New job is the old job

Back at the end of the summer I went job hunting to work in NYC once again, and to make more money. My job at the time was completely fine -- working for my mom's company gave me much latitude as far as what I did on a daily basis. But after two years I began thinking there was more out there, that I could be making a heluva lot more money, which at the time was quite appealing. After a brief search, I found what seemed to be the perfect job. Something that challenged me professionally. Something that paid me nearly double what I was making working for mom. Something that was back in NYC (even though I'd be commuting two hours each way.)

Boy was I wrong! The commute was horrid. Two hours EACH WAY. What was I thinking? The company, which initially I thought would be great, was actually not so great. I got no training, no support, and no direction. Even though the money was good, I was frustrated, tired, and saw things going progressively downhill. I wanted my mommy back.

When I left her company she left the door open for me to return whenever I wanted. Thinking it wouldn't be necessary, I thanked her but politely declined. Two months later, I was asking for my job back. Luckily, she was missing me too, not just because I'm her son, but because I did a lot more for her than she realized, and saw my value to be much higher than what she was previously paying me. We negotiated a bit, and came upon an equitable return package. Sure its not the crazy money I was making in Manhattan, but it's significantly more than what I was making with her before I left, and my job now encompasses a lot more diverse responsibilities, another bonus. AND, rather than a two hour each way commute, I'm back to driving 15 minutes to and from work.

Lesson learned. Money isn't always everything.