Saturday, January 5

Ch- ch- ch- changes

That ol' David Bowie song has been humming through my head like a CD on repeat...
Ch-ch-ch-ch-Changes
(Turn and face the strain)
Ch-ch-Changes
Don't want to be a richer (wo)man
Ch-ch-ch-ch-Changes
(Turn and face the strain)
Ch-ch-Changes
Just gonna have to be a different (wo)man
Time may change me
But I can't trace time
Last month, in talking about keeping my run-streak alive, I mentioned (briefly) that I was in the middle of some big career changes. (Oh yeah, and I cut all my hair off...)

For the past two years I've been telecommuting to a job in San Diego that I started way back in 2001. I stayed on, remotely, when I moved to Pensacola.
But then I also started teaching.
And consulting.
And blogging (here and on my data-insights blog about demographics and sociology).
And freelance-writing about fitness, outdoor adventures, books, and social issues.

I'm not going to whine about how it was too much work to juggle multiple priorities. To be honest, I'm an inveterate multi-tasker who likes to have several irons in the fire. I don't know how not to be busy.

But after nearly a dozen years at my "day job," I realized I wanted to put more energy into the teaching and freelancing, and... (dare I admit it?) I was freakin' tired of flying back and forth across the country for 36 hour business trips scheduled around my teaching days.

And then...

I found out we're moving. Again.

Just when Pensacola started to feel like home, we're headed for the nation's capital.

In a few months I'll be exploring a whole new world of job opportunities and running communities (and taking advantage of free exhibits at the Smithsonian).

2013, like it or not, will be a year of big changes.

So, I took a deep breath and turned in my resignation letter at the day job.

For the first time in more than a decade, I have no idea where I'll be living or where I'll be working at the end of this year. I can't plan my 2013 race calendar because I'm not sure when, exactly, the move will take place.

As a list-maker/goal-setter/contingency-planner it feels odd to have absolutely no idea what this year will hold. (Yes, I realize that life is unpredictable and we never know what a year has in store, but let's be honest - some years we have a better guess than others. And this year your guess is as good as mine...)

What I do know is that I plan to keep running, keep writing, keep reading, and keep an open mind.

What do you have planned for 2013?
Have you had to navigate a major job change? A long-distance move?

1 comment:

  1. I love Washington DC! Good luck on the move.

    This year I plan to run in at least 10 different states.

    ReplyDelete

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