Crashing Off Path

ADVICE: A reader has given up on her "Big Girl Job"

Yes, I am still in Greece. I have several texts asking me when I am coming home and I cannot confirm… It’s not like I’ve totally absconded but I have paused my departure. Those who have known me for years can attest to this being standard fare, maybe even a call back to my adventurous youth. What would Maria Callas do and all that… Frankly we can all look forward to the Grecian era of my Wikipedia page.

Thank you so much for those of you who have donated to the list of orgs supporting Palestine and Lebanon, I will still be comping subscriptions for those of you who continue to donate a suggested amount of $30 USD minimum. For a list of orgs scroll down here.

If you are new here, the “Designs for Living” portion of my newsletter is my advice column for paid subscribers.

---

Designs for Living is an advice column "dispensing sound advice in a noisy world.” Need advice? Write to me here. The previous home of this column was The Baffler. Paid subscribers get access to this column and the entire archive of advice.

Hedy Lemarr in Dishonoured Lady (1947)

Dear Marlowe,

At 28 I’ve been unemployed for a year and I’m not much closer to finding what I want to do next in life than I was at 27. I’m over my Big Girl Job/Career. Like most, I don’t find any joy in the act it requires and I’ve done my time. Sometimes I regret the years spent building a career I knew I didn’t want but talked myself into. I’ve also grown so much and treasure all the great moments too. I know it wasn’t all a waste. But now I’m here hesitant to dive into anything else. There are so many different things I want to explore. Am I supposed to just choose one and get a Job? Am I leading myself down the same path? Will I find myself here in another 5 years wanting to shuffle and start over again? I hear the clock ticking louder and louder everyday but where do I go from here?

Sincerely,

Someone Feeling Lost

Dear Feeling Lost,

The seasons are changing and this always brings on a new and equally shifting mindset. I was talking to someone the other day about how I never know how to respond when people ask where I see myself in five years. Who can really know?