Thanks for the official welcome :)
I couldn't agree with you more. I don't think money=happiness. That being said there were major challenges with working as a Park Warden, which is a contract based provincial government job. There are multiple colleges turning out graduate classes of people pumped to get work in the environmental sector, not being told the reality that there just aren't any jobs left. It's completely saturated. To give you a picture, there's 30-40 people per class in the Fleming College Conservation and Environmental Law Enforcement program, there's 2 graduating classes per year, and there's more than just that one college. They ALL want to be a Conservation Officer. It's totally glamourized, but guess what. There's a whole 60 positions in Ontario. So, after they realize that there's no hope in hell of them getting on as a CO, because they're waiting for someone to retire, they go to the next best thing, Parks.
So now I'm competing against: new grads, people in parks already like me, and people lateraling from other government agencies.
There are many reasons why I chose to leave parks. Bottom line, it's the tourism industry, and I didn't have a holiday or long weekend off in 10 seasons. That was a lot of missed weddings and really important family events that I won't ever get back. I know someone who worked for TWENTY years of 10 month contracts before they finally landed a "full-time" job. And even then, it wasn't in the division she wanted, nor anywhere close to where she wanted to live.
I do my thing outdoors on my own and don't feel the pressure of having to enforce sometimes very silly rules now, with the added stress of potentially having to go to court later, which is a horrible experience.
In the end, I needed more. I want to feel like I'm connecting with people in a positive, impactful way. I'm the friend that ends up giving you a foot rub or a back rub. It doesn't feel like work to me. It was my original line of interest in school, but I lacked the focus and drive to go on and do the intense training. Traveling and seeing my country was far more alluring :)
I would think that with your knowledge of the outdoor areas for hunting and fishing you could always get back out there as a fishing or hunting guide in the future. Everything you said explaining your situation makes perfect sense , I wish you well in your new pursuit and life.
"Bet's Hunting and Fishing Guide Service and Massage" how does that hit you?
See ya later,
@sultnpapper
HAHA! You nailed it! I already hold a college business diploma for Nature-Based Adventure Tourism :) Massage will give me the financial backing to be able to make my outdoorsy dreams of massage and yoga in the wild a reality!
Bright minds think alike, bright minds indeed.