Are You A Middlescent?

[chaiyapoon]

From todays Daily Mail:

If you hate the boss,feel bored and frustrated at work and want a new start but daren't try to find one,you are not alone.

You are suffering from middlescent - a malaise similar to adolescence except that it affects grown ups.

Researchers in the U.S. have given the name to the negative feelings which descend on millions of workers aged from 35 to 54.

Rather like being a teenager,being a middlescent is a frustrating,confusing and exasperating experience.They find themselves leaving work feeling 'burned out,bottlenecked and bored'.

They are also likely to ask themselves questions such as;Have I achieved in life what I expected to achieve?.

One in five is looking for an escape route - but 85% know a career change is difficult if not impossible at their age.

Experts say there is no shortage of middlescents in Britain.

The report suggests a sabbatical can help staff break the routine and rejuvenate.

Sounds like some of us..... Escape route Thailand? I was lucky. My job came to an end when I was 52, big payout and straight on my pension.The wife wanted out after 30 years so everthing came together for a major life change.Amazing how middlescence faded away.

Are you in middlescent? Are you looking for an escape route or have you found one?.

[Rinrada]

57 and still going..maybe not strong but cant imagine sitting on me old Glout. Max all day doung F.all...will need to make a start one day..suppose ....bananas anyone...... who wants a bunch of 5s....Coffee bar in Chiangers still sounds good....WITH THE MORNING STAR...

[Thaiquila]

Many of us are thanking Thai immigration for making the retirement visa age as low as 50, but they really should consider lowering it even more, to 40.

[Totster]

Sounds the same as a mid life crisis to me....

totster

[kayo]

I escaped after only working four and half years in my home contintent.

I´ve worked hard in LOS and Guatemala, and now, at 26, I think I´m coming out the other side of my very early mid life.

Then again,

my balls dropped young

My first regular shave was young,

my virginty lost young.

And I don´t intend to live all too long,

So by my calculations, I´m only a year or two short of the middle of my life.

Edited May 17, 2006 by kayo

[astral]

I came to Thailand in my late 30's and would have to say that

Life did begin at 40............................

[thaibebop]

I burned out at 22 and I'm 28 now. What hope to I have?

[t.s]

I'm burnt out, but i dont reckon it has much to do with work.

Besides, 40 is the new 30.

Edited May 17, 2006 by t.s

[Neeranam]

I came to Thailand in my late 20s. I was sicked and tired and bored with work and life in the UK.

I had a sabbatical year in India. When I got home, I couldn't stay.

I believe escaping becoming a Middlescent was great. One disadvantage is that an easy life becomes commonplace and if you are young enough not to have any pension, you can get bored and fed up even if the job you have is 100 times better than what you had back 'home'.

An old argument - do you enjoy life when you are young, or work your arse off until you are 55 then come to Thailand with no financial worries, and the chance of dying when you're 56.

I'm a gambling man and choose not to have a pension plan, apart from my kids. If I'm wrong and live to be old, well it's not really losing is it?

[GuestHouse]

From todays Daily Mail

'nough said!

[tornado40]

Midddlescent - I wondered what it was called!

Had this after working 20 odd years in a bank - only helped by regular trips to LOS for the last 9 years - otherwise I think I would have packed the job in (god knows how I didn't) so still will get a pension at 60

Got the house in Samui now have new job and great boss - question is when to make the move!

Currently building retirement calculation spreadsheet

also flying to Samui on Friday to pay the company tax (the only one I don't mind paying!) and of course to enjoy

[Youbloodybeauty]

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,19163027-2,00.html

"Only one in five actively seek an escape route."

Yeah, it's called benzodiazepine!!!!

YBB

[AlexLah]

Hoping to win the jackpot one day.

In a big company's you are just a number.

It is not about what you know but who you know.

Same story different day.

Yes I am burn out.

Alex

[Thaipwriter]

well this "Middlescent" thing hit me at 36, so i flogged everything and came to live here.....one year on and no intention of going back

[BKK90210]

We’re in 44 & 42, and love what we’re doing…so not exactly burnt out, but one thing we hate the most is doing routine things for long period of time. We’ve been running our own engineering business, but after 14 yrs of doing exactly same things, days in and days out, it’s getting to be quite mundane to us….not sanuk anymore. So now we’re in the process of moving to Thailand (since my wife is thai) and hoping to try some new adventures for at least 5 yrs. I guess you could say….it’s a mid-life crisis & career changes for us....

[Totster]

Where did they find that photo of me... ??

totster

[game4shame]

find themselves leaving work feeling 'burned out,bottlenecked and bored'.

They are also likely to ask themselves questions such as;Have I achieved in life what I expected to achieve?.

