During Mark's business trip to Utah he unfortunately found out that the company that he sent his investment planning business through was going to close its doors. (ie. Brookstreet went under because of a couple of bonehead brokers in Florida who had a $170,000,000.00 oops.) Feel free to look up this business transition in the wall street journal or any other business editorial. Anyway, a little over a week ago Mark was forced to then find another firm to send his business through. Immediately all the brokers that worked through/for Brookstreet were then on their own to find new representation. Because Mark essentially works for himself this isn't quite the same as being layed off, but it does change our perspective on where he works and which other brokers he works with. Many of the brokers Mark worked closely with have all chosen different firms as their new representation, so he just has to choose who he now wants to work with and exactly where he want to be located. Since the breakdown of Brookstreet, Mark has had a few reasonable offers and we have narrowed down the choices to three:
1. My sister's husband has a wonderful, successful firm in Washington state. They have offered Mark the opportunity to work with them and their group of brokers. Thus, we would move to Washington and live there for quite some time...I like this idea because I really like the apple and cherry orchards, the cost of living (buying a home) and I like my sister...sometimes...hahaha just kidding...hahaha.
2. Mark has been offered to partner with a few brokers in Utah County that were also Brookstreet brokers and have now had to find new representation. Together they would keep all their brookstreet clients, but they would just be under a new brokerage. I like this idea because I am starting to like to quilt and my Mom, who lives in Utah County has quite the quilting set up...and almost Mark's entire clan lives here so I know he really wants to be closer to them, and I absolutely love to play with my friends in PG!!!
3. The most bizarre of all offers came from a man Mark has worked closely with over the last two years. He recently returned from a sabbatical in Dubai and is leaving to work at a university in Nigeria. He has offered Mark a full time teaching position in the business program at this university. I like this idea too because we would have summers off from mid-April to mid-August where we could stay with family, we would be able to see an area of the world that we would otherwise never visit and the living costs are almost completely free (the university pays for it all) so we would be able to save nearly 90 % of what he earned...plus he would be able to complete a PHD while working at the university...it is a 3-4 year contract.
So the purpose of this blog is to get your opinion. Over the last few days we have discussed each of the choices till we were hoarse and we are still at an impasse. Let me know what you think, and hopefully it will get us closer to a decision.
Sunday, July 08, 2007
Options
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Oh boy, that's tough. Althoguh I am disappointed that California (Irvine) didn't make the list. hee hee
I'd say Utah or WA. Not that seeing the world is bad, but with little ones it could be rough or infectious. hehe
If it's quite long term I'd say WA because "I" like the idea of laying down roots in a home. Plus, you do have family there.
However, Utah would provide lots of community with your parents, friends and Marks family. And definately plenty of fellow church goers (also a plus in my book to be in a community of believers).
Well, that's the best I can do unless Cali comes up in the mix. :D
Wow! What a blessing to have options - but then narrowing it down to the ONE! Free education is hard to pass up - Utah would be hard for me to pass up - but I hear cost of living in WA is great!
Best of luck with your decision.
This sounds like a no-brainer...."Two roads diverged in a wood and I, I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference." NIGERIA! 3-4 years is not very long, and Utah and Washington aren't going anywhere and will always be around for later. If there is a way for Mark to scope it out first (the only drawback would be if it's unsafe or a shady set up or something, in which case he could find out before you packed your whole fam up), great. And if he knows and trusts the guy offering it, that helps too. It seems like the type of crazy opportunity that if you don't take, you'll always talk about and wonder what it would've been like if you did. I vote for the adventure! You already know what the other two options will be like. And what little boy won't love to spend a chunk of his childhood in Africa? And who won't want Mark the world traveling university professor to work for them??
Unless, of course, Hawaii has been enough of an adventure for you and you're ready to not be an ocean away from your fam. Search, ponder and pray....
In Minot you could buy a MANSION, own your own crop of sunflower fields, buy a couple of cars with tornado insurance, and have babies. And all of this for pocket change.
Didn't you live in WA before, or am I thinking of someone else? I would probably say UT because it's where home is for you (other than HI). I would say Nigeria only if you had no reservations about it whatsoever. You will go where you are meant to go! Good luck with praying, fasting, and pondering!
My 2 cents: I would go to Nigeria, a once in a lifetime opportunity. You'll come back with a distinguishing accomplish (PhD) and an experience you can always talk about. Even your kids will be able to talk about it forever. :) Utah will always be there. Not only will it always be there, it will always be trying to suck you back in. That's how we get a majority of our employees - people who have left the state, and then eventually come back because of family. Getting in is easy. Getting back out... not so easy.
Pray, pray and listen, listen. Other than that, Nigeria sounds way cool! Why do I have a hard time imagining you there??
My two cents (and that's really all it takes to buy a house here, I promise) is for WA. I got another box of free apricots just today, so the family will be well fed for at least a week. As for Nigeria - sure it's a once in a lifetime opportunity - to be shot that is! Happens once, and then you die. Onto to happy thoughts - there's the candy factory in Cashmere with free samples...
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