I'm 34, and tired of working.

[xaeniac]

GTFO of DC.

 

[Rumpltzer]

If you're 34 and have no family, I'm guessing that you have enough sense not to follow the advice to get one as a solution to your problems.

Maybe move out of the DC area. Travel more; don't limit yourself to America, see the world; it's really big! Get hobbies. Work on finding a chick if there isn't one... but don't get bogged down in it.

Keep in mind that you're not living to work; you work so you can live. It's up to you to determine what it means to "live".

 

[ultimatebob]

Dude... MOVE to some new place that you think that you'll like and get a new job that has more travel. Do it NOW, before you get tied down with a wife and kids. At that point, your options become a lot more limited.

 

[Franz316]

I'm a little younger than you(28) but I think this is a pretty common feeling, many will just ignore it though. The first thing you need to do is find what you love. That is actually a lot harder than it sounds. After years of mundane and mind numbing work a lot of people can't even name what they would otherwise be doing. It's a good thing you recognized your displeasure so soon. What you have going for you is flexibility and hopefully some money saved up. There is a big jump between hoping to get out, thinking you can get out, and actually getting out. It takes a lot of courage but you will come out better for it.

Personally, I made a promise to myself a few years ago that I would not settle for an unfulfilling lifestyle. I worked a really boring job with decent pay straight of college was absolutely miserable. I wasn't going to do that for the next 40 years, life is way too short for that. Now, my girlfriend and I both do freelance web design and graphic design. What is great about those is that they can be done anywhere. This means we travel more than 5 months a year in and out of the country. We have a nomadic lifestyle while still living well below our means.

 

[iGas]

Perhaps take a year to backpack across America and see how the rest of the average American live.

 

[ultimatebob]

Perhaps take a year to backpack across America and see how the rest of the average American live.

That would be cool if his job would let him take a leave of absence. Something tells me that he wouldn't have a job to come back to at most places nowadays.

 

[Red Squirrel]

I'm in a similar life situation, 27 and single, own a house, and I'm happy this way.

Is there a job within your company that involves shift work that you could apply for if ever there's an opening? I switched from server tech to NOC a few years ago (downgrade "status" wise, but same pay class and lots more OT and shift differentials so more money) and it's the best thing I ever did. I work a mix of 12 hour shifts and 8 hour shifts. The schedules are 4 week intervals of 160 hours. (so basically 40h per week average) The more 12s I get in a schedule the more days off I have. I can actually have a whole week off at times without even using vacation time. This allows me to do more things I like. I spent days on and off throughout 2013 framing my basement and building my server room. And Minecraft... too much Minecraft... No way I could have done that if I worked 8*5.

Basically, with a job like what I have, it allows me to have more of a life. Not so much a social life though, as when friends are working I'm off and vise versa, but I usually figure things out. I don't have lot of friends in town so social life is not a HUGE deal, when they do come in town I make arrangements.

I would have lot of trouble having to go back to 8*5. I've been brainstorming various projects I want to start on though, as my ultimate life goal is to be self sufficient money wise so I don't have to depend on my job. I have not been working that hard so far towards that goal yet though.

 

[Fingolfin269]

Starting to feel the same. About the same age too. I'm doing very well at my job, getting promotions, etc. but it doesn't change that feeling to want something else. Not sure if you've lived in Virginia your entire life or not but that's what I think is starting to hit me. I've had the opportunity to travel quite a bit over the past few years and I think some sense of wanderlust has set in. Now I just need to find some intriguing place and a job. Portland? Phoenix? Denver? Charlotte? Ahh... Nashville is a cool place but I've lived in TN my entire life.

 

[purbeast0]

what do you do career wise?

i live in the dc metro area too and work a 9-5, 32 married with no kids, and i too would never work in dc simply because of traffic lol. i'd take the metro if i worked in dc (and did when i worked in nova), but i simply would not take a job in dc for commute reasons.

just take more vacations. i work hard but i play hard too. wife and i try to take at least 3 vacations a year. having a vacation booked really gives me something to look forward to. usually i'll have a next vacation booked before i even go on a vacation. that way when i get back i already have another one to look forward to. right now it kinda sucks because since i got back from the keys in september, i don't have anything booked yet. but i'm going to book one shortly, within the next few weeks, for march or april. i plan on probably going to puerto rico or possibly the virgin islands.

but i do enjoy what i do for a living (software engineering) but there is definitely days where i wish i could be outside all day. but that's why i spend a lot of my free time (in the warm weather months) outside fishing or playing on my football team. i recently got a small boat too last summer that i can take out on lakes and stuff, so that makes fishing even more fun.

 

[Fingolfin269]

just take more vacations. i work hard but i play hard too. wife and i try to take at least 3 vacations a year. having a vacation booked really gives me something to look forward to. usually i'll have a next vacation booked before i even go on a vacation. that way when i get back i already have another one to look forward to.

This... so much this... I always have the next vacation booked so I have something to look forward to. Just got back from Vegas and have Maui booked for the summer. Will hopefully do some long weekend trip somewhere in between that is within driving distance too (New Orleans or something).

 

[Engineer]

This... so much this... I always have the next vacation booked so I have something to look forward to. Just got back from Vegas and have Maui booked for the summer. Will hopefully do some long weekend trip somewhere in between that is within driving distance too (New Orleans or something).

I honestly believe that's what I need but the small company I work for is bad on the number of days off, both vacation and holidays as well. I can't even get a comp day out of him, regardless of the number of hours/days extra I've worked (I'm salary and he feels that there is no comp time, even during the same week). Seems like many in corporate America are getting burned out (based on this thread).

