Take Two: Life Changes archive
Take Two: The End of the Road
January 25, 2006 Over the past year, we've profiled people reinventing themselves through their work. Many chose to start over, others had no choice. At the end of our Take Two series, Ketzel Levine revisits a few to find out how their new jobs -- and lives -- are going.
Executive Trades Business Attire for Santa Suit
December 21, 2005 Greg Mohl has made the switch from globe-trotting executive to jolly holiday mall fixture. His new role is Santa Claus. He already looked the part and now he's part of a multimillion dollar industry.
Katrina Evacuee Finds New Life in San Antonio
November 30, 2005 Yvette Warren did not choose to leave New Orleans, the city where she'd met her husband, raised five children, and worked as a teacher's aide. Hurricane Katrina forced her out. Now she's found a new home in Texas.
Jumping to a Motherhood-Compatible Career
November 16, 2005 Liz Wisniewski had a high-powered corporate job, a big salary and an expense account. Now she's a schoolteacher who spends her spare time with her own kids. Senior Correspondent Ketzel Levine tells the story of Wisniewski's decision to give up an impressive career and make time to be a mom.
It's Never Too Late to Follow a Dream
September 28, 2005 Casey Amato always wanted to be a police officer. She figured she didn't stand a chance. She didn't think she was tough enough, or had the kind of presence that commanded attention. She was wrong.
Life at Sea Means Leaving Stability Behind
August 31, 2005 Brea Evans left behind a life in a lab to work as an observer aboard the Alaska Warrior, monitoring what kinds of fish are being caught.
Grinding Out a Living with a Coffee Cart
August 17, 2005 It's an oft-told tale: the exodus from California to the Pacific Northwest. Terry Rusinow followed this well-trod path and moved to Portland. But despite her varied work experience -- in retail, restaurants, galleries and even a long stint with a coffee company -- she could not find a job.
A Family That Works Together Stays Together
August 3, 2005 Web designer Caroline Johnson -- disenchanted with the tech industry -- was looking for a new career path. She found it through some people she knows very well: her parents.
Living Life Among the Dogs, and Loving it
June 29, 2005 Robin Baizel and Greg Gibbs know something about making big decisions. The couple gave up the security of steady incomes at the Consortium Library at the University of Alaska, Anchorage, for the uncertainty of owning their own business in Nevada, and the chance at doing what they love.
From Mending Bones to Mending Homes
June 15, 2005 Renovating houses is as familiar to Valda Crowder as resetting broken bones. She has traded in 13 years of emergency medicine for a life of wheeling and dealing in the real estate market.
Keep the Smoke -- and Add Mirrors
June 1, 2005 When he's not working 24-hour shifts at the firehouse, David Rudd turns to magic, performing for crowds at parties and clubs. Instead of air-tanks and hoses, his tools are playing cards.
Finding a New Calling in the Wake of Loss
May 11, 2005 As a psychologist, Helen Hand worked in a thriving clinical practice for almost 25 years. But then the death of her brother, at age 54, led her to a new path. Now she's working to fulfill his plans, as president of Colorado Free University.
A Lawyer, Seeking A Cause
May 4, 2005 As part of our Take Two series on people re-inventing themselves through their work, we visit John Scanlan, 43. Scanlan abandoned an engineering career in hopes of using a law degree to help others. But all has not gone according to plan.
A Doctor's Unlikely Path: Ranches and Brew Pubs
April 27, 2005 Dr. Tom Taylor abhors tedium -- in fact, he delights in drastic change. A first-year resident at Portland's Oregon Health and Science University, Taylor previously working as a ranch hand and ranger. But his path to medicine began with a brew pub.
Banking on a Future as a Life Coach
April 6, 2005 Rick Watson was a banker, making good money and providing for his family. But he says he was only doing what needed to be done -- not what he wanted to do. So Watson went to a life coach.
