Not sure where to put this so I picked here. I don't think anyone can really give any good advice without knowing me more, but this feels like the sort of thing I should maybe have some sort of input on before making a decision. Sorry for the care post, hope somebody has something to say. I'll have to make a decision on this before the end of the month, if not sooner, so I'd like to be at least somewhat combobulated on this.
2019 ended up being a really good year for me as far as work goes. It's also been a tough year healthwise and for my head. I had to effectively hit the pause button at work twice this year when things got really heavy. It was for less than a week each time, and nobody complained or anything, my manager was understanding and sympathetic, but I am concerned that this seems to happen pretty regularly. I'd say twice a year is average for me. I also sleep pretty poorly. I always miss at least one night of sleep a week and it's usually more. In the cold weather it's basically been every other night, but that will relent with the weather.
The problem is that I was offered a promotion but I'm not sure if I should take it because the job has significant travel requirements, and I'm concerned that my sleep problems, mental health and temperament, and general health might get in the way. I'm also concerned that if I don't take the promotion, it's bad for my career because it's the next logical step for me and I don't really have any alternatives to offer. Travel is really the only new job requirement I'm worried about.
I haven't really had to travel for work before, so this is all pretty alienating for me. I don't really like travel and find airports really stressful. It's hard to say how much traveling there is in general, but I think it may be front-loaded to the first half of this year (I hope initial meetings/braindumps are enough to make it so we can do most of the rest of the work remotely). I'd be in LA, Seattle, and Dallas or Houston (they're like the same thing, right?).
Re-reading, I'm sounding a bit too negative. I dig what I do and I think I legitimately am a good fit for the gig. This job has given me validation while humans have repeatedly failed me. Traveling sounds interesting to me, even if I have a distate for the mechanics. I think "forcing" me to travel may be good for my mood and general outlook. Traveling also gives me a way to test out other places to live, since living in the Bay Area is like dating a crazy depraved chick that you know you don't have a future with. Also, fancier title. There was also vague talk of working with international teams, but that's far enough away that it may never happen. That'd be awesome, tho.
I guess my main concern (and problem in life) is sleep. If I'm traveling, maybe I'll naturally be more exhausted since those weeks are likely to be more active and intense? Or maybe they'll be so intense I can't sleep at all. It sucks because either thing can happen and I won't know which until I try. My other issues are more unpredictable, but they're also exacerbated by lack of sleep.
Any thoughts are appreciated. Esp looking for thoughts from people that travel for work a lot, what it’s like, what your will to live is like
