Would you rather be a big fish in a little pond or a little fish in a big pond?

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I don't know why I came up with this one today in particular, but I have played both roles. When I was a graduate student in psychology at University of California at Santa Barbara, I felt like a little fish in a big pond. There were major researchers all around, smart fellow graduate students were my "colleagues," and I sometiemes felt intimidated. But I learned a lot and did some research that got published in a major journal. Then I was a college teacher at a tiny college in Iowa. Many of the teachers there had never published in major journals, and I could tell that some were struggling, and were jealous of my teaching ability, as well as my ability to get students involved in research. I was a big fish in a little pond. Down the road, I held some jobs where there was balance between the size of the fish and the pond, but I admit that I sometiems felt lazy, and that I could challenge myself more. One of my favorite jobs was being a "mentor" for troubled kids in Contra Costa County. Everyone there was "professional," and I felt comfortable discussing therapeutic techniques and other issues with my colleagues. We were equals. Have you ever felt like a big fish in a small pond? Or the opposite? I think I most enjoy being a (slightly) small fish in a (slightly) big pond. That way, I'm challenged and can grow.