Good things ARE worth waiting for... But how do you decide when to wait and when to leave?

That was a long title. My apologies. My apologies also for the boring cat videos. Apparently not so much of a crowd pleaser. Duly noted.

So, I have a question. A problem. A conundrum. Sometime last year, I had this plan for my future. I was going to work at the local school and live in one of the cutest small towns I've ever seen. If they didn't have an opening, I was going to substitute and try again next year. Then I started thinking that I was limiting myself with this plan. The jobs are out there, not right here. So I pursued some, with no results, and went back to plan A. Well, really I guess it was plan B, since I've started substituting. There are still openings, even after school has already started. The problem is that, still, they are farther away than I wanted.

I could have a life here. There's a house that we want (though it might get rented out before we get the money together to rent-to-own it). Michael's band is here. Our families are here. But the jobs aren't here. Not yet anyway. Is it stupid to stay here, make much less money than I had wanted, and work my way up from the bottom for jobs that still might not be available next year (actually, I'm pretty sure the BIGGEST COUNTY IN GEORGIA will have something again next year, and I will know more about the application process and have a better chance by then)?

Or should I apply for whatever opens up, wherever that may be? Should I uproot not only myself to pursue something, just because it came up? My career isn't the only one that matters, but I'm in so much student-loan debt, it feels like I'd be stupid NOT to try to get a higher-paying job. And it's not all about money; I want to teach -- have wanted to since the second grade.

How do you know when to wait and when to act? How do you balance "good things are worth waiting for," "slow and steady wins the race," and "nice guys finish last"?

And why do I suddenly feel like Pocahontas in her canoe?

"Just around the riverrrrr bennnnnd"