“Us and them”–thank you, Pink Floyd

I’ve never gone this long between blog postings. Truthfully, I’ve had very little to say. The job search continues. That is the biggest thing in my life right now.

I suppose I should amend that. The other big thing is my brother’s desire to get me back to Europe. We are discussing it. From where I sit, I am looking at all my options. I have determined that I will allow myself to go where life takes me. After all, hasn’t that been my modus operandi these past few years?

But if I’m going to allow life to lead me, then I must pursue all options. Just today I applied for a job in Lviv, Ukraine. It’s a job I could do hands down. My former Lviv host, Ed, sent me the link to the job. He stated that my English language skills alone would set me apart and allow me better opportunities than what is available to others.

The interesting thing is that the pay in Ukraine is abysmal, compared to American standards. But the cost of living is minimal. A single person can live like a prince in Lviv on $1000/month. As of this writing, it’s difficult to find a livable apartment in Portland or that amount.

So, it comes down to a matter of comparative livability. Even if I returned to Alba Adriatica, Italy, my expenses would be next to nothing. Yet my quality of life would be magnificent. It’s all relative.

If I were to return, I would have to liquidate everything here in America; there would be no looking back. The car would go away. I would need to sell most everything in storage and consolidate into a smaller unit. Something tells me that, if I did return to Europe on a permanent basis, I would do fine because there would be a fire lit under me. It would be do or die.

Nevertheless, I still remain committed to the job search here. This is not an “Us and Them” issue. I can take or leave America. I can take or leave Europe. If I have fulfilling employment, I can be happy anywhere.

Stay tuned. Same bat-time. Same bat-channel.

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