ridingdirty

For 8 months I worked at a bike shop that had a bike courier service operating on the back of the building. Basically I had two sweet jobs. The problem was my boss of course. But that is not the point. Before the shop and riding as a courier, I could have cared less where I worked. Today I was on a ride-a-long with a coffee distributor. Pay and benefits are all up there. But when we passed a guy on a bike or a bike shop, I was left longing for the feel of a cone wrench in my hand or battling the elements. I was offered the job and was given the weekend to think about it, but by the time the ride-a-long ended I had already made up my mind. I even stopped on my way home from the ride-a-long, at a bike shop I had never seen before to see if they needed any help. I'd rather be doing something I love right now, than spend my days behind the wheel of a van working 50-60 hours a week, day dreaming about my next ride.

I just had to share this with someone that would understand. Because it sounds crazy to everyone else I talk to.

CommuterRun

Hey, your decisions are yours to make. I could be making well over six figures right now, but when the time came to make that choice, I decided that the money wasn't worth the necessary sacrifices. Now I do golf course maintenance and it's hard to imagine a lifestyle that would make me happier.

kevinjw

being a undecided freshman in college i know just how you feel. go for a career in something that will make the big bucks, or something i will enjoy doing...

rustguard

there's another slant too. you can often tell an office worker or driver by the shape of there behind. years ago I chucked in my job and decided i wanted to be a door knocker and walk all day. It was the best job I had the boss treated me great and I was active, I enjoyed talking all day too. of coarse I moved up the food chain and into a suit eventually, but often i want to go back to that job. only problem is the pay oh well.

have fun whatever you do, i know how you feel. be wary of other peoples opinions as they probaly wont know what you are feeling.

rodrigaj

I gave up a $100K+ engineering carreer and went into a $35K teaching carreer. I am now in my 10th year of teaching. My only regret? I didn't do it 5 years sooner.

Aside from the rewards of teaching, I bike 400miles a week in the summer, exploring all of the old wisconsin dairy roads and small towns around Madison.

You can't put a price tag on happiness.

Blindrage

What is really nice is being blessed with that high paying job in a career you love.

I went back to school and finished my EE degree just over a year ago. I was about to turn 40, and I just got a 30% pay raise to do the type of stuff I love. I get plenty of time to ride and do the other things I love to do in my life. As soon as I get into biking shape I will be making the 11.28 mile commute to work on bike most days of the week, and my GF just picked up a new bike to ride with me on our days off.

So my advice is to do what you love first because money is not worth misery, but if you can help it try to find one of your passions that the rest of the world really needs people to be passionate about. Then stick it to them in the wage negotiations.