“So where do you see yourself in ten years” asked David Wallace, CFO of Dunder Mifflin, Inc.

Suddenly a light bulb turned on in his brain. Jim thought to himself that oh my god, it couldn’t be any more obvious if it hit him like that bus he and Karen barely dodged last night on the way back to the hotel.

He never saw himself as the corporate man that Karen always wanted him to be, or the “fun” boyfriend who wanted to do every little thing with her at all times. It just wasn’t him at all. He spent so much time trying to please her and keep her happy, he realized that he was losing sight of himself.

He sees himself driving home from a day of putting up with Michael’s impending retirement party preparations that Angela was all too happy to coordinate. Dwight would be making his grand action plans for when he would assume his rightful place as Regional Manager of Dunder Mifflijn Scranton He’d note how how happy Meredith seemed after completing her company enforced stint in rehab (after that horrific incident with the copier), and how shocking it is to hear that Kelly was leaving Andy and their three kids for Ryan Howard of all people, considering how she was basically suicidal for a year after their breakup.

He sees himself pulling into a lovely shaded neighborhood, down a street lined with oaks, up to a house with a terrace, and beautiful flower beds in front. There is a neatly kept lawn scattered with a few haphazardly thrown children’s toys. He pulls into a driveway already occupied by a minivan - the back end covered in sports magnets and “My kid is an honor student” stickers.

As he gets out of the car, suddenly the front door of the house swings open, and he’s greeted by two little rambunctious boys happy to see their daddy. He looks over to see their mother standing at the door holding an infant swaddled in a pink blanket. She shifts the baby from her shoulder and looks over at him smiling, and he realizes that it’s her, the only girl he’s ever loved, his Pam.

Indeed, at that moment he knew that he didn’t see himself at the corporate level, in New York, or with Karen.

Jim Halpert looked down at the desk for a second then looked at David.

He smiled and said “Well, wherever I am, I’m happy, and it's where I want to be.”

A few minutes later, he removed his name from the candidate list and walked out the door ready to make it so.