The first time

[ford832]

Good for you Kodakcamera,it sounds like the next few years will be interesting  anyway.Hopefully it all works out.
It's easy to say that money isn't everything and as long as I like what I'm doing etc,etc but oftentimes,reality intrudes and mortgages,kids expenses,education etc needs to take priority so you end up doing what you need to do to get the most $$ you can,regardless of how you feel about it.
If I could afford it,I'd try a new job every two years or so but it's hard to make any entry level living for the rest of your life.
Anyhoo,keep us apprised and keep going for what you want-the last thing you want to do is end up an old,crippled,worn out,bitter mechanic.......like TMKIWI for instance  

[TMKIWI]

the last thing you want to do is end up an old,crippled,worn out,bitter mechanic.......like TMKIWI for instance  

This worn out mechanic is pulling 15k a month. And not too bitter about it.

I might not be fixing cars/bikes/boats anymore but I definatly do not regret training as a mechanic.
When I was 15 that is what I wanted to do and it gave me the opportunity to work around the world,working with a F1 engineer, Designing kits for Weber carburettors UK and have had the joy of driving cars such as, Jaguar D type, Ferrari 275TGB,365BB, 308GTB, Porsche 930, Aston DB5/6, Audi quattro sport to name the memorable one's.
I enjoyed myself at that time in my life but always enjoyed engineering as well and came to a point where I decided that I would rather drive my own ferrari then work on one. ( figure of speech here, I dont have one nor care for one)

Bottom line, if you have a passion for it go for it because no one knows what they want to do in 20 years.

[Super Trucker]

Good point Ford. When ya chase a dream, you don,t get to the end very easily, unless your family has money. The dream will take you on a adventure. When I was 21 I moved to NH, got a job with Asplund tree trimmers, the tree outfit I worked for went bankrupt. This move was to raise money to attend mmi. I had 230 bucks,1 suitcase, 1 way bus ticket. In 10th grade I had numerous D1 schools, at my basketball games. I turned them all down, that,s like turning a factory honda ride down in 1986, not too smart. It,s too long of a story,to get into. But I was on the court with d1 players, the coaches wanted to see me compete against them. I had no competion, I was ready for the nba, but the nba didn,t sign 16 yr olds back then. So I,m in NH trimming trees, weekends I worked 4 a painter. Then my Dad gets hurt on his farm, I didn,t see him from when I was 10to 22 yrs old, to get to know him I moved in with him, ran his farm then worked at a factory at night. He healed up after a few months, I knew farming wasn,t for me. So I moved to NC for asplundh again, the city sucked. I moved back to GBay  had 3 different jobs, then I landed at a pipeline co.  was there almost 10 years, railplow with a 28 cylinder train that I maintained and operated a bit, engaged  had to make more cash. I worked on the world,s strongest horizontal drill rig, that we built.

[Super Trucker]

I got to operate equiptment you never heard of, be a mechanic, welder, boss, inventory and order a average of 200,000.00 of  supplies,etc a day. Fly 1st class or leer jet, limo ride from the airport. Work in 45 states and Cananda, most states had news crews on our jobs, engineering schools brought buses of students out to see our rig. I broke the engagment off, then went wild. The women checking us in at the airport, where always oh your those horizontal drillers,    life was better than I ever imagined, had a job that I loved and never got borred with, had  up to 4,500 a week checks, crazy amount of women. Then the injuries start, blown out knee, shoulder, back. I broke my hands and feet different times and never missed a day, but these other injuries are serious. I was always pressured to quit, buy friends and family, I ended up quitting. Was in operators and laborers union, operators union never had work. So I,m jackhammering 7 days a week 12hr shifts, that sucked along with borring concrete work, escavating was ok  I ran the trackhoe or dozer when the dad,s boy didn,t showup. I knew how to survey, so I got some work there. I finnaly had my back repaired to 02. I was borred with construction,I drove truck a bit at the pipeline co., I wanted a challenge so I went trucking.Next adventure is the oilfields, my drillrig exp. will help me there. I learned the most driving truck, about people, how the country works, buisness, how to deal with difficult situtions. You never know where life will take you, if your willing to take risk.

[ford832]

This worn out mechanic is pulling 15k a month. And not too bitter about it.

Pbbbfffffftttttt,that's nothing,I can do that in 4.5 months  " title="Angry" class="smiley"> What are you doing now anyway?

Sounds like you and supertrucker have done some interesting stuff thus far.As for me,I moved around for a couple years doing different jobs but only from Ontario eastwards.(Rumour has it there's nothing out west but Steers and Queers )
Mechanics was my third choice but school closures and job availability left me with that.Bikes,Hunting and Fishing were my only focus in my early years.New bikes,trips etc were all I worked for.Most of my $$ went to feed the addictions with no real thought to the future (harder,faster and all that)until my GF forced me to marry her(I owed her money for a bike)-lol then mortgage,little one,outside family responsibilities etc.
25 years on a cement floor with cold,damp winters has taken it's toll.I've also had broken bones,dislocations,separations,ripped and torn tendons and other bits-all from various motorcycles over the years.
My wife blames bikes for my pained,gimpy state-I blame the garage.
As she puts it" I've told you a hundred times over years that you couldn't expect to abuse yourself like that all the time and expect to not pay for it when you're old" 
Hateful witch. 

