Cyclist for rent

Warning: today's post is introspective and personal. If you don't care for that sort of thing, please read something funny instead.

So Monday was my five-year anniversary with my current employer. Hooray for me! As a thank you, I got a form letter from the CEO and a spot bonus that, after taxes, will almost buy a tank of gas. Not that I'm complaining--with the economy the way it is, I am grateful to be gainfully employed and to be able to provide for my family.

Of my MBA classmates, I can only think of a handful that are still with their first employer out of school. I have lasted twice and in some cases five times as long as most of them did with their first employer.

Which is not to say I haven't looked around. For a little over a year now, we have considered moving back to Utah to be closer to family and the many friends we have there. But when I stop to really ponder the implications of making such a move, I am always left with reservations. For instance:

• We currently live on the best street in the world. Not quite as interesting as Dug's street, but there are lots of young kids for my children to play with, and it's a quiet cul-de-sac, so riding big wheels in the street is OK.
• We have great friends. I never have to ride bikes or ski by myself unless I want to. They're the kind of guys to hook me up with deals on gear or help me out when I need it. My wife has a group she plays volleyball with every week. And my daughter has played soccer with the same girls for six seasons now. Good people all around.
• We have great access to recreational opportunities. Skiing is an hour away and cheap, the foothills are full of MTB and hiking trails, and I can be on a quiet road for a road ride within 20 minutes in almost any direction.
• My commute is negligible. It takes me 10 minutes to ride my bike from my house to the office. On the days I go to the office, that is. Sometimes I just work out of my house (like today).

So we have it pretty good where we are. Except that I don't particularly like my job. So I'm trying to figure out what to do.

One option is to relocate. This could be as simple as finding a job in Utah, which I've tried to do with only a modicum of effort over the last year. In all reality, though, I'm not interested in living anywhere but Boise or Salt Lake. Unless it was someplace really cool, like Spain. My company has an opening in Barcelona, and I'm scheduled for an interview next week. It was one of those things that I didn't really plan on, but it came up, so I thought I would see what happens.


The thing is, I don't know what I would do if I were offered the job. As I mentioned before, I have reservations about leaving where I am for Utah, which for all practical purposes, would offer everything I have here and some added benefits besides (like being three hours from Moab or 500 inches of annual snowfall, for instance). But it would be really, really cool to live in Europe for a while. Especially Spain.


Of course having an interview is a lot different from being offered the position, so at this point it's all speculation. But let's just say it were an option. If so, what would you do? Moreover, if you think I should stay in Boise or move to Salt Lake and you or someone you know wants to hire a guy who's an enthusiastic but not particularly talented skier and cyclist, but also has a MBA and knows a thing or two about finance, operations, and the Interweb, let me know that, too. Because the grass may not be greener, but I'm ready for some different grass.