I do that and I'm still in my twenties!! a premature middlescent!!!

do you enjoy life when you are young, or work your arse off until you are 55 then come to Thailand with no financial worries, and the chance of dying when you're 56

that's something I fear!!

my mindset at the moment is a bit of both:

have investments to fall back on and blow the rest on debauchery!!

Edited May 17, 2006 by game4shame

[simcity]

An old argument - do you enjoy life when you are young, or work your arse off until you are 55 then come to Thailand with no financial worries, and the chance of dying when you're 56.

I know few people who got ‘ great sanok’ time when they was young , now the are bitter with life as they did not catch the merry go around at a early stage !

For my part I gamble everything on hard work , start as a apprentice at 16 in france , move to a country opportunity : Australia at 25 ( with $400 and one suitcase ) , hard work paid off ( work for two years , without a day off ) at 37 sold business , keep the freehold and my house and retired at 39 in Thailand !

Put myself on the stock market and now looking after my portfolio !

It is all in your mind , I was burn at mid 30 , but already achieve what I have to do !

I was Middlescent .

[ChiangMaiThai]

Another comment. For those of us who were introduced to Thailand young, in my case 15 and who adjusted to Thai life and Thai culture over the next decade, we have our own unique problem. The thought of living and working long term in the US makes me literally sick in the stomach. At the same time, living in Thailand this young may mean sacrificing a 'real' job and 'real' money and financial security. Its a tough decision.

I am here in the US now for a week already after 7 years in Thailand with only a couple months here in 2002. Its comfortable. Its clean. The air is fresh. The lawns are manicured. Everything works. Its quiet. There are 185 channels on TV. All the food you could want is here. Everything you could want to buy is here. The cars are new. The laws are enforced. And I want nothing to do with it and can't imagine staying another week. Its difficult to explain, but if you have spent years in Thailand and returned to your home country, you will know exactly what I am going on about.

So do you sacrifice 5 or 10 years in order to save $ and return to Thailand in comfort or do you return to Thailand now and see what happens?

[wasabi]

I'm 31 have something like this as many of us do. It was worse before when I had an idiot boss and a tech suppot job that had early morning hours and required I talk with angry clients all day. Yes I got burnt out fast. My job now is as tolerable as a desk job can be. I work for a University in finance, my boss is reasonably chill, and I can take classes and use all the University facilities. I still have many days where I feel something close to burn out. I recognize I have a good job but it's not in Thailand where I want to be. Where I feel I can be living life to the fullest rather than all of this biding my time. Even with this strong sentiment unless I get a great job in Thailand with an expat salary or even better some kind of telecommuting setup with my current job I'm going to sit tight and just feel the pain. I'm trying to pack away as much as I can into my 401k. I also am trying to save what I can. It's likely I'll get a decent inheritence right around when I'm 40. If that happens my plan is to stop the desk job daily grind and head to Thailand and find what work I can. I'll live best I can off what money I have until the 401k kicks in. So I'd basically need enough to make it 20 years accentuated by whatever wages I can pick up in Thailand then cruise off my 401k until it's the end of the line. I can't bear the thought of working a desk job for the rest of my life and am willing to take some risks and some salary cuts to get out of it, but not now it's just too much of a gamble.

Edited May 18, 2006 by wasabi

[Youbloodybeauty]

Where did they find that photo of me... ??

totster

Totster, you must be my identical twin brother?????

Cheers YBB

[Dragonmode]

I'm 31 have something like this as many of us do. It was worse before when I had an idiot boss and a tech suppot job that had early morning hours and required I talk with angry clients all day. Yes I got burnt out fast. My job now is as tolerable as a desk job can be. I work for a University in finance, my boss is reasonably chill, and I can take classes and use all the University facilities. I still have many days where I feel something close to burn out. I recognize I have a good job but it's not in Thailand where I want to be. Where I feel I can be living life to the fullest rather than all of this biding my time. Even with this strong sentiment unless I get a great job in Thailand with an expat salary or even better some kind of telecommuting setup with my current job I'm going to sit tight and just feel the pain. I'm trying to pack away as much as I can into my 401k. I also am trying to save what I can. It's likely I'll get a decent inheritence right around when I'm 40. If that happens my plan is to stop the desk job daily grind and head to Thailand and find what work I can. I'll live best I can off what money I have until the 401k kicks in. So I'd basically need enough to make it 20 years accentuated by whatever wages I can pick up in Thailand then cruise off my 401k until it's the end of the line. I can't bear the thought of working a desk job for the rest of my life and am willing to take some risks and some salary cuts to get out of it, but not now it's just too much of a gamble.

