re: $55k Spinoff: Are you where you thought you'd be in life?

I'm doing what I love, but I never had a plan for where I'd live. I just sort of landed in Seattle

What else could you be at 18 besides a graduating senior or college freshmen if you aren't some sort of trust fund baby or celebrity? You've just started down the path of life. The world is yours...

I can't complain about anything. Well.... It'll be nice when we're not paying my wife's Med School student loans off anymore. But otherwise, I'm very happy where I am now.

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$55k Spinoff: Are you where you thought you'd be in life?

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I'm in a completely different field than I thought I'd be in when I was 18 years old, but making similar money to what I thought I'd be making (a little less, but much better benefits/working environment).

I'm in a way better position than I thought I'd be in when I was 22, just graduating college though. I thought I fricked myself when I changed majors in college, luckily that wasn't the case.

I have never at any point in my life had any serious plans for the future, so I can't say that I have or have not lived up to what I thought I would be doing.

I can definitely say that what I'm doing now (involving elementary education) is absolutely not worth the stress for the tiny amount of money that I get paid (I just found out that my roommate who makes to-go drinks at a restaurant in the French Quarter makes about double what I do -- that will put everything in perspective fast (not that it wasn't already)). I kind of fell into this career path by chance and have stayed around a year or two too long.

I never thought I would be looking forward to going back for more school at age 26, but I also never considered what impact getting a liberal arts degree would have (ie no real "skills" to show to employers) would have when I was 19 years old and going through college the first time.

As living costs rise to absurd amounts, I'm not sure I want to say in New Orleans, but I think I would be content living in other areas of Louisiana.

I think things will work out alright.

I'm way better off than I was 4-5 years ago. In 2009 I was in almost panic mode realizing the career I had (and kind of thought I'd always have) was not feasible for a man getting older and about to have my first kid. I mean, it was something that paid very well, but I no longer wanted to do it.

I basically started over and just invested most of the money my wife and I had saved on a new career and the education that it required. I'll never make the kind of money I once did, but now it's enough to raise a family and live the kind of life I always wanted (where I get to be home and relatively safe)I'm virtually debt free now (mostly because I was blessed with a nice nest egg) and it turned out to be the best decision ever with awesome job security. So to answer the question, I'm finally where I should be, and maybe a little bit ahead of schedule vs 5 years ago. vs 10 years ago, I'll just say it's a way different and less adventurous path than I ever imagined.

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zacata88

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Wow, with the exception of it being different jobs, reading your post almost felt like something I wrote.

I too never cared much about life beyond the next corner until I had to. Don't be afraid to go back to school and make yourself worth a little more on paper. Even for rebels like us, it's just easier to conform

Almost 60. Probably did not get everything I wanted, but have a good job I am about to retire from with a defined benefit retirement. House, cars, and boats are paid for. Earned u dergraduate and advanced degrees. Finished getting kids out on their own. Have a great dog who is my best buddy. Have a couple of friends. The only thing that I probably didn't anticipate was my wife skipping town with a fricking minister seven years ago. I not plan on being divorcedat this stage of life. Got back to actively dating a couple of years ago. Won't date anything at least eight years younger than me, and she has to have her own money. Actually have takers and sex life is probably better than most men my age. A lot more cautious about women and their motives than I was 40 years ago. So, no, perhaps not where I thought I'd be, but sure as hell not bad either.