To Go Or Not To Go...That Is The Question
It’s time to let you in on a little secret I’ve been keeping…I’ve been offered an opportunity to transfer to the London office of my company. I requested this last year, and last Friday I finally got a formal offer letter. After all this time of waiting and wondering and feeling like my life is in limbo, I finally have something to ponder – for real.My current battle is whether or not to actually go, and my company has given me a deadline...I have until Friday to decide. After over nine months of waiting and wondering, you think they could give me more than a week, right?!?
Anyway…here is my predicament:
On one hand, I have a great job in NYC. I’ve worked really hard to get where I am and if I stay, my career will still be on the up-and-up. I’m finally living comfortably, have fabulous friends, live decently close to my family and am generally happy.
On the other hand, here is this amazing opportunity to go live and work in another country, something that I’ve wanted for some time. It’ll certainly be lucrative for my career in the long run, and I’m not scared one bit by picking up and trying something completely new.
My decision-making problem does not lie in the obvious pros of each path; in fact it lies within what I’ll be trading up if I choose one or the other.
It’s about regret.
I have one week to decide which path will leave me with the least amount of regret, and I don’t want to regret anything in life, least of all missing out on something that is important to me…
So is it about…losing a life that I know I will have here? Or is it about…losing a life I think I might have somewhere else?
I'm going to drive myself batty trying to figure this one out.
posted by Lisa @ 3:54 PM
6 Comments:
Congratulations, Elle!!!
My question is this: Do you have to commit to a certain length of time in London, or can you come back to NYC at some point in the future? Is the move to be completed on the company dime? Is the money enough that you can live in the same style/manner that you do in NYC?
If they're paying for the move, and you're making enough to maintain your lifestyle...My instict is to GO FOR IT!! You only live once, and how many more opportunities will you have to move to Europe to live and work?
Your family will still be there when you come home, and they'll love you no matter where you are. Live the adventure! And congratulations again! :)
congrats elle! they finally made the offer...that took them long enough.
sucks about the length of time for you to decide, but i guess it helps that you'll go more with your gut than your "what if's?"
bonus -- you already love the city across the pond, so i think either way you'd adjust quite comfortably....
and please don't think of it in terms of regret -- you've been grappling with the idea of change for quite some time, i think you should embrace it, whichever choice you make!
Thanks for the support!
To be honest, I've got a lot of negotiating to do this week. If they don't come through on the terms, I won't be going. I am pretty educated about what they should offer, so I won't feel bad saying no if it's not up to par.
I'm excited about it but a little scared at the same time.
Elle - I'm so torn on this...You know that...
I must say, one regret I have in life was choosing NOT to study abroad in college. I made my decision because I thought I'd be missing out on college life. I chose to stay in the US for my friends and my boyfriend. I have regreted it ever since...
You have 5 days to think it over. Use every single second of that time... to mull it over. Don't rush to judgement.
I advise playing hooky from work on Thursday and joining me at the beach, so we can discuss at great length.
Congrats!!!
The only things you regret are the things you don't do!!!
Seriously though - from one chick whos dream is to live/work in another country...Do it. If worst comes to worst you can ask you NYC office to have you back...and if they wont - you can move back and start again!
GO!!! GO! GO!!! I don't really know how else to say it, but freakin GO woman! This is incredible and once in a lifetime and you're 26 with no ties other than friends in this city!
You own nothing, owe nothing, you're totally free! People would KILL to be in your position and then on top of that LONDON!!! It's not like you're going to a third world country where you're really going to have to make an effort to find your groove...You love London and you'll do so great there!
This is a leap of faith with total cushion if you fall...Think about it...What's the worst that can happen? You don't like it and come home? Like you wouldn't have a ton of offers here anyway!!! Seriously, don't make the mistake of not going abroad. It's the most amazing experience and you of all people will certainly love it.
Post a Comment
<< Home