Cages or Wings?

We've approached the time of year when I start seriously sending out resumes for the summer and next season. Oddly enough, it's also the time of year when I start to seriously wonder if I'm wasting my time building up my experience and my resume because I'm so certain I'll get burnt out by the time all that experience will do me any good and should I just quit now, go back to school, and get a real (i.e. grown-up) job. I had a long talk tonight with an old friend who's now an accountant in our hometown who reminded me that I'm doing something I like, and that made me feel pretty lucky because she doesn't have anything she likes. "I think my job is interesting, but I wouldn't say I love it," she said. So that settles it: I won't quit stage managing to become an accountant. But it doesn't make it any easier to deal with not knowing where I'll be living and working in 3.5 months and wondering how I'm going to make rent. For whatever reason, the grass is always greener. But this is sort of the gist of my title: life is a balancing act. Maybe I'm doing something I like to do, but she probably makes 3x my salary and has more job security and room for advancement than I do, which sounds nice. Then again, I'm not sure I'd work 60 hours a week as an accountant during tax season even if you did pay me that much, when I know I worked more hours for no pay during Festival two years ago while I was interning. And it's not that her job is more difficult or that mine is worth less, but it certainly seems like the choices are black and white: either sacrifice your professional happiness for financial stability or vice versa.

From Russia with Love
On a lighter note, our resident Russian just got back today from the holiday break. This guy has a reputation of sort of creeping everyone out with his European displays of affection, and he seems to have turned that towards me now. This morning, I received a kiss in my hair, 2 on my cheeks, and a hug. This afternoon was the same without the kiss in my hair, but add a "You looks good." He means well, and I think he's just lonely in this city, so I've been nice to him, but I've never led him on or anything. And besides that--he apparently has a girlfriend in North Carolina or something. One of the girls and I refer to his visits as "unwanted attention." I'll keep you posted if anything amusing happens. Personally, I'm waiting for the Brazilian to get back into the country--he's stuck at the American Embassy...