 

[Imp]

Perhaps take a year to backpack across America and see how the rest of the average American live.

That's a good way to get some life experience and to find oneself, maybe leading to a fulfilling job and life.

But my personal cynical view of how the the average <Western society human> lives is that they reproduce, take on mortgages, and buy stuff their friends have (or don't). We've covered the consequences of these issues already.

 

[disappoint]

Starting a family is definitely the solution to your problems.










if your problem is "Ermergerd I 34 and I don't have a famiry yet! I warnt kids running around the Xmas tree that don't aprreciate the gifs they get and what an easy rife they have compared to 99 percernt of the werld!"





Sereriorsry (ok that the last one I promirse)

You need a project. A long term goal. What that project/goal is I can't tell you. It's different for everyone. It's what you find fulfilling. What gets you excited. What you'd rather do than eat or sleep. For me it's being creative. I do that in many different ways and they all excite me. For someone else it might be take a trip to Maui. For someone else it may be buy some Maui Jims and go to the beach or safari scoping out _____ insert some animars that excite you here. Ok that the rast one I sweere :-D

 

[Dr. Detroit]

just take more vacations. i work hard but i play hard too. wife and i try to take at least 3 vacations a year. having a vacation booked really gives me something to look forward to. usually i'll have a next vacation booked before i even go on a vacation. that way when i get back i already have another one to look forward to. right now it kinda sucks because since i got back from the keys in september, i don't have anything booked yet. but i'm going to book one shortly, within the next few weeks, for march or april. i plan on probably going to puerto rico or possibly the virgin islands.

So your overlord allows you to take 3-4 weeks off a year for vacation and you are content.

The overlords keep the masses happy.

Since were heading to socialism in the country we might as well get the benefits, sign me up for 6-8 weeks of vacation and standard 38hr weeks - shit I'm already paying 50% taxes - can they take much more?

 

[denis280]

1. move out of DC
2. buy boat
3. Spend as much time as you can on the water, ocean, lake, or bay
you will find what you are looking for.

:thumbsup:I like this alot but i will add some fishing to it

 

[Engineer]

So your overlord allows you to take 3-4 weeks off a year for vacation and you are content.

The overlords keep the masses happy.

Since were heading to socialism in the country we might as well get the benefits, sign me up for 6-8 weeks of vacation and standard 38hr weeks - shit I'm already paying 50% taxes - can they take much more?

Sign me up too and make sure we get universal healthcare so I can retire very early in life (and not wait for Medicare).

 

[Imp]

In olden days, we'd spend 90% of our time finding food so we don't starve and making sire the asshole next door can't murder me and pillage my town (i.e. survival).

I want to be thankful about the fact that many of us don't need to worry about these things anymore, but omfg...

 

[TechHead87]

you need to start a family

The man said he was already depressed.

 

[ultimatebob]

The man said he was already depressed.

Yeah... if he's depressed with his lack of future options now, adding a mortgage and extra mouths to feed aren't going to cheer him up.

Seriously, OP, it's time to explore the world now. It's way more difficult do to once children arrive.

 

[shortylickens]

I'm 34 and unemployed.
Also depressed.




Its whats going on inside, trust me.
Go see a doc and get some SSRI's if nothing else is working to cure your depression.

 

[Franz316]

I'm not sure about vacations being a solution to a situation like this. Vacations may be a good escape from a miserable job, but they are still just a small portion of life. The trips will be awesome but he's going to be returning to a depressing everyday life. The goal should be to structure your everyday life to be as fulfilling as possible. If you don't, then you are just enduring life in between those vacation excursions, not living it. Which means, he needs to find his passion and find a way to make it work. If it was easy, everyone would do it. It takes some guts not to take the conventional road. You may want to take a good 6 month trip by yourself and do some serious thinking along the way.

 

[halik]

In olden days, we'd spend 90% of our time finding food so we don't starve and making sire the asshole next door can't murder me and pillage my town (i.e. survival).

I want to be thankful about the fact that many of us don't need to worry about these things anymore, but omfg...

Canada in the 80s must've been tough...

 

[iGas]

That would be cool if his job would let him take a leave of absence. Something tells me that he wouldn't have a job to come back to at most places nowadays.

I agree, however one have to ponder what is more important in life?

In 2011 I took a break between jobs to travel for a good part of 1/2 a year in Costa Rica, and SE Asia. It was exhilarating and an eye opening experience. And, luck has it, I land a better job than before when I got back.

That's a good way to get some life experience and to find oneself, maybe leading to a fulfilling job and life.

But my personal cynical view of how the the average <Western society human> lives is that they reproduce, take on mortgages, and buy stuff their friends have (or don't). We've covered the consequences of these issues already.

I read A Walk Across America by Peter Jenkins more than a decade ago, and it changed my outlook on life.

 

[TXHokie]

GTFO of DC.

This x2. DC rat race just sucks the soul out of you. I left that place when I hit 30 and am glad I did.

 

[purbeast0]

So your overlord allows you to take 3-4 weeks off a year for vacation and you are content.

The overlords keep the masses happy.

Since were heading to socialism in the country we might as well get the benefits, sign me up for 6-8 weeks of vacation and standard 38hr weeks - shit I'm already paying 50% taxes - can they take much more?

i have no idea wtf you are talking about, but i get 22 days PTO a year, and next september i will get 27.