[Super Trucker]

Sorry 4 the long post, that,s just a brief story on the adventure, I had 11 jobs or so before I was 23. You can have all kinds of jobs and design stuff. On the rig I designed a inline pump, a braket to hold vise blocks to pound the old dies out, bracket to wind 480 cords onto, all different kinds of reamers, etc  If ya worked for GM or Ford designing expect your project to be on a shelf, and fight a management group too get any part into production. If you want to make something cool, build bicycle frames, just about everybody has a bike. Even then the shipping alone for a flatbed of steel tubing could cost 5,000  not including purchasing the steel.  The customer build bikes are becoming popular, it,s much cheaper to custom build a bicycle than a custom motorcycle.

[TMKIWI]

" title="Angry" class="smiley"> What are you doing now anyway?

Welding at the moment. Mainly in the food/Dairy industries.
There is a big project starting up locally very soon that the company I contract to wants me to work on.  It is a dryer for paper packaging ( egg cartons etc ) that is 68m long by 4m x 5m. It is literally a massive oven with a conveyer running through.
It will take 6 months to build and is cycling distance from my house.
Or I can go back down south and build another dairy factory.
It's a toss up weather I go for the money and be away from home for 12 months living in a shit hole or I sleep in my own bed each night and still make good coin. And go fishing and ride my bikes.

[ford832]

It's a toss up weather I go for the money and be away from home for 12 months living in a shit hole or I sleep in my own bed each night and still make good coin. And go fishing and ride my bikes.

Lol,I know which one I'd take.On the other hand,if my daughter was out on her own and it was just me and the wife,I'd probably take the first one.

[SachsGS]

Ford, the reality is that Western Canada is stunningly beautiful and you owe it to yourself (and your family) to check it out.

Hey Super Trucker sounds like life has been quite an adventure.You ever plan on the ball and chain, little Super Truckers and so on?

[Super Trucker]

Ford, the reality is that Western Canada is stunningly beautiful and you owe it to yourself (and your family) to check it out.

Hey Super Trucker sounds like life has been quite an adventure.You ever plan on the ball and chain, little Super Truckers and so on?   I was engaged once, like many thought it was a forever thing. I was gone too much on the drillrig, her girlfriends where all breaking up, then chics work on each other, like you know he,s cheating on ya,etc. She turned into her mother,negative witch. So I broke it off, she then chased rich guys,football players,etc. But calls me for sex and wants to have my baby, some women are crazy. I dated a 25 yr old little honey last week, I,m not looking for a chic that young, but we clicked so I said who cares if she,s 20 yrs younger. I know that would never last, I had to meet a chics parents already that where my age, haha  that,s a weird deal right there. It takes a really strong women to put up with someone that,s  gone for weeks at a time, they usually quit when they figure it out, that 10 years from now they,ll be alone for weeks at a time. The stress they have worrying about your safety, like getting killed in a wreck or robbed and shot, is usually too much to bear. It,s easier for them to settle for a guy, that,s always around, even if there not crazy about them. Not to sound like a dick, but driving you can have women in different states, that you have a relationship with.

[ford832]

Ford, the reality is that Western Canada is stunningly beautiful and you owe it to yourself (and your family) to check it out.

Hmmmm...maybe I'll have to send the old girl on an extended scouting mission just to confirm your claims.What was your address again? 

[ford832]

Not to sound like a dick, but driving you can have women in different states, that you have a relationship with.

You're a lucky man supertrucker... " title="Roll Eyes" class="smiley">

http://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=trucker%20tramp%20pics&source=web&cd=22&cad=rja&ved=0CGcQFjAV&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.myspace.com%2F90608760%2Fphotos&ei=nGupUKiGHq_8yAGe_IHIAQ&usg=AFQjCNFt_1YQDDdNZUo7loC9q1yo1GW4hg


http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/cdafd1fd34/truckstop-lover

[Kodackamera]

Supertrucker, that's quite a story and an experience, thanks for sharing that, very interesting to hear someone else's experience, you've done alot!

While I don't actually live in the USA (you mentioned moving to Wisconsin), a mechanically inclined friend and I have been talking for a few years, since we were about 18, about just taking the opportunity of going to another country, possibly for good. be it USA/Brazil/Australia.

And with these ideas, people always bring up horror stories, when we mention such an idea, they don't put me off though.

"You never know where life will take you, if you're willing to take the risk"

Perhaps I need to take more risks, not necessarily reckless ones, but risks nontheless.

I'm now 24 and I am starting to have thoughts that this is the last opportunity to "set my course" on my lifes flight, career wise. Are these thoughts a bit twisted or just realistic?

I've narrowed it down to three general areas that I have talent in.  Music/audio.  Martial arts/Fitness. Engineering/motorcycles.

These three have their pro's and cons as long term careers, for example sports, I would get injured, but the other 90% i would be super fit.

Audio, sedentry work on computers, but a great creative outlet. etc.

 I've need to go over them some more and sort myself out with this.

I suppose the best combo would be a top club performing DJ in USA/south america, who can do martial arts and ride a motorcycle that he maintains. 

[Stusmoke]

We do have quite the shortage of engineers here in Aus. But a mechanic here is probably not the best of moves from what I've heard. Low pay bad hours and high taxes doesn't leave much room to maneuver.

[Kodackamera]

Yeah I've heard of the shortage, I started researching a few months ago to see if it could all be viable, going there and having somewhere to work.

With not many opportunities afterwards? I'm all for hard work, but not if it's dead end.