On plans delayed, and loans destroyed

Almost two years ago, I began planning, and then executing, my path out of the legal "profession" and Document Review. But even the best plans rarely survive the initial stages of battle, and I did not foresee just how bad the recession would become.

2008 and 2009 were horrific years not only for lawyers, but everyone else. Many of my friends in other professions were let go from their jobs: bankers, engineers, marketing consultants, etc. As companies slashed payrolls and froze hiring, I found myself trapped in document review. Still, I played the game well, and was fortunate enough to land on several big projects, some of which had generous overtime hours. I worked as many hours as I could, hoping my luck wouldn't run out. And after two more years of document review, my student loans are practically wiped out.

My blunder into the so-called "legal profession" has cost me the better part of a decade, and I will never recover the thousands of miserable hours spent pouring over documents. But those thousands of hours of tedious work paid handsomely, and I no longer worry about being chased after by scumbags from Scammie Mae and her debt collector band. Now as I stare into the wreckage of the US economy and plot my next move, the question lingers: what next?