Change of Plans

For as long as we've known each other, Adam has wanted to get his PhD and hopefully become a professor. He loves school and never wants to leave!

Sometimes, though, God has a different plan in mind.

As I've mentioned before, back in October he randomly attended an information session for a software company. In November, they asked him to come in for an on-campus interview. Last week, they flew him out to Seattle for a final interview.

At the end of that interview, they offered him a full-time position. An offer he has decided to accept!

Why this huge change of plans?

a.) This position pays several times the amount he would be making as a grad student. We have some student loans and a car loan. Debt that otherwise would have been hanging over our heads for the next ten years could reasonably be paid off in two years at this new job. After that, we could spend another two years saving the same amount and put it towards a house down payment or being able to live a little less frugally when Adam does attend graduate school.

b.) Adam's ideal career path {getting a PhD and trying to become a professor} is really, really competitive and really, really difficult. If he sees the "other side" first and still wants to leave in a few years to attend grad school, he will know it's what he really wants to do with his life.

We are not giving up on the grad school plan. We are committing to trying this out for four years. If Adam ends up loving it, then it will be a very good thing he didn't spend all those years in grad school. If Adam ends up still wanting to pursue his PhD, then he will move forward in that direction and we will be much better off financially.

So, we are moving to Seattle at the beginning of July!

We'll be living just as frugally, so we'll still be on the look-out for a two bedroom apartment. No houses of any kind in our immediate future. But the one area we've decided to definitely splurge in, if need be, is getting an apartment with its own washer & dryer. I am already fantasizing about doing laundry without having to check for quarters.

We feel insanely blessed about this whole situation. Of course, we can't ask for things to be exactly perfect. If Adam had attended grad school next year, we would have most likely ended up closer to our family in Texas. Now, we are moving even farther away. Major bummer. We keep reminding ourselves that it will probably be for only a few years. At least we'll be living in a cool city everyone will want to visit!