Two years ago today Shane started a new job as VP of Quality Operations at a pharma company in Rocky Mount, NC. I thought he began in February, but I was reminded through his fb statis that today was his two year anniversary. He wasn’t looking for a new position, but a recruiter called, and the more he told me about the position and the company, the more I thought he might be crazy for wanting to entertain it.  Of course, I was in my first year as Director of Graduate Studies after 3 years as Director of Undergraduate Studies, so I had no real standing to talk about positions that people were crazy to take on. On top of that, we were also trying to start a family, and I had just gotten my treadmill and was dedicating myself to getting healthy and fit. It wasn’t until today that I realized those two life events (my dedication to my health and Shane’s new job) coincided. We were just living by the life decisions we made. That’s why it’s so important to reflect.

Anyway, we were pretty content and did we really want to try something new and uncertain? It seemed risky, and if it’s one thing I don’t do well with, it’s uncertainty. Shane on the other hand loves him a good challenge and pointed out I did too! We decided then he would explore the opportunity and go through the interview process which took weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas. (not a stressful time at all.) The offer came in the week after Christmas and before New Years, and we got serious. I remember sitting with him at O’Charley’s (it’s now closed unfortunately as we solved many problems and made lots of decisions there), and we did a pros and cons list on my iphone. We did pros and cons of his current position and pros and cons of the new position. I think we were there 2 hours. I knew he wanted the position, but I was worried about the one hour commute there and back and some other risks of the new position. Basically, it came down to how confident he was that he could do the job and be successful. He was confident, and I was confident in him. That partnership and alignment began to outweigh any risks or uncertainty.  We negotiated with them on some things (I mean, we needed to buy a car b/c Shane would have to give his back to his employer at the time), and he accepted the position. He took 3 days off between jobs.

Now, he commutes an hour there and back, but he does have a nice ride to do it in. He laughs because when people heard he was moving this past summer, they said, “oh, you’re moving closer to Rocky Mount.” He said, “maybe 5-10 minutes closer, but my wife will be less than a mile from campus and her job.” People looked perplexed, but that’s the deal we made when we found the house this summer and weighed those pros and cons. Unfortunately, in the partnership on commute, my pro was his con, so it balanced things out or so my argument went. 😉 Our home is perfect, and we’ve had so many great memories in it already.

But of course neither of us could be content or successful or happy without each other’s support and understanding. And so we thrive as individuals and as a couple. And when we’re faced with decisions and paths, we weigh the risks and the benefits for us as individuals and our partnership, and we make a decision that considers all of these factors. We just celebrated 8 years, but I think the last two have been some of the best yet. But still there’s always uncertainty about the path forward and new decisions as opportunities come and go. But for now, we’re making plans, weighing pros and cons about life events, and hoping. We’re also remembering to be grateful for we continue to find incredible satisfaction in the work that we do. Our motto for the last year or so has been “Work Hard, Play Harder,” and as our friends and family can attest, we do this well and welcome others to do it with us. 🙂