how you know

You know it's time for you to leave the field when you get booted out of your living situation.

You know it's time to leave when you get that call at 11pm on the night in between the two days of a conference you've been helping to plan for the last several months.

It's time to leave when the night before you get the call you have had to check yourself into an air-conditioned hotel room so that you could stay up til 1:30am writing a biographical note you had to give the next morning as part of the conference opening.

But at least I'm packed.