REI Noob from Redding, CA

[Michael Palmer]

Hello! 

I am very new to the world of REI but am excited to have found this site. It appears to be a great community and a tremendous source of information.

I am 34, a homeowner, husband, father and IT professional, among other things. I am living the dream yet left wanting. I feel guilty saying it as I know many would kill to be in my position but I feel an awfully lot like Peter Gibbons in Office Space. I have a great job for a great employer but feel no passion for the my chosen career. I make a good wage but have little room for advancement. Opportunities here are limited and we are very rooted here because of family.

My wife and I have been discussing options and alternatives. We believe REI may be the answer. Between the two of us we make a good living relative to the cost of living here and would like to leverage our income to get into REI. I've stumbled upon this site and am absorbing as much as possible. We are trying to formulate a 5 and 10-year plan with the ultimate goal of becoming self-employed doing REI and investing in our own wealth and future.

I am developing some immediate goals and looking forward to pursuing something meaningful and fulfilling. I'm not in a position to quit my job anytime soon but would like to begin laying a foundation and setting goals. Video games have been a fun hobby since I was old enough to grasp the Pong controller but I suppose I've reached a point in life where I'm looking for something more and considering the future of our family. 

Sorry for the wall of text! Just wanted to say hello and introduce myself.

Thanks for reading,

-Mike