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Sounds like the OP was never a "programmer", but rather a farmer trapped inside a programmer's job.

I think it takes courage (and a bit of risk) to completely shift the course of your career, especially while you have a family to support. I will be curious to hear if he sticks with it long term, but to me, it sounds like he never was designed to be a programmer.

To be a programmer, it takes someone that doesn't mind being behind a computer for a good part of the day (even if you're able to take a break to get some fresh air on occasion). Otherwise, it will have the effect it seems to have had on the OP, and ultimately leave you wishing for something else.

And that's completely cool -- those people should find what drives them.

But it's also completely cool if you're designed to enjoy programming. And I think you can still do this and, at the same time, make sure you're doing other things to bring a smile to your face (in addition to programming), like spending time with family and friends.

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> To be a programmer, it takes someone that doesn't mind being behind a computer for a good part of the day (even if you're able to take a break to get some fresh air on occasion). Otherwise, it will have the effect it seems to have had on the OP, and ultimately leave you wishing for something else.

I don't know if that's true for everybody.

Being behind a computer all day long is what I've been doing since I was 8. I'm 26 now. I like computers. I don't mind it. But whenever I do a little traveling or have to spend a while outdoors, I feel an immense joy, and I get the feeling that there's an incredible amount of things out there I'm missing out; I yearn for life "outside". I think I'd do well on it. I'm happy as a programmer, but I can imagine myself being happy a farmer - who knows? Whether I'd be happy, or happier, I have no idea.

There are so many occupations out there, and each person is so complex, I find it hard to say with any confidence that a person has found his true profession. It might just be that I'd have been an extraordinary sailor, but the circumstances of life have made it so that I will never know that reality. Everyone convinces themselves that they've found the path they were cut out for, but there's a lot of wishful thinking there, and many people don't even consider these issues at all.

I'd be a lot happier as a programmer if I could do it only about 20 weeks a year. Hell, I'd probably gladly work 60+ hour weeks then. 40 hours week after week and I slowly grow to hate it. If only programming work were seasonal. 1/3 of my work weeks programming, 1/3 studying, practicing music, and doing non-programming creative work, 1/3 physical labor and building things with my hands. That'd be my perfect life, I think.

Not sure how to make that work while providing for my family, though, since working 1/3 a year at a professional job isn't usually an option and, even if it were, I'd be passing up a lot of money.

Oh well, can't have everything. Hurray for comparative advantage, I guess? Back to coding....

I'm continually in search of a job where I can split my time between programming and building stuff. I already had my dream job. I was writing control and data processing software for lab instruments, but also doing mechanical design, making parts in a machine shop, assembling electronics. Then my grant ran out, and I wasn't getting paid much either. Still think my dream job would be building boutique one-off scientific instruments.

You and me both, sunshine!

Occasionally I get to do all that stuff above, outside the day job, and I love it. Trying to turn it into a real business but slow in getting there.

And I already live on a farm...

I agree with this 100%. I wish it was more acceptable to take a hiatus from a traditional full-time job. I would love to take 3+ months off this summer to travel around the world since I've never gotten a chance to, but there's no way my company would allow that. Therefore the only way for me to take 3+ consecutive months off would be to quit.

> Sounds like the OP was never a "programmer", but rather a farmer trapped inside a programmer's job.

I don't know, we keep getting these stories about people that burn out and quit the industry, just when they are beginning to get good at the trade.

I think the ones that drop off might be the proverbial canaries in the coal mine. Many, many of us feel some sort of "ennui" with the realities of the job as it is, but only the most sensitive individuals are quitting now. Just as a token example, earlier this year I felt really down after realizing I might never get paid to work on a code base that I can truly love. I am not sure if this is something that happens to every profession or is just a programmer thing, but I am sure as hell I am not the only one.

It might be misguided to label those that quit as "not real programmers". They are telling us something about who we are and what we are doing, and it's as tempting as self defeating to pretend we didn't hear anything.

He liked programming. It was the entire life style that came with it that got to him. Like it gets to a lot of us. I am feeling much of the same pain, but I think I would rather just quit the office job, and start consulting on my own.

Then you can set your own terms, possibly livable ones :)

> Sounds like the OP was never a "programmer", but rather a farmer trapped inside a programmer's job.

I don't think that's really how it works. People are too complex, too dynamic to say someone is definitely X or Y.

I've been programming since I was a kid and loved the work, until at one point I didn't anyore and wanted out. I was done with tech. Does that mean I was never a real "programmer"? Was I soldier trapped inside a programmer's job? If I were to become say, a baker after this, will I have been a baker trapped inside a soldier trapped inside a programmer's job? Of course not.

> Sounds like the OP was never a "programmer"

"We are problem solvers by nature, we just happen to be engineers and designers by trade."