Priorities
So its now February, a month into the new year. I've been trying to keep up with my resolutions, its been rough. I don't suggest running two miles at a fast pace if you haven't run for about 6 months. There was some serious pain for about a week. Fell behind this week because I got sick from my trip to Cali.
Speaking of Cali, it was nice to visit the Bay Area again. Its always good to see old friends. In fact I always love going back there. Having lived there for four years for college, everytime I go back I always wonder why I was in such a hurry to move back home. Granted I don't think I regret moving home, I think it was a necessary step in my personal growth, but looking back I should have stayed. Life is understood in reverse, but unfortunately it is lived forward.
I thought about this a lot on my trip mainly because one day while at home, I looked up jobs in my field in the bay area. And to my great, great surprise, I found a job, with the exact same description as mine, with more than twice the pay. I couldn't believe it.
Its such a dilemma. Would you move for twice the pay? Twice the pay opens up worlds of possiblities, it would be easier to save, purchase a place to live, travel, etc. There are so many life goals I have that will take a lot longer to reach with my current pay structure. There is much to gain by applying and getting a job with twice the pay.
On the flip side of the coin there is much to lose. I have no qualms about living where I grew up, home is home for a reason. Much of what is important to me resides here. Now its pretty much a given that I would try and move home as soon as possible if I were to move up to the mainland, but it is 100% certain it would involve a fat pay cut. I know several people who moved home and took large pay cuts to do so. Its getting to the point where time to be selfish is getting less and less, meaning the time to start building your nest egg is now and not later. Moving home would set that back quite a few years.
I guess what I'm trying to say is money vs happiness is a difficult struggle, one that I've never encountered before. I wouldnt have a problem moving to the mainland if I felt that I would be able to move home once I wanted to, but to go from one income level to a lower one is a difficult, especially as we get older. Like I said before there is only so many times you can "start over".
I don't really know what to do.