Where to jump?

It doesn't exactly require a rocket scientist to realise that my career = headed to a very long, dreary, slow poison kind of eventuality if I am to continue in my current field or department.

I've climbed the scientific ladder just far enough to see the way ahead of me and it's looking grim :p you don't have to reach all the way to the top to realise that your chosen career is very likely a dead end or just not what you want for your future. Its been some (just a little) fun while it lasted, but I've realised that it's the time to jump off. Life and economic climate being what it is will not allow me a steady dismount or decline to a safer level, I have been allowed to take a few steps back just to get a squiz at what's on the ground, but now I will have to find a suitable spot to land. Hmmmm decisions decisions!


Ladders, being what they are, also don't quite facilitate a wide choice of possible landing sites... You're standing with your bum in the wind on one side of the ladder with at least one of your other hands clamming on for dear life. You can jump off to the left, maybe to the right if you're flexible to both sides? Or you could let go and hope there's nothing hazardous behind you. So, the task is to find the best and hopefully softest spot... The problem with soft spots is they're not all that easy to recognise from all up high, and even once you've identified one there isn't much of a guarantee that u'll want to stay there once you've safely landed.?? The current world and SA politics, massive economic uncertainty and the unpredictability of life in general is making me a little bit nervous of the anticipated move. Previous times that I felt the need to move on I had followed a blind faith that everything has to be at least better than it was at the previous place... but experience has proven this theory incorrect. The little that I've learned assures me that I will never really know what exactly a position is like until I've physically tried it. So even though I know that a big move is eminent, I have no real idea in which direction.

This is a really tough choice and even more so given that I decided on my previous path with sheer intuition and determination to make it work. :( this is one of those times where u almost wish u rather had relationship issues, since they've been easier to solve in the past

Anyway, I have at least identified the need to descend in the near future and how I wish I could actually have a little proper holiday to mull all the ideas over - but something tells me that's not exactly going to help? I require some instant inspiration!