Life Plans / Job support

Guest

Hi. I'm a grad student in the sciences, and have been very seriously considering a future life and career in academia. Its a tough path, with lots of competition, but it really is something I feel I want to strive for. The problem is, my wife is extremely attached to her family (who is back in the city we grew up in), and absolutely wants to move back there after I finish school.

Because of the nature of the academic job market, it is very possible that I won't be able to find a position in our home town, but can somewhere else in the country. She seems like she'll be miserable if that happens. She very frequently (out of the blue) brings up how tough a life in academia will be, and how we'd be financially better off in biotech, how it's a better lifestyle, etc. etc. There is a chance I'd be able to find an academic job in our home town (there are many universities), but a good chance I won't also.

Se we seem at a bit of an impasse. We're still several years from when the final decision has to be made, but it's really worrying me that we'll find ourselves at the same place then as we do now. Either I give up on the career I truly want to pursue (and feel upset about that for the rest of my days,) or we have to move away from her family, who are such a vital part of her life (leaving her upset and unhappy.)

Does anyone have any advice? Thanks.