I’ve registered just to ask: What would you choose? 
I’m 33 now and have been a designer for about 9 years working mostly for agencies and some freelance. I’m slowly gettin sick of the crazy pace of work and average payment in my region. I need to somehow change my career and right now I just don’t know which path to choose.
I don’t know. Flipping burgers perhaps. It sounds a little more dignified.
I doubt what I’d choose would match up to your choices, but since you asked, I’m happy to disappoint. 
I grew up on a ranch. I really miss the outdoors, the agriculture, the horses, the livestock, physical work, the sun, dark skies, and more than anything else, the wide open spaces. I wouldn’t want to take over my parent’s ranch, though (too much animal gore and blood), but I do miss huge parts of it.
I’ve always been attracted to science. I started out as a physics major in college with the half-baked idea of becoming an astronomer. Unfortunately, I have this dyscalculia thing that gets in the way of working with numbers, which is sort of important in physics.
Anyway, I’d likely find something that combines the outdoors and science with a bit of creative freedom thrown in — forestry or geology, perhaps. Unfortunately, I can’t think of anything I’d like to do that also involves earning lots of money. Of course, all this assumes that I could be 17 all over again.
Since you mention it, I have a similar issue. I have to do any math type thing several times to make sure I have it right.
I started working at a bank right out of school. I got a really great job processing MasterCard (we still called it Master Charge back then) It took no time for me to be pulled aside and shown that I repeatedly transposed numbers. They were actually good about it and tried to help me overcome it … but even going painfully slow I still unknowingly made the mistakes. I simply couldn’t get the eyes and brain and fingers to work all at the same time. Needless to say that job didn’t last long.
It certainly explained why I struggled so through school - where not a peep was ever mentioned that I might have an issue.
Now as long as I take my time, compare and read out loud what I’m typing, I get along ok. I can do the checkbook thing (Yes, some of us still use them) I can read recipes ok, make online purchases etc. But, if something is just a bunch of numbers … it can go sideways fairly quick
That’s how I handle it too.
Every now and again, someone will ask for my phone number when picking up a prescription at a pharmacy or talking with a teller at a bank. I can usually remember the individual digits in my phone number, but can rarely remember their order — especially when put on the spot.
I’ll get this funny look from the person who just asked. Then they’ll say with an unnaturally sweet smile, that’s OK, just tell me the last four digits of your Social Security number. I’ll attempt an answer since it’s only four digits, but I’ll usually mangle it out of anxiety.
Then comes the inevitable look of skeptical disgust, accompanied by a hint of pity and the assumption that they must be speaking to an idiot.
In a slow, loud voice that assumes I’m not only stupid but deaf, they’ll follow up with, “Doo Youu Have Ann Iden-ti-fi-ca-tion Card With Youur Pic-ture Oon It, Pleeeze?”
Believe me I understand. Just last week we lost power from a downed tree. I called National Grid and told them my address. After a short time he said couldn’t find it. He repeated it back to me and I realized my mistake. We live at 20 blah blah street and our Apt is 41. I told him we live at 21 blah blah street. 
When under any sort of stress I just jumble them together. I apologized and was good about not over-explaining. 
I’ve gotten so that when I make a phone call, I write down all the relevant numbers they might ask me about. Then I can confidently answer, “Why yes, would you like my 5-digit zip code or the 9-digit code the postal service prefers?” 
I wish I would have chosen public school math teacher as a career. I had friends who went that direction. Great job security. Nobody clamoring to get into it, so there are perpetual shortages. Unlikely you’ll be outsourced. Depending on your location, decent compensation if you hang around long enough. And lots of opportunities to pick up extra income tutoring or teaching community college.
Then I’d pursue art as a hobby, strictly for enjoyment.
Right now, I just want to retire (1.5 years to go.) This industry has gone to hell in handbasket and if you think the pace of agency work is bad, you should try the print industry. We desperately need people who want to learn the craft but it’s too much like work and no one wants to do that anymore.
@Just-B Well I thought it will be a little bit more related to main topic of this forum but anyway - thank you for your story, it’s interesting. I hope you’ll find a way to merge it all together. Someday, somehow.
@Eriskay I like burgers too much, it would be dangerous for my health
@Mojo I’ve always liked math. I’m sure you’re right about job security, as I remember the majority of people are just scared of math haha.
I think I’ll pass on this one
After spending all days in front of a computer I think more and more about physical work. I’ve found it enjoyable and relaxing when I have to do something simple in home, with bike or in the car. I don’t know maybe working with (for example) wood could be a new hobby with the perspective of future earnings 
Just a thought.
I think I started offtop, sorry for that.
No worries on the offtopic. That’s what makes this forum fun.
A few other forums I’ve belonged to have rules about staying on topic and making everything relevant to the original post. No such expectations exist here. I like it this way too.
The different threads are more like conversations that wander off in various directions before usually circling back to the original topic.
One of the Discord servers I hang out in is downright vicious when it comes to posting in the wrong channel on their server. It’s like, dude, chill, I just mentioned Ritz crackers in a conversation totally about something else. We are not moving to the food channel because of it…
Strangely I haven’t been there lately. Not as much fun as other things to do.
I’ve been in tons of online forms especially back when I was an art student. I view admonition from mods pretty seriously because I’ve been booted before. I’m glad things are more relaxed here but it’s taking some getting used to.
The need to put food on the table gradually took over.
Zombie posting … Closing!