Please don't take this too seriously.

[Sava]

be sure to wear the newspaper cap for your session today

[Felch]

White Oak, MD is not exactly the place to go for adventures.

[Lorizael]

Hey look, I wasn't committed.

[The Mad Monk]

THE CAP WORKED!!!

[Felch]

It's pretty hard to be committed. I'm still running free.

[Lorizael]

Yeah, I wasn't really expecting to be committed. Anyway, the therapist performed her therapy magic on me, and I'm all better taking steps to deal with this issue.

[N35t0r]

Taking steps beats the hell out of crawling forward

[Sava]

[The Mad Monk]

Taking steps beats the hell out of crawling forward

Only if you're not under fire.

[Lorizael]

My mother sent me an an email telling me I could move back in if I wanted to. She sent the email 5 days ago. I haven't responded yet, because I don't know how. I can't move back home. I leached off of my parents for 22 years, and they deserve some freedom now that they're nearing retirement.

[rah]

Good for you.
But, do consider their motive of asking you to move back in.
If it's for you to move back and help them as they get older and can't do everything anymore, than I wouldn't consider it leaching.

But yeah, it's probably best that you don't.

[Lorizael]

Nah, my parents are still fairly mobile. They're asking because they know money is tight for me right now and (I suspect) because my brother told them how spectacularly I'm failing at the whole school thing.

[rah]

Then yeah, probably best to stay away.

My parents are in their late 80's and can use the help around the house. It would be better than sticking them in a home, but they're not quite that bad yet, but it won't be that long.

[Jon Miller]

I know of people who are successful both with careers and with school who stayed at home even when they were in their careers making >50k a year (although it is true that within a couple of years of that they moved out).

There is nothing wrong with living with your parents until you get going, which now days can take into your 30s. Between the Swedish and Belgium postdocs I lived with my mom (theoretically) for 4 months. And to be honest, I have had as much financial support from family during my postdocs and the first year here in Chile as I had as a student.

This is one of the threads I do try to keep up with still on Apolyton, but I haven't read anywhere near all of it. That being said, my advice to you, Lori, is to do something that would radically change your life. Even if it turns out to be something that you don't like (and isn't good for you) and that you quit or leave, just the experience will will help you by changing your perspective.

I think (for you) that moving to a different country is good, although the other side of our country could work too. So I guess I don't recommend going back to live with your parents.

The fact that you get along well with your parents/etc means that it isn't even that risky.

I have seen many people try it, and all gain from it even if they return to their normal life after a short time.

JM

[Lorizael]

I would love to radically change my life, but I have a significant amount of debt that's not going away any time soon. Any radical changes I make still have to involve me working ~40 hours a week in a job that would hire me.