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First off, I’m not dying.  At least not any faster then the average person.  Not physiologically anyway, just emotionally.  What I mean is this life that I am living now, as I am currently living, has go to end.  I need a change in lifestyles and it needs to come quickly.

I’ve been wanting to move out of Texas for years.  I’ve said many times that I want to be living elsewhere by the time I turn 35.  Well it seems 35 is just over a  month away.  So its now or never.  Now seems like a better choice.

I don’t have everything ironed out, but I think that’s part of the excitement, and also part of the fear.  It’s easy to become complaisant with the status quo and just chose to be miserable for the sake of security.  Believe me I’ve thought about it.  But I think I must throw caution and fear to the wind and just do it.  So I am.

So of the plans I do have, here’s what I know.  March 1, 2012 I am going to give my 30 days notice at work.  Why March 1?  Well essentially the answer is money and taxes.

At my work, you accumulate hours for things like Vacation, Holidays, Sick and also Compensatory time for hours you work over your 40 hours.  As of today, if you add up all the hours I’ve accumulated that the County would have to pay me for when I leave, I have just over 31 weeks worth, which means they would have to cut me a check for just under $33,000.

If I quit before the end of the year, this final check coupled with the salary I’ve already made, would push me into a completely different tax bracket.  So it only makes sense to wait till after the new year.  Now if I’m waiting till January, then I have to look at February.  February 9th through the 26th is the San Antonio Stockshow & Rodeo.  This awful and exhausting 3 weeks is an opportunity to make of $3ooo additional income.

So if I wait till March 1, I should have a final check of around $40,000 prior to taxes.  Add to that anything I can save up between then and now, and leaving is not quite as scary.  Sure it’s still a horrible time economically to be looking for work, and I really don’t have any usable skills to offer.  But I would rather be broke and happy then rich and miserable.

So I may not be somewhere else when I turn 35, but I’ll be getting there while I’m 35 and that’s close enough for me.

Stay tuned to what few plans I do have in mind in the next post.