A question about priorities for my elders

[aePrime]

I grew up in a rural state. After a couple of years of university, I moved to Los Angeles to be a professional 3D animator. The hours were often long, but I generally enjoyed the job. After realizing that I wasn't being paid anywhere near my market value, I decided to go back to school and actually get a degree instead of looking for another job.

While at the studio, I decided that I liked programming, after I learned the scripting language of our animation system. When I got back to school in my home state, I changed my major from studio art to computer science. Since being back, I've gotten my BSCS, gotten married, and am about to finish my master's degree in computer science. My Ph.D. coursework is also finished, and I plan on trying to finish my dissertation while working (tough, I know).

These past two summers I've worked at a company in my home state as a programmer. I know they'll offer me a job when I finally get that masters. I haven't told them of my ambition of getting my Ph.D., since they frown upon those.

The city in which the company resides is a resort town with very decent cost of living. It's beautiful, and my wife and I would be able to move into a house in just a couple of years (I think). Owning a house is one of my wife's ambitions. The town is also close enough to my university town that I can drive weekly, or bi-monthly down to talk with my Ph.D. adviser.

The problem is that I find the work to be only partially interesting. It's not as exciting as the animation work that I used to do, and that I had planned on returning to as a programmer. All of the jobs that I really want seem to exists only in California, where my wife and I won't be able to buy a house for a very long time, and if we do, it will be a mere shadow of what we could have in our little rural resort town. However, many of the large studios like having people with Ph.D.s and will help pay for school.

So, my question for those of you who have spent more time in the workforce, what do you find more important, a great job that allows you to be creative, or living in a great community with a low cost of living and few crowds? A suppose that another question for the Californians would be, how's the cost of living/housing market in northern CA? I've never spent time there, but there are also good jobs up there.

[mike_c]

1. hands down, my work is the most important determinant...

...of my quality of life. I could probably make considerably more money elsewhere, but I wouldn't be nearly as happy. What you DO makes you happy-- not what you own. That's my $0.02.

on edit-- I suppose this doesn't entirely address your question-- I guess my best advice would be to seek a less Faustian bargain somehow-- work that you'll find challenging and fulfilling AND the other aspects of quality of life that you're seeking.

[aePrime]

8. Well

I think that even when you boil it down to the black and white, you have a valid point.

I had never thought of it like that before.

[cap]

2. could you start a little company in your beautiful resort town

and get some folks working underneath you and contract to the studios?

[aePrime]

9. That's an idea

But one that scares me to death!

I have no business experience. The studio for which I worked was a small startup, and it looks difficult to start a business.

I suppose that there have to be other people out there in my line of work who do not want to live in CA.

[cap]

13. go take some classes at the local SBDC

try and find one affiliated with the best business school you can find.

The classes are cheap $25-100. They will walk you through the process and mentor you. There's one about "starting a business: is it right for you?" or something along those lines and then there's the one on writing a business plan and then take the ones are marketing and finance.

Believe me, lack of experience never stopped some of my bosses from being my boss. :)

[efhmc]

3. If your wife is a stay at home worker, her 24 hour work environment is

probably pretty darn important to her also. Is there any room for growth in this job?

[aePrime]

10. My wife will not be a stay at home worker

In fact, we'll graduate with our master's degrees on the same day from different schools.

That's another part of the equation, my wife would have a better chance of finding a job in CA in her field -- public relations. There isn't a lot of that going on in small towns.

As for growth, the company at which I am now working is a pretty small company. We make end-user software, and the development team is only about 10 people. So while there is opportunity to do many things, I think growth is hard to come by, because there are only so many positions that need to be filled here, and there won't be a vacancy until somebody retires, which doesn't look plausible for a while.

[efhmc]

12. Well, I'd move somewhere that is good for both of you work wise.

In the meanwhile continue searching for that perfect combination of work and home environments. Good luck to you both.

[NMDemDist2]

4. never do anything for money. do what you love with people you enjoy n/t

[asjr]

5. Could you rent in the rural setting for a couple of years?

You're correct about the housing prices in CA. I am no expert but I see the housing "bubble" being punctured before the year is over. It may be easier next year to buy a house at a reduced price. Follow your dream the best way you can because that is happiness. You seem to have the background and education that will serve you well.

[SoCalDem]

6. I'll give you a "fer instance"

My son is in a management position for a major company and so is his wife.. Between them, they take home $210,000.00 a year. They have no kids yet. They bought a house that was built in 1957..2 years ago.(cost $435K) They had to put close to $50K into repairs before they even moved in. He works from home most of the time, and she works a few miles from home.

Your income would have to be pretty darned good to afford to live anywhere near SF or Silicon Valley....

The traffic is horrendous, and it's a very crowded place. They live in Concord, and it seems to be less crowded, and has the feel of a college town. But it's very costly to live there..

We have lived all over the country, and I have found that once you set roots and find friends, you can be happy almost anywhere. And even though you "love your job", there are oter issues to consider. I am assuming that you are young, so your growing family might have to take a top priority for a while. If your family never sees you, because you are always gone, it won;t matter WHERE you live, or what you do.

my .02

[EFerrari]

7. You can be fired or laid off from a job you love but

no one can rescind your degree.

It took me fifteen years to get back to school after I had my kids. And then ten more to get my degree. I wouldn't trade it for anything. So, this elder's vote would be, do whatever you need to do to get your sheepskin. There's a lot of money in the world, many fewer opportunities to land a PhD.

Sometimes, when we're tired of the process, we forget that, imho.

[Yupster]

11. I would vote for the nicer community

which is more affordbale, especially if my wife liked it better.

My reasoning is that five years from now, your job and/or life will probably be quite different from waht it is today.

Your job will evolve into other things, and you're ikely to find things to do that you like. You'll also spend your time doing things you like, so I'd opt for the more livable environment, whichever you think that is.