Q: Hi Scott,
I have been reading your column for a while now, and am surprised how many people ask questions about relationships. Here is one of those few non-relationship questions for a change.
I have been thinking about this for several years, and I only come up with bad solutions, so maybe you can point me in a direction that I have not previously thought of.
Long story short, I am unhappy with everything in my life. My job is great and it’s in the field of my career (I graduated from high school a year ago, so for someone just starting out, it’s almost a dream job).
I am also double-majoring in college and I love both of the fields, as well as the minors. However, everything just seems so routine and mundane that nowadays I easily get bored with everything. I love to travel, but work, college, and finances keep me from it.
I am involved in different activities in college, but lately I started caring less and less about them. Even flying, something that I looked forward to before, seems like a requirement and a drag.
I feel better when I am actually up there controlling the plane, but before I get to the airport, I have no interest in it. I am making a career out of it (flying airliners), so it’s not just a hobby that I can leave alone for a while.
One of the “solutions” I was thinking of is going to a different country for a while. Maybe if I could travel a bit, experience other cultures, and just be away from everything so routine and boring.
However, there are expenses along with it, and finding a temporary job there may be very difficult, if not impossible, especially if I don’t speak their language enough.
Everyone in the aviation field is required to speak English, but still…
Conclusion – I don’t think it’s plausible. I only wish it was something I could do. That would be a dream come true. I am a realist though, so logic is holding me back.
Do you think it is something I should try? Perhaps taking a risk will be an adventure in its own. Or do you have other ideas that could help? I feel like if I don’t do something soon, I will do something way too risky that will ruin everything.
Thanks for any advice you can give me, and sorry this is so long.
SCOTT: You know what? You’re me 20 years ago only much brighter. *Sigh*
Feels like yesterday when I’d sit and stare out the window, daydreaming all day long. Those days went by so slowly that I thought I was going to die of natural causes right there in class!
The problem was, I was bored like you. Here’s what no one told me but I definitely could’ve benefited from: you’re just paying your dues right now. All of these rewards you’re talking about will come in due time, but you have to put in the hard work first.
There aren’t any shortcuts, either. Learn everything you can now and follow your interests and you’ll get back what you put into it. I know you want to go places, but you need the resources to make that happen.
Try not to over-romanticize the idea of moving to another country. As you pointed out, if there’s a language barrier, it’ll just add another challenge, not to mention set you back even further financially.
Why not apply all of the energy of moving, expense and the years of learning a foreign language to your future in aviation?
I don’t know much about the field, but I do know there are basic prerequisites like math. Read your aviation books and magazines in your free time while you finish school.
You’re experiencing a very normal period of restlessness, and who can blame you? You know exactly what you want to do and that alone puts you ahead of so many others. You’re already doing the right thing, now just focus on not losing your focus.
Submerge yourself in schoolwork and continue to follow your aviation interests, and your future will soar!