Thanks for the replies, guys! I wouldn't say I'm averse to constructive criticism -- in fact, I welcome it over the sort of criticism I regularly give myself! And sadly, I think the self-criticism was in high gear and I was feeling overwhelmed the night I walked away. If anything, that night taught me I need to be vigilant about when to say when and wrap up a training session or a controlling shift for the night rather than push myself too hard when I'm tired or feeling overwhelmed, which I do all too often.

I'll give things a look, give stuff some thought, and hopefully dive back in soon.

Welcome to the land of high-flying fun, Marcus! Looking forward to working with you!

Thanks, Manuel! And thanks for your e-mail earlier! I definitely keep coming back to ZDV as my top choice, so expect my transfer and everything in the next day or so!

I really appreciate everybody's insight and encouragement in this thread, because my confidence definitely was a bit shaky when I decided to return; it's good to know people get it!

See y'all on the scopes!

Thanks, Mark! I'm definitely following Don's advice and reaching out before cementing a transfer since I know it's easier to take my time and decide rather than to decide and realize it wasn't the best choice!

And when I said I was only an S3, I was doing something I shouldn't -- comparing myself to others who, based on their VATSIM IDs, joined after I did. But, it's not a race, and we're all at different spots -- I just have to remind myself of that. I guess part of me just feel like if I'm going to be at the S3 rating, I should be able to live up to that S3 rating without missing a beat -- though I know ultimately, the refreshers be worth it in the long run for me -- and for the pilots I serve and the other controllers I interact with! I just want to provide the best and most comprehensive service I can to pilots in an area.

I just need to remember that that may be at TWR or even DEL/GND until I get my VATSIM legs back through refresher training and any needed exams, and hopefully pilots will understand that, even if they see the rating after my name!

Congrats, by the way, Mark, on your new position! Excited for the future of VATUSA and the training department!

I've been a member of VATSIM for a long, long time and have decided once more to try and take up the challenge of controlling. One of my problems has always been that I've always suffered from severe anxiety -- something that I was formally diagnosed with last year. As a result of the anxiety, I always struggled to stay with my training or to feel like I was in the right spot. I'd get frustrated with myself and just let my account go inactive, or I'd think I'd have better luck and focus in a different ARTCC.

Net result: I'm a decade-and-a-half veteran of VATSIM, and I'm still an S3. Not that there's anything wrong with that, of course...mainly I'm just frustrated with myself. On top of it all, I don't really remember the higher-level stuff I learned to get my S3, so I know I've got some catching up to do.

Anyway, that's all a long-winded way of asking if anyone might have some advice for me on how to best approach things now that I know what my struggle is and it's more manageable with medication -- though definitely still difficult sometimes.

I've been taking my time mulling over which ARTCC to approach, because I worry that my long absence will lead to some training headaches or feel like I'm taking up valuable training time from other folks, simply because I struggled to stay focused, calm, and engaged during my last attempts -- and failed miserably. :/ Still something I'm considering; I'm not in a hurry to pull the trigger yet, until I can really evaluate where my best fit is going to be.

I guess I'm just worried that I'll be seen as a "troublemaker" or "that guy who can't stick with it...ugh!", and I want to be an asset to an ARTCC, VATUSA, and VATSIM's users as a whole. I certainly don't want to frustrate fellow controllers -- or the pilots!

Any advice, folks? 

Thanks in advance for your insights or thoughts. 

Dhruv, thanks for the invite!  I actually used to control in ZMP. I was looking over my stats, and my last shift there was logged at KLNK as a ground controller in July of 2004, and I remember the experience even then to be very welcoming and the staff top-notch.  I picked ZMP back then because I was born in its airspace (a few miles from KOMA and KCBF) and spent my earliest years there, becoming fascinated by aviation because we'd constantly have traffic from KOFF fly over our little home in the Iowa countryside. I had a blast working the airspace, even though most of my work was at the DEL and GND level, which I know many newer ATC students find "boring". I'm glad to see the same welcoming spirit and dedication to training is still present!

I've been reluctant to post my list and say: "this is where I'm thinking about", because I don't wanna ruffle any feathers or turn this thread into some kind of recruitment thread, ya know? But I'm definitely going to take the suggestions here and work them into my process.

Thank you very much, guys!

I've been a member of VATSIM for many moons, and SATCO before that, and I've taken numerous stabs at really getting into ATC training, trying to find the right training approach for me, and more importantly, the region and ARTCC/FIR that provided the best fit. It's been tough, to say the least. Now, I'm back, looking at diving back into the world of virtual ATC, and more determined than ever to not let my past struggles trip me up.

What I am struggling with right now, however, is trying to figure out which ARTCC is the best fit for me. I know back in the olden days, there had been a really nice overview of the various ARTCCs, their traffic levels, their training programs, and the like that was on the VATUSA website. Redesigns and updates no doubt rendered it obsolete, which no doubt led to it no longer being available. I get that...but it's also sad. I'm in need of a little insight and guidance, and a setup like that would've been great.

Failing that, though...is the best way to get a feel for an ARTCC to simply peruse the websites? Like I said, I'm just having difficulty figuring out where I want to really dive into controlling -- I'm bound and determined to not let myself give up this time, but I also know that I no doubt need to do a solid review of the basics that would normally be presumed to be "mastered" by the presence of my current S2 rating.

So I guess this has all been a long-winded way of asking: how did you settle on your ARTCC and discover it to be the right fit? I've got a "short list", based on things I've gleaned from reading the forums and from watching traffic levels in Servinfo, as well as just being places where, for one reason or another, I kinda feel like I'd be "at home" controlling. I just need to figure out which direction to go, and thought I'd ask for a bit o' insight on how y'all ended up where you are.

Thanks in advance.