Thanks Hvert! Me too! I'm a little disappointed, my friend was supposed to have lunch with her friend over there today, and was going to call me after... and I didn't hear anything. I know she's crazy busy right now, but I was really hoping to hear how it went!

And thanks. Turning down that job was insanely hard. I spent an entire week trying to figure out what to do (before turning it down). It sort of felt stupid... I needed a job, and I'm not great at finding them! But there were so many bad signs, and I thought that if I moved out there, I'd just spend the next few years trying to move back to where I'm at now.

And, the truth is... I wasn't sure. I actually emailed the recruiter after I turned down the job and tried to take it back, and get the job (ha!). Thankfully, at that point, she said the offer was off the table. I just remember think, "oh crap, what did I just do?!?".

But thankfully, it all worked out for the best. My career isn't exactly amazing, but I think it would have really sucked for me at that job, so I'm glad that scared-little-past-me managed that one moment of courage!

So... you said you haven't heard anything else back from the guy, or your friend? So, you DID defer then? Good for you. It sounds like you've got good skills... right? And now, you've got a recent client. Is your friend going to be able to act as a reference if you need one? I hope it all works out, and you either find some more contract work, or a really excellent company to join (if that's what you're looking for).

Oh, and have you noticed... it seems like a BIG part of how good your job is (how much you like it, how stressful it is, etc.) is your BOSS. It sounds like you dodged a real bullet by turning them down, if they expected you to work for that guy. I'm not sure any amount of money is worth having to deal with somebody like that!!!

Take care!