I hear ya. 34 y.o. here with the taste of my first trip to Thailand still on my lips (Songkran '06). Being recently single, having sold my brownstone and cashed out of a bunch of stock options from the buyout of a company I worked at these last 6 years, now seems as good a time as any to plant my roots in LoS. But even with over $350k cash and no debts, I still find it hard to just throw away the opportunities I have here in the states. Yeah, the Wall Street (IT) scene is truly a burnout, but it also pays topnotch. I'm just fishing for expat work in BKK in the meantime, otherwise I'm holding off for another 10 years. Until then, it's just 2-3 trips a year there.

[kayo]

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,19163027-2,00.html

"Only one in five actively seek an escape route."

Yeah, it's called benzodiazepine!!!!

YBB

So I saw this post, and I clicked quote, and carried on reading... And then tot`s posted my very exact same thought...

"Where did you find that picture of Tots... "

[Misplaced]

Hear Hear!

I've been Working as an Engineer for the last 15 years and getting terribly tired of it all. The money is great, the hours are long and challenging with 4 weeks of vacation time accruing, but, OMG DO I HATE IT.....

My wife of 12 years keep telling me " be patient honey our house will be paid off in 3 years and we'll be able to enjoy ourselves without any worries"....OMG I don't even want to wait anymore

I just want to sell the darn house and take the house equity(decent amount) back to Thailand, buy a house, and take my chances for the rest of my life; Ofcourse, I can't do it because I have the other half to worried about... hurrrrrrr...

Life at 42 can really sucks somtimes. I guess we all haev to go through it.

[BKK90210]

Hear Hear!

I've been Working as an Engineer for the last 15 years and getting terribly tired of it all. The money is great, the hours are long and challenging with 4 weeks of vacation time accruing, but, OMG DO I HATE IT.....

My wife of 12 years keep telling me " be patient honey our house will be paid off in 3 years and we'll be able to enjoy ourselves without any worries"....OMG I don't even want to wait anymore

I just want to sell the darn house and take the house equity(decent amount) back to Thailand, buy a house, and take my chances for the rest of my life; Ofcourse, I can't do it because I have the other half to worried about... hurrrrrrr...

Life at 42 can really sucks somtimes. I guess we all haev to go through it.

I hear you!.....another engineer?....welcome to life after 40

I'm 44, in the same boat as you and yes, another engineer (structural) running my own firm close to 15 yrs, life is mai sanuk anymore….not much challenges left for me….. so I'm packing my bag, dragging my wife (thai) of 20 yrs, back to thailand at the end of this year and very much looking forward to many new adventures and challenges in the next chapter of my life.

The second most compelling reason has to be the equity of our house in this bloating real estate market. We built it 2 yrs ago and since then it has doubled in value, so I think it’s a ripe time to cash in before it burst. But for us, we’re planning to come back to the US again in 5 yrs. I just need some time off to write a few technical books and create a few intellectual property projects. So this is the big break I have been waiting for and in which very badly needed.

Edited May 23, 2006 by BKK90210

[Dragonmode]

Hear Hear!

I've been Working as an Engineer for the last 15 years and getting terribly tired of it all. The money is great, the hours are long and challenging with 4 weeks of vacation time accruing, but, OMG DO I HATE IT.....

My wife of 12 years keep telling me " be patient honey our house will be paid off in 3 years and we'll be able to enjoy ourselves without any worries"....OMG I don't even want to wait anymore

I just want to sell the darn house and take the house equity(decent amount) back to Thailand, buy a house, and take my chances for the rest of my life; Ofcourse, I can't do it because I have the other half to worried about... hurrrrrrr...

Life at 42 can really sucks somtimes. I guess we all haev to go through it.

I hear you!.....another engineer?....welcome to life after 40

I'm 44, in the same boat as you and yes, another engineer (structural) running my own firm close to 15 yrs, life is mai sanuk anymore….not much challenges left for me….. so I'm packing my bag, dragging my wife (thai) of 20 yrs, back to thailand at the end of this year and very much looking forward to many new adventures and challenges in the next chapter of my life.

The second most compelling reason has to be the equity of our house in this bloating real estate market. We built it 2 yrs ago and since then it has doubled in value, so I think it’s a ripe time to cash in before it burst. But for us, we’re planning to come back to the US again in 5 yrs. I just need some time off to write a few technical books and create a few intellectual property projects. So this is the big break I have been waiting for and in which very badly needed.

Haha. Network engineer here.

[Misplaced]

Hear Hear!

I've been Working as an Engineer for the last 15 years and getting terribly tired of it all. The money is great, the hours are long and challenging with 4 weeks of vacation time accruing, but, OMG DO I HATE IT.....

