I wrote the post below,and only posted it briefly before taking it down again...
So much has transpired since then...
I spoke to my boss about the future of the design department in our office...the future is bleak if things are to continue the way they are going...I also told him of the generous offer I had been given, and asked him for his thought on the situation. This is the good part of working for a small company, your boss can also be your friend. he told me that I could definitely handle the position offered, which was good to hear...and he thanked me for being honest with him...I am also pretty sure he knows that my time with the company is limited independent of me taking this offer...
That's right...I have decided I need to leave my current job one way or another. I still have not decided if I am going to take the new position as offered, but I know I can't stay at this one. It has completely stifled my creativity, and my drive to do good work...three years of doing the same thing day after day, over and over will do that.
I have also spoken to a good friend who used to work in our office about the opportunities within Calgary. She loves her current job, and explained to me what the differences she has experienced are...she works for a larger company, with an actual design department...allowing her to learn from others who have been in the field longer...something I am missing not only at my current job, but would also not be available were I to take the new one offered...she said there are boundless opportunities (ug, how many times can I use that word in one post!) for a junior designer within Calgary, even within her company...something I knew already, just wasn't prepared to take on quite yet
So, the plan as it sits right now...get my resume out there; apply to as may places in Calgary as I can, and see if I get a response...I will be on a time limit how ever, as I still have the generous offer to face. If I have not found a place in Calgary that I think could supply me with a challenge and a mentor, then I will take the job with Mr.J's dad as of March 1st.
Wish me luck!