What do I regret about leaving my job?

What do I regret about leaving my job at Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA)? I was working in one of the most beautiful places on earth, driving around Lake Tahoe stopping at beaches, national forests, parks, marinas, ski lodges, private properties, and other environments. The properties had some of the most amazing landscaping projects and new houses that you could imagine… true masterpieces of engineering, architecture, and construction surrounded by stunning vistas of mountain tops and sky blue water. 

I got to work with a wide variety of interesting, smart, knowledgeable and kind people from all walks of life. My mission was noble and everyone was in consensus that we should prevent pollutants from getting into the lake. A large portion of my time was spent educating everyone doing construction about Best Management Practices for protecting the environment. Every day was a new adventure in sharing and learning.

It sounds great! So what crazy person would leave that nearly perfect job? 

When thinking about careers people have a tendency to imagine that the grass is greener somewhere else… perhaps higher on the job satisfaction curve. But I was already cautious of this, and knew that there is no guarantee where the next path in life may lead. 

The job did have some big challenges… perhaps some reasons to leave. A portion of the populace hates a strong regulatory body telling them what they can and cannot do on their private property. There is a vicious rumor mill among Tahoe locals pointing blame at the Agency for the 3,100 acres (12.5 km2) Angora fire that destroyed 242 residences. It was an unfortunate “perfect storm” of embers from an illegal campfire, high winds, thick second generation forests, poor building standards, inadequate funding for fire suppression equipment and technology, and ecological disruption caused by years of fire suppression. 

Also difficult was seeing how politically connected property owners and “partner” agencies had apparent immunity from environmental regulations justified by different economic priorities or inadequate funding, allowing them to be the largest contributors of sediment into the lake.

The pros and cons of moving on seemed in balance. It was a hard decision to leave and I do not think I made a mistake. But if I could do it all over again, or go back for a second chance, I would double my effort… I would put all my heart and soul into it… I would take every opportunity to learn new skills… to discover more than I ever thought discoverable… to maximize every moment to its fullest. With that in mind, the only thing I really regret about leaving TRPA is perhaps not always giving it 100%.