My wife of 12 years keep telling me " be patient honey our house will be paid off in 3 years and we'll be able to enjoy ourselves without any worries"....OMG I don't even want to wait anymore

I just want to sell the darn house and take the house equity(decent amount) back to Thailand, buy a house, and take my chances for the rest of my life; Ofcourse, I can't do it because I have the other half to worried about... hurrrrrrr...

Life at 42 can really sucks somtimes. I guess we all haev to go through it.

I hear you!.....another engineer?....welcome to life after 40

I'm 44, in the same boat as you and yes, another engineer (structural) running my own firm close to 15 yrs, life is mai sanuk anymore….not much challenges left for me….. so I'm packing my bag, dragging my wife (thai) of 20 yrs, back to thailand at the end of this year and very much looking forward to many new adventures and challenges in the next chapter of my life.

The second most compelling reason has to be the equity of our house in this bloating real estate market. We built it 2 yrs ago and since then it has doubled in value, so I think it’s a ripe time to cash in before it burst. But for us, we’re planning to come back to the US again in 5 yrs. I just need some time off to write a few technical books and create a few intellectual property projects. So this is the big break I have been waiting for and in which very badly needed.

Another Engineer indeed. The different between you and I is that you still love your job. Personally I hate every moment I'm at work, but this is what I do. I work as a manufacturing Engineer for an Aerospace company for the last 15 years. Answering to a bunch of men who can barely think for themselves but have all the answers to your dilemmas. I'm sure you can understand what I mean. Now I'm here teaching the young and up commers who think computer is god and putting in the time to learn the actual crafts is useless and waste of time

I wish I can do what you and your wife are doing. Just to get up and leave would be a beautiful thing for me, but my wife still like to live here in the US, and so, our goal is to paid off the house here before taking another step toward retiring back in Thailand. We're not sure where we want to retired so its a complicated issue. again, I'm sure you understand what I mean.

Just got back from a 1 month in Thiland. The time flew by for me like the wind. OMG I WISH I CAN STAY HERE WITH THE PLACE I LOVE MOST. Thats what I keep saying, praying and preeching to my beautiful and caring wife. Hopefully someday she'll get tired of all the rat race and decide that "enough is enough".

[NovaBlue05]

Late 40's here. Just got back from spending April in LOS . I find myself sitting at my desk staring at the photos I took...lol. My job is ok in the sense that the pay is good and they aren't particularly demanding....but I've been there for 20 years and it holds no allure. My motivation now is to stick for 5 more years and see if I can retire early AT 53. I could probably quit now and live modestly off my assets but, 25 years doubles the pension value versus 20 years. Also, my mother is 83 now so I really cant leave while she's still with us. My wife owns 4 rai up in Isaan and she wants to go back so convincing her isn't an issue. Until then, I will settle for a month a year of vacation supplemented by my pictures and TV.

[Misplaced]

Late 40's here. Just got back from spending April in LOS . I find myself sitting at my desk staring at the photos I took...lol. My job is ok in the sense that the pay is good and they aren't particularly demanding....but I've been there for 20 years and it holds no allure. My motivation now is to stick for 5 more years and see if I can retire early AT 53. I could probably quit now and live modestly off my assets but, 25 years doubles the pension value versus 20 years. Also, my mother is 83 now so I really cant leave while she's still with us. My wife owns 4 rai up in Isaan and she wants to go back so convincing her isn't an issue. Until then, I will settle for a month a year of vacation supplemented by my pictures and TV.

I can symphatize with you and BKK90210; except, 90210 dream is becoming reality faster than mine .. Regardless, I hope all our dream comes through quickly and everything works out

Must say though, If I quit work today I probably can hold realatively well for about 10 years but after that, hmmmm..well lets just say, I'll be back looking for work and begging for my social security. SOOO, my wife is right to make us stay for atleast the duration of our mortgage. Thank god for her

[BKK90210]

We also have a friend who’s working as an aeronautic engineer for Boeing in Everett, Wa. Actually he was a former roommate of me and my wife during the univ yrs. Anyway he’s toughing IT out there for a few more yrs because of the pension benefits, even though wanting badly to retire. Sometime it’s worth it to delay the retirement but for us we’re self-employed so there will be no pension or a huge payout for us. What we have are mostly from our own saving + investment acct + home equity.

Did I mention before that I’m “dragging” my wife to Thailand with me? Well actually she didn’t want to go back to Thailand at all initially. So I have been using all kinds of bribes and promised to come back in 5 yrs time. She likes the US much better because she said she doesn’t think she can go back and live under the more conservative/traditional society anymore after 25 yrs growing up in the US. She’s more free spirit, free thinker, and straight forward gal who doesn’t know how she will cope with the older family members when it comes to arguments or try to get her points across. A few dozens of them are in BKK, so we will be sure to get a place at least 1/2 day drive from them. Will see what happens