Merry Stinkin' Christmas, Boeing

Last week, Mark's department was informed that their jobs will all be transferring to South Carolina within the next year or two.  While there are not a lot of details forthcoming, it sounds like relocation will not be offered, a pay cut might be involved, and there is some debate as to whether or not employees will have to re-apply for their same jobs.

In other words, they want us to pay our own moving expenses, to make less money, and go to a place where we don't want to go.  Riiiiiiight.

Exactly what I was thinking

We've had a week to try to get used to the idea, though it still seems like a hazy nightmare more often than not.  

We've been in a similar situation before - when the space shuttle program was ending and we had to find a new job.  The major difference then, is that we knew it was coming and welcomed it.  On the flip side, our experience in Florida has tainted my outlook, and I have to keep reminding myself that the Seattle area is NOT Titusville.  The economy here is not 95% tied to one industry/company.  Boeing sending off a small part of their engineers will not send the economy tumbling. We are not upside down in our home.  Those are positive things.

Mark told me to "make a wish list" of the places I'd want to move.  I started to list a few options (Texas, Arizona, even Utah), but it's hard to "wish" when you're already just where you prefer.  

"Super" friends

I will admit that there is a part of me that thrills at the idea of change.  New possibilities, the anticipation of what might be just around the next corner... it's all very exciting.  However, I can't mentally head too far down that path before I pull up short, "But. I don't want to go."  

We had every intention of putting down roots in this area.  We love our home and our neighbors and our friends.  We love the educational opportunities we've discovered.  We love the beauty surrounding us.    We love that our kids have made wonderful friends.  We love being on the West Coast and within driving distance of much of our family.  Mark has his dream calling at church (Executive Secretary).  I've been making plans for years into the future.  I hate that all of that is in jeopardy.

Bryce's class made a robot at homeschool school

In these types of situations, my immediate response it to try to learn all I can and make a PLAN (no shock there).  The general lack of forthcoming information is making that extremely difficult.  However, there seems to be no major rush.  Even though Boeing says, "within the next year or two," it could possibly stretch out longer.  Our current, tentative plan is to first exhaust all local job options, both within Boeing and without. The obvious difficulty is that there are 800-1200 other Boeing research and development engineers in the same situation.

If local options don't pan out, we'll expand our search to other "wish-list" options.  I'm not overly concerned about Mark finding a job - he's a fantastic employee, has great experience, and is in a competitive, growing industry - it's more just a question of where is the job located.  At the very least, we could uproot and move across country (again) and take the South Carolina job.  I've heard pretty good things about Charleston.

Isn't this what you do when you get together with friends?

And to keep things in proper perspective... I just finished reading Kisses From Katie for Book Club.  We discussed the dangers of becoming to comfortable and complacent, and about whether or not we are really willing to put our faith into action and follow the call of the Lord.  

So, when it comes right down to it, we will pray for guidance, and move forward trusting that God's plan for us is infinitely better than our plan for us.
Additionally, in the weeks prior to this announcement, I'd been feeling a sense of foreboding, and was terrified it was tied to one of my kids.  After the announcement, the feeling disappeared, and as a result I'm left feeling relief!  "Oh, it's just about a job!  That I can handle."
P.S.  If you have a job lead for a Composites/Materials/Chemical Engineer, send it over!