I don't know if this is your situation and I'm not trying to shill for the west coast, but I've watched couples turn down moves because each thought the other would never want to do it. There are many bad things to be said about the west coast, but it looks like there are also many bad things to be said about your current situation. There are also many good things to be said about both, so perhaps you should put together a "pros & cons" list and talk it over with those who'd be affected by your move.
But maybe you don't want to stick with your old boss, like Eisenhower was stuck with McArthur. There are still other options that you can control. Most workplace unhappiness (mine anyway!) is caused by situations over which we have no control. If your boss' departure doesn't put you in charge, then your control options probably have to shift to those outside the workplace.
One thing that helped me was a "So what do I do now" research project. You could start with a skills & interests assessment at a local college or job center. It might take a vacation day or two to work through all of the tests & surveys, but it greatly clarifies your thinking and may help you find undiscovered interests. There's more info on this in Nelson Bolles' "What Color Is Your Parachute", and many libraries carry copies. In my case the process generated the stunning realization that I was admirably suited to be a nuclear engineer (my occupation at the time). My kvetching about the testing system caused a colleague to offer me a job teaching adult education (the first subject: nuclear engineering), and I tremendously enjoy it. I wouldn't have considered it if I hadn't been so frustrated by the testing & assessment process. So the process works eventually.
Another thing that you can control is the factors that make up "X". You can't necessarily raise your salary but you may be able to shave your expenses to 62.8% of your current outgo. Thousands of practical examples fill the archives at websites like the Dollar Stretcher (
http://www.stretcher.com). Your motivation is a healthier lifestyle and a quicker retirement.
A third option would be a self-imposed sabbatical (temporary ER). If work doesn't offer unpaid leave, you could try part-time. You could even quit and take the time to (1) decompress, (2) do the actions in the previous two paragraphs, and maybe (3) retrain or return to school. This approach might seem to cannibalize your ER, but it might also be just the break you need to revive your creative thinking and step around the problems (instead of going to work through them every day).
Good luck, and we can't pretend that you won't need at least a little dose of that too. The opportunities can only be exploited by being able to recognize them and by being ready to do something about it. You have the latter down pat and now is a great chance to work on the former.
). Anyway, there's a possibility that I can hire on with another person here where I am now at my same salary. This is without a doubt a very loathsome prospect as described above in the first sentence of this paragraph.
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