Welcome Back

So it's been quite a while since I've found that I have something to write here. I feel that I've grown much more over these past few months than I have in a while. I've finally moved onto a better job, one that most 20-somethings would fight me for as most the people I know in that demographic are unemployed... Works for me. But the question remains, what should I do with my future? I miss the cut-and-dry educational system, you do your work you pass, you move on. This whole real-world stuff is a bit of a shock to my system. So now the main question, do I want back into the educational system (By way of a Master's Degree/ PhD. ) Or do I need to remain in this working world. Or is the only practical answer a hybrid where I don't sleep for the next 10 years... The hardest part for me is just how sleep-deprived and family-deprived workers are. I work in a hospital, so I'm working along side certain men and women pulling 24 hour shifts. Or 12+ hours on a daily basis. I watch more people fall asleep on my shuttle to and from the train station, myself included. When is work too much? When does our relaxation actually get to happen? Even when we are given our measly 3 weeks, we either spend them with family, doing something that drives us crazy, or we are fixing things, moving, or other unpleasantness like my recent visit to the ER for surgery (Not at my place of business I might add). We, as Americans, have been groomed to feel superior, but do the Europeans have something, where they actually relax and take the time to form human connections and (gasp) enjoy themselves without becoming grade-A drunks in the process. As much as I love and appreciate my job, it just makes me wonder how we, as a civilization, will survive when we are slowly killing ourselves through work. (And this is without mentioning fast-food...) Just my thought for today... :) Hopefully, more to come.