I worked in food service for ~5 years before getting into tech and I think this is valuable advice. I was younger then but I still knew I was beating up my body (I did a lot of large deliveries, so moving heavy stuff). As much as I miss the guaranteed exercise and worry about my knees, I know it'd be worse if I was forced to wake up at 4am and do all that shit again for 6-9 hours a day.
I also miss the social aspect terribly. I would love to have friends around me during the day (although coding would be impossible if they were there all the time). But I don't miss getting off work and drinking for hours, being too tired to do any hobbies. I don't miss watching my friends smoke cigarettes for hours until I gave in and bummed one.
And I definitely don't miss the helplessness and lack of respect I felt in those jobs. The most urgent push I had for learning to program was that I was just so tied of not being able to solve problems, manage my own time, and avoid people just being rude as hell.
All that said, my job is unfulfilling. I think that's a valid complaint. If I had some of the social and physical aspects, I don't know if I'd worry so much about that, but I don't so I do.
I also miss the social aspect terribly. I would love to have friends around me during the day (although coding would be impossible if they were there all the time). But I don't miss getting off work and drinking for hours, being too tired to do any hobbies. I don't miss watching my friends smoke cigarettes for hours until I gave in and bummed one.
And I definitely don't miss the helplessness and lack of respect I felt in those jobs. The most urgent push I had for learning to program was that I was just so tied of not being able to solve problems, manage my own time, and avoid people just being rude as hell.
All that said, my job is unfulfilling. I think that's a valid complaint. If I had some of the social and physical aspects, I don't know if I'd worry so much about that, but I don't so I do.