Should I Jump?

Since returning from my road trip around Michigan, I have done very little. It has been hot and humid in Kentucky and I have not felt like exerting any kind of energy. Late summer is my least favorite time of the year; I can't wait for Fall.

I did, however, manage to go for a walk where I ran into this cute guy.

Look at how his front feet are tucked under his body. Weird, huh. He is a little blurry, but that's what happens when you snap a picture of a hopping toad with a cell phone. He was sitting in the middle of the trail and of course, as soon as my friend gets out her cell phone for the photo, he jumps. You would think that a toad would land with his front feet facing forward, not tucked under, but this is the position he was in after a large leap toward the grass.

He made me think of my own dilemma faced with this past week. I was offered a career move to Las Vegas. There was definite potential for growth and the work environment would have been a healthy challenge, but... VEGAS?!!! Once you look past all of the bright lights and "sin city" facade, it is the Mojave Desert. No denying it... the desert.

Initially, I was excited. Heck yeah, I'm jumping! Good bye boring suburban life of Northern Kentucky. I'm heading for the big city glitz and the great unknown of the West!

But then, hold on, the desert... remember? Arid sands. Bare earth. Scorpions, tarantulas, and rattlers. Flash floods. 100 plus temps for 90 percent of the year. No lush greenery or mossy rocks or babbling brooks that I love. No changing of the seasons either. How can enjoy the fall colors when all of the colors out west are nothing but tan year-round?

I've decided to stay put for the time being and I am very happy with my decision. I was stressed out for a few days, weighing the pros and cons, analyzing my deepest emotions, and exploring this overwhelming desire to jump. My dad called me a wandering spirit. Yeah, that seems to sum it up. Some people settle down, some people just don't. Who knows where the next jump will land me; it won't be Vegas, but other options are open for the future.