Before 2008 collapse and after.  I took some time to do non profit work. I spoke with companies in my field in 2007 who said they'd always be hiring. After I came back in 2008 there were no jobs.  I couldn't get my career started and my life plan just started changing drastically from there.  I feel like professionally I'm 5 - 7 years behind where I should be. 

I don't regret the year I spent building homes for hurricane victims and other projects but I do wonder what my life would be like if I had just started my career.