As the sparkling promise of a college education turned into the shadow of crushing student debt, many are signing up to be mechanics, technicians, and electricians—and desk workers are yearning to make the switch.

Are the tides finally turning on the trades? Or is it a case of romanticizing the other, and wanting what you can’t have? This week, we talk the pros and cons of blue collar jobs, living to work vs. working to live, and the quest for meaning within it all.