it's time to move on.

i've been interested in energy healing for some time now, and it's almost like i've had a calling to follow this path. you see.... (this is something i've not told many people).... i can see people's auras. not everyone's mind you, some are harder to see than others, but it's something that i've always been able to see. as a kid i drew pictures of people with big halo effect colours around them - like readybrek kids (apparently this is quite common among young children, children draw what they see, but somewhere after the age of 7 most of them lose it) i've also been studying tai chi now for a few years and have more recently taken up reiki & tibetan meditation

soooo..... i sold my apartment yesterday!! i'm tired of working just to pay a mortgage & bills. i'm leaving my job on the 30th of june, travelling around to all my friends & family in ireland for the summer, then after burning man in september i'm off to nepal & tibet for 6-9 months and then hopefully on to south america for some shamanic studies

i'll be 35 next month, i'm giving up a lot of security for the relative unknown. it's quite scary but like ado-p said, that just adds to the excitement. i feel like this is my vocation, a mysterious path that i'm being called to follow, i have no idea where it will lead, or what i'm going to get out of this, but one things for sure, i've never felt happier in my entire life

back at ya dude

Good luck to you, Faberge. I think it's definitely important to follow what makes you happy, even if it does mean giving up the extras in life that we may have become accustomed to.