Planning ahead, looking back.

As in everything, I need to count my blessings.  This is always easier when those blessings are revealed.
The most obvious advantage in my situation is that I have TIME.  Between now and September, I can plan, network, explore and, just in case, save.  We've discussed our budget and there is not so much frivolous spending in our lives that cutting anything would make much of a difference.  We have a savings account into which we make regular deposits and when the time comes, we will G-dwilling have about 3 months rent saved.  Cutting the occasional lunch out will not significantly impact our end balance, certainly not enough to make it worth the stress of never being able to grab a bagel on the go or meet up for lunch. 
We are also not cancelling our Disney vacation.  What the future holds does not negate the fact that we have not had a family vacation in two years and May will be the end of a 6 month stretch of minimized family time and emotional strain.  Especially if we are facing uncertainty, we need the strength that can only come from being happy, together as a family.  Finally, the truth is that financially, cancelling the trip won't make that big of a difference.  A week in Disney would cover two weeks of our family's expenses in New York.  If it came down to only having two weeks to keep our heads above water, we would have had to come up with a more drastic solution than drawing on savings, anyway.  The good news about that, though is that we are halfway to earning enough to live in Disney World.
My goal is to stay in Manhattan.  Logically I know that it's expensive and that we could get by on less somewhere else, but this is home.  We are happy here and one thing I must remember through this journey is
Happiness > Money
(thank you, BB for saying that flat out.  As much as it may be common sense, when times get tough, that's one of those things that you have to see written out to believe.)
I'm not viewing my career goals so much in number signs, but as a means to achieve what I want in life.  The first thing is to be as happy as I can.  Having spent the last three and a half years believing in what I do, being proud of my job and, in fact, looking forward to going to work, I know that I will never be happy doing something that just pays the bills.  I have been shown that I have the potential to serve the community and HaShem through my work and I can't settle for less.  A great part of any journey is knowing from whence you came.  Standing here I can look back and see what I have accomplished, the impact I can make.  I can also look forward and see endless potential.