Anonymous wrote:Curious to hear if others

We are moving out of this sorry place called DC.

Yes but came back to the realization that I love our city lifestyles. It won’t always feel this restrictive and we can both still walk to work (when we go back to our offices). DD is still in a great school.

Anonymous wrote:Yes re thinking a lot about the rat race.

This.

While we already opted for a nice home in the burbs with plenty of outdoor space and a mortgage we could swing with one salary if necessary, sheltering in place has underscored how much life I’ve been missing thanks to my commute downtown and long hours putting in FaceTime at the office to secure my big promotion.

I’ve also discovered how amazing sleep is! I’ve been sleeping in until 7:30 or 8:30, casually checking email in bed, and sometimes skipping the morning shower. My workday now starts sometime after 9 most days.

I’d kill for a job at 80% hours. I’d happily cut my salary in half if I could reduce my hours.

Anonymous wrote:Yes. Should I have left my job a year ago to go on a career break? Was making $400k a year but was completely, totally burned out.

Had hoped to come back into the market over the summer.
Afraid I will never be able to get back to that professional level (either in terms of earnings and/or seniority) given the way economy is looking right now. Coulda, woulda, shoulda...

Moving back to NYC may also not be on the cards again for a while, if ever.

I hope you're feeling better / recovered - and that you saved $$ from when you were working with such a decent income!! This too shall pass.

+ to rethinking jam-packed schedules and having to go-go-go.

definitely like that we are learning to just "be", just be in the yard, just be in the living room...just be, not be getting ready for the next thing...

Anonymous wrote:I wish we could all make a pact that nobody will enter their kids into competitive activities after this is done.

Hear hear! Cut down on the structured activities and let them hang out and play.

I wish we could all make a pact that nobody will enter their kids into competitive activities after this is done.

Anonymous wrote:Upon COVID-induced reflection, I remain SO happy I did not marry and have kids.

What are you doing on DCUM then?

So happy we bought this rambling house because it has a huge wild yard. It's been great sitting there and puttering in the grass. Happy and lucky dh and I are both dod contractors for good companies who are still working and tried hard to find tasks for employees to do from home. Our weekends were always low key but with a schedule which included a hot lunch meal at home and rest time for all. So now my 4 year old is napping and the baby is napping at the same time after a nice lunch outside. Will continue the quiet non scheduled life going forward, just with we could add a couple friends and my kids friends to it.

Anonymous wrote:Yes, I want to stay home with my kids, possibly homeschooling the oldest and learn to live off one income. This pandemic has taught me that life isn't meant to be lived rushing around. And that much of our society is toxic anyway.

To reference another thread, I want to be cheerfully mediocre. LOL

Me too pp.

Happy about our SFH with a yard in a quiet suburban neighborhood.

Rethinking: pre-covid social life / crazy schedule on weekends. I like the forced downtime now - I don’t miss 75% of the people I socialize with.

I’m rethinking high priced preschool with “advanced class” that DD is signed up for next year. The virtual from this year was a complete waste. My kid is much happier just playing, exploring and reading - in retrospect it was a bad decision to sign her up for a 9-3 intensive next year. We may switch preschools yo something more relaxed..

Yes, I want to stay home with my kids, possibly homeschooling the oldest and learn to live off one income. This pandemic has taught me that life isn't meant to be lived rushing around. And that much of our society is toxic anyway.

To reference another thread, I want to be cheerfully mediocre. LOL

It may be hard to see this now, but pandemics end, and this one will end, too. There is not a need to have regret over where one chose to live, whether one has a job that in amenable to telework, what schools one chose, or not traveling as much. I guarantee things will go back to normal and people will forget about much of this stuff until the next one happens. Remember how after 9/11 everyone said no one would want to live in cities or fly? How did that turn out?

You mean if I knew that this was coming would I have made different choices?

YES. But, there was no way to know.

So, what would i have done if I had a crystal ball? Travelled outside the U.S. more with my children. Travelled to Japan and Australia when I had the chance. Traveled to France and Italy and Greece. Bought a vacation home in a more remote location - preferably in a different country that still had first world healthcare (Canada?). Bought a smaller house and saved more aggressively so I could (perhaps) retire earlier and move to that more remote location. Had my children apply (and hopefully get in) to a competitive online middle/high school like Stanford Online High School. Work part-time to support my children in online studies. Spent the money to buy solar battery storage for our solar panels. Bought an electric vehicle so that I wouldn't ever have to go to a gas station. Learned how to sew and bought a sewing machine. Started a victory garden and learned how to successfully garden in our backyard.

But, hindsight - no use thinking about that now - gotta play the hand I have now.

Yes. Should I have left my job a year ago to go on a career break? Was making $400k a year but was completely, totally burned out.

Had hoped to come back into the market over the summer.
Afraid I will never be able to get back to that professional level (either in terms of earnings and/or seniority) given the way economy is looking right now. Coulda, woulda, shoulda...

Moving back to NYC may also not be on the cards again for a while, if ever.