Mid-life crisis happening early - Quit 200k+ year job yesterday to follow a dream...

[pUniCepts]

skimmed over OP and saw something about reps, so I'm in.

[Leidschendammer]

can I have your old job bro?

[Horns3]

No thanks Jeff. Would rather have a large paycheck.

[rollsroy]

skimmed over OP and saw something about reps, so I'm in.

strong rep power to post content ratio
Uncle Scrooge?

[Rosco75]

Answering this one directly, wife is home playing with the kiddo.

Would I do this is I had not made/saved a significant amount of cash?

I honestly cannot answer this other than I don't know for sure.

What I do know, is that I don't need to work. I do it because i need to keep myself busy. However, A man can only take so much. I had reached my breaking point, and knew I was in a position to leave whenever i wanted.

My passion was always in fire. I worked for a few short months with a FD in michigan (part time) before i moved in with my gf (now wife)

Do i regret that decision? in a sense yes, but I also don't. im under no delusion that my wife and I may not be together today had I tried the long distance thing. We all know those dont often work out.






will answer more later.

Thank you for the candid response man. It is nice to get insight into others' thought processes when in these types of situations. I truely hope the best for you, and you seem to have a good head on your shoulders so I am sure you will find that happy medium between monetary sucess and mental well-being. I would just caution the thinking that money has no place in achieving happyness. It is a delicate thing to balance the line between what is nessassary and what is excess, but SOME is still needed.

Best of luck OP, you know your misc brahs are rooting for ya!

[DopeEfX]

Follow your dreams and do what fulfills you and makes you happy. Life is too short to just go through the motions. Chase your passion. Best of luck in your future endeavor!

[jeffbear]

Good luck to you OP. It's good to see people with the intestinal fortitude to follow dreams. I'll get there someday Lulz. Only piece of advice I can give you is to up the EMT-B cert to Paramedic. Someone with your background (Type-A personality) will accel as a medic. Plus most companies require it now.

[iamtheawesome]

good for you.

I made a career change at 31, and have never been happier.

It's always best to do what you love for a living.

[Trapstar4.4]

holy sht man you quit?! fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuarrkk.
fck i gotta respect that. it's a HUGE fcking move. you were on top at the job. interesting

[LOLATIK]

Good for you. (srs)

[samir316]

Good job Opee.

Thinking of starting a strength training gym in 3-4 yrs, giving up 6 figures to make nothing but do what I love.

[getbustered]

I can see why the young guys support it, and my dreamer side kind of admires the decision, but to be honest and speak as a father, I think you are crazy.

I feel like I had my chance to chase my dreams, and now it is my responsibility to do everything possible so that they have the best opportunity to chase and achieve theirs. But it does sound like you are doing well financially so my opinion may very well be invalid. I couldn't/wouldn't do it, but kudos for sticking to what you believe in.

[WPIITB]

Good for you man srs. Did a similar thing quit 60k a year job to travel 4 months ago, I don't know if I could have quit 200k a year though.

I was a volunteer firefighter for two years. I was too young to do much fun stuff, washed the trucks, helped with events, cut up trees when they fell down, etc. Was too far away for school/too busy to keep it up, but fun times, they were all good dudes.

[decline]

Good job OP i'm totally behind you with this. One of my friend turned 30 yo and decided his career in the corporate world wasn't his thing. Became a cop 1 year later. Never base decisions on money.

[irishbrah23]

Legend

[Quicktim6]

i was actually interested in reading this story

was not as great as i expected.

[mahousesn]

I think this is going to come down to the hands you shake. It's all about who you know. Good luck, brosef.

[Jesse_l_g]

I hope the misc, myself included, can lean something from you.

I think you already took the biggest most challenging and scariest step. That is quitting your job and putting yourself in that uncomfortable situation. The rest should be easy.

[Mrlatking]

As long as it makes you happy, good job op on taking the next step to a happier life, good luck and stay safe.

[primetime32]

Not completely the same, but I'm a lawyer and i have a simple 9-5 job where i make a difference in peoples lives, never have to take my work home with me and can spend every night with my family (2 kids) and still have time for the gym 5 days a week. I have passed up numerous oppurtunites to work in mid/big sized law firms and make double/triple what I make now because i value my family/health too much. I have no regrets.

Smart choice op, you won't regret it and good luck.

[DirtyBulkLegend]

OP.

I think you need to take this decision to the next level for maximum success on top of doing what you enjoy. There is plenty of back up plan ability too with what I am proposing. However, your surplus of cash would be dramatically shortened.

Why not move to NY and try to become a firefighter there? Salary is better, pension is too. On top of that there are tons of accounting jobs for your wife and plenty of opportunities for you if the firefighter thing doesn't pan out as quick as need be.

[Poppy83]

Good luck, OP.

I'm doing the same thing, even though I was making more along the lines of $40k a year. My wife and I have 8 months of living expenses in a money market and we have some other IRAs and ETFs. I was a teacher and just did not enjoy it at all anymore. She is a nurse and is feeling the same way.

While I did not make it on with a local FD this past summer, I am officially starting tomorrow as an EMT with a private ambulance company. I may or may not pursue fire. I'm going to see how I like this first.

Again - Good luck!

[cunfewzed]

Congrats on the switch. Sounds like 'twas merited.

That's a really tough decision to make but money =/= happiness, as people do come to find out.

Can you get me an interview for said old company?

[Roke]

He quit after 6 years so don't act like he just left the company the first day.

[cgrimaldo]

Good luck to you bro

[Msaki75]

A lot of respect for that. I love firefighting and wouldn't trade it for any job.

[wakeeb]

GJ OP the Fire Service is the greatest career ever and money isn't bad at all once your 1st class FF or LT and Capt, some guys here make over 100k a year

[Ted1122]

Firefighting is one of those jobs that most of us would do even if they only paid us enough to cover our bills. A friend of mine told me when I first started that if you're just in this to make money or be famous you're in the wrong business. Just make sure you're doing it for the right reasons man.

[kzulkeski]

Congrats brah...gotta live the dream

[ducatisteve]

In all honesty, I'm jealous. You seem to have everything you need to do this right. A burning passion (please, no pun), financial stability, a means to follow through with your dream, and a supportive family. I wish you the best of luck, stay safe.