Philadelphia or Bust: Part 1

My path has diverged and I am at a cross roads again. The time has come to reevaluate my goals. But first, to reflect on recent happenings in order to more appropriately set the stage.

On January 13, I was called in for a surprise interview with the five supervisors of the GFPQA team at SCEA San Diego Studio. The interview was for the position of Senior Quality Assurance Tester with SCEA. I was surprised in the purest sense. Just thinking about it made me tremble from the excitement of hearing the news, or perhaps those were tremors of fear from knowing what it meant I must do. Working on PlayStation titles at Sony Computer Entertainment America is a dream job, a dream career. One that I've hoped for, longed for, wished for, sacrificed for, suffered dearly for, and have worked very, very hard for, for a very long time. To see my efforts pay off is an overwhelmingly wonderful experience. Which brings me to a crucial and crushing dilemma. The outcome of which may greatly affect the course of my life.

After three years together, my sweetheart moved to Philadelphia in August of last year to attend the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. Over the past few months, we've been talking about finding an apartment together again, and have made plans to do so by summer. I have a great job in San Diego, in an industry that I hope to build a career in. However, I feel that if I chose to stay in San Diego instead of moving to Philadelphia to be with my girlfriend, I would regret the decision for the rest of my life. Whereas for my career, there may be opportunities in Philadelphia that might just as well fulfill and further my interests. I have to try, which is what I told my supervisors during the interview. At that very point, I knew my decision was made.

It's not easy to see a dream come so close, offered up before you for the taking, all the while knowing your next step will be to turn and walk away from it. It's never easy. It never will be. It's even harder to rationalize it. That is what I must earnestly do if I am to find peace of mind and harmony in life. The idea of harmony in one's life is the central grounding concept that has allowed me to move forward, and motivates me to improve.

On February 2, I was called in again to meet with my supervisors. I was informed that although I had interviewed very well -- was well spoken, knowledgeable, and passionate -- they had decided not to extend the position to me at that time. They recommended I continue doing just as I was, and to assume as much responsibility as possible without stepping on anyone's toes. They also asked that if I ever move back to San Diego, to consider returning to SCEA. I couldn't be more pleased with the outcome of the interview and the followup meeting. I have established a strong, positive reputation with the department and have an open-ended offer to return. I'm happy things worked out the way they did. I look forward to moving to Philadelphia.