training wheels?

i got asked at work the other day whether i would consider going on a foreign assignment.  don't get too excited:  they were told to poll everybody.  anyway, it's got me thinking…

first of all, the categories were whether you'd consider a given region and whether you would only do it as a promotion.  i asked whether you could answer, "i'll do it only if it ISN'T a promotion."  that didn't seem to be an option.  the regions were europe, south america, australia, china, turkey, thailand, and india, in no particular order.  i said yes to europe, south america and australia.  easy choice.

as i was retelling a friend that night, she looked at me a little bit like i had lost my head (which we've already established is more than possible given the way i've been losing and forgetting things these days).  she said "let me get this right.  you're willing to go just about anywhere and live in a mud hut for the peace corps, but you're not willing to go to turkey or thailand with a company taking care of you along the way?"  all i could answer was a sheepish "well, yeah."

so the next day i added turkey, thailand and india to the list.  truly, i have no desire to live in china, whether for work or the peace corps.

since then, i can't help but to keep thinking about it.  there is practically no way that the company will want to send me on foreign service – for a variety of reasons.  but it is an interesting little fantasy.  would it not still be an adventure?  would it not still be challenging and exciting?  would i not still learn a new language and culture?  i know it would not be as easy as my stint in germany.  (not that moving to a place where you don't know anybody and can't speak the language and don't know the culture is ever really easy.)  i would likely not be part of a group of people going over together.  at least half those regions would be a seriously new culture to even begin considering.  and the work would probably be much more difficult, with much less support.  but… it would be a foreign adventure with a continuing income.  it would be a move (and packing and storage) assisted by the company.  it would be selling my house with financial assistance.  and it would only be for 3 years or so, with the safety net of a job to come back to, for however long (or short) i might want it.

that's not to say i'd want to give up going into the peace corps.  i'm thinking "and," not "or."  i would absolutely still want to go into the peace corps.  but a foreign service assignment would be a great adventure with less risk, and would take me that much closer to retirement and put off the insecurity of being jobless and clueless as to what to do next. 

sort of a little bit like training wheels for the peace corps.