2007-03-04 - 9:04 p.m.

I think the basic reality is that it's not easy for someone in my line of
work at my level to get a job in the US. Where Jo is that's basically all
they do- hire people from other countries. She's working with 3 Indians, 3
Mexicans, another Aussie, and one solitary American. The other problem is
that when she was in Nth Ryde she was ridiculously underpaid, and the grass
really is a lot greener over there, while I'm ridiculously overpaid, and
most of my logical career moves involve staying here.

That said, it goes without saying that I'd rather we were in the same
country. And for this year at least that same country means the US- if I'm
not over there this time next year it might be a different story, but for
now I want to keep my end of the bargain so to speak, and move over there
with her. I really do want to move over there with her- I'm not just saying
it because it's what she wats to hear or what I want my friends to hear or
what I want to tell myself, but if you were to phrase it "do you really want
to leave the job you have and go head first into the great unknown
work-wise" you might get a different answer.

The money (as in, my salary) isn't a big issue- living apart means me having
to pay a whole mortgage, and Jo having to pay rent at the same time; being
over there means halving the rent over there and more than doubling the
rental income over here (compared to renting out the spare room to Steve)-
so of course I'd take a pay cut. I'm not so keen on doing the bench work
type of stuff again that the people that report to me are doing, but I could
handle that if there was a job opening doing that sort of stuff that they
would offer me. But they won't- when it comes to Industry they want to hire
locally, I don't think it would matter if I had an American passport or
Green Card- as long as I'm over here they're going to think "what's this guy
got that a local hasn't?" And I'd probably think the same recruiting people
at my work.

Even if we took the quickie marriage path, I couldn't just become a local
and then start looking- I need to still be doing this job up until I find a
job over there. And we're not taking the quickie marriage path. Being in
America doesn't mean *that* much to me. When we get married I want it to be
with all our friends and family around, and on our terms. If I spend all
this year seriously looking and find nothing, and then Jo comes back next
year, I'll honestly be so happy to have her back I won't be that
disappointed that I didn't make it over there. She will be- because she
never got the chance to have me over there so no matter how great her job is
her life isn't complete over there, and also because she wants me to
experience it, but all I can do is try.

Of course there are days when I just wish she was back here and we were
living happily together in our apartment, hopefully in a good job for her
(given the experience she's got over there) and we could start doing all
this other stuff that's on the horizon. But it's a stalemate situation- if
she moves back here to be with me she's more than likely giving up a good
job for a lesser one, if I move over there for her I'm more than likely
doing the same thing. Having said that, at some point, she will be coming
back over here, and probably giving up a good job, so I really think that
before that time I ought to give up my cushy job and go over there. At this
point I feel like as long as the money was right, ie enough for us to pay
the mortgage and still get by, and I found a job that somebody actually
thought I was the right person for, I wouldn't care if I thought I was the
right person for it. My biggest problem at the moment is finding any job
over there that I can even get an interview for, so if I was offered one,
how bad could it be?

But on the other hand, I could end up going for my manager's job when he's
done with it- and if I was offered that maybe I would just want to take it
and have Jo back here and start living happily ever after without this whole
two years in America (ie 2 years from when I get there) thing first.

That's pretty much where I am at the moment.

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