Well, I've been too far from family for going on 15 years. I've lived in this small town that doesn't have much to offer for nearly that entire time. We have a McDonald's, Taco Johns, and a local joint called Rod's; a handful of little coffee shacks, and a couple decent restaurants; a brewery and a distillery. I've spent too much time watching the fence rust up here.

This will be a move to a different agency in the same field. I'm ready for a change. Banker hours, holidays and weekends off. Once I'm established in this new agency I've been given the impression by people I trust that it's easy to move to other offices as long as they have an opening. Montgomery and Jackson are the ones that are available to an FNG because apparently no one else wants to move there. I think eventually I want to end up in Knoxville.

And I'm tired of the fucking snow and the ice and the cold.

Taking all of that into consideration, Montgomery doesn't sound all that bad to me.

I'm eligible to retire at the end of 2031 at 50. But if I can get to a place I want to be and be doing a job I like I could stay till I'm 57 before they shoo me out the door.