Hello all! I've been toying with different ideas of how to get away from the "usual" grind of a 40 hour work week while keeping in mind I still have to sustain some sort of income to afford mortgage/food/etc. Currently I'm thinking of leaving my job and doing some volunteer work in a field unrelated to my career but is something I absolutely love and have passion for in the hopes that it would eventually turn into a paid job down the road with that experience. This would allow me to feel more fulfilled which is one ingredient in my recipe for a simple life. I already don't buy crap I don't need and am good at budgeting my money for stuff I do need and am definitely in the mindset of living simply but the job is not matching up with my mindset. I was wondering if there was anyone out there that has done something similar by jumping into volunteer work and having it work out to a paid job and if so how it went and were there any things you wish you would have known or done before making the jump?
Some background on why I'm hesitant is that I'm a government worker with many years into the retirement system and good medical benefits. For all intents and purposes I have a good job but I'm bored, not challenged, and constantly unhappy when I even think of my job. My brain feels mushy from lack of use at work. My hesitation is walking away from the retirement increases as the years progress and either not having medical insurance or having to spend a lot of my savings per year on it (in the US). I can afford the break from work so that doesn't scare me, it's mostly the future retirement years and making sure I can cover any medical emergencies. I do not have any experience in the field I want to volunteer in (animal science) hence why I would need to do some volunteer work first to gain the experience necessary. Just looking to hear some personal anecdotes from people that have been in a similar situation. Thanks in advance!
Submitted March 21, 2019 at 02:36PM by TheRandomAvocado https://ift.tt/2CrWfNJ
