Sound like you are asking yourself this question. Since there are generally multiple *right* paths and *wrong* paths, no matter what path you take you will someday look back at your life and regret not having taken one of the other paths. Then, at some point you will look back on your life and whole heartedly believe that you took the only right path.

In my more opinion, you are doing the right thing, looking to the future, looking to the past, and trying to decide what you should do. Thinking ahead to what kind of person you will be like in the future, and what will create a spark in you then, is something too few people do. Congratulations.

I think that teaching IS a real job. Especially if you can continue to grow and be excited about doing it. Too few teachers really have that spark that is needed to excite their students about learning. That sounds like a heck of a challenge to me. Most any career becomes *un-challenging* if you let it. Once you get to know a job, you can usually just muddle through each day with no challenges. Or, you can make challenges, make it interesting and grow with the job.

I suspect you will make any job you get interesting. I suggest trying teaching for a while and see how it goes.

Bob L