Going Against the Grain

This is kind of a hard post for me to write, because in some ways these ideas are better kept in your head, as to not offend anyone. But that’s what this blog is for – to document my life and thoughts and feelings along this crazy journey. I’m not sure when I figured out that the standard “white-picket-fence” life wasn’t going to work for me, but it was pretty early on, somewhere in high school. I just don’t really buy into the whole notion of working 40 hours a week to buy a car to get there, to pay for a house you barely get to enjoy. Sure, if you love your job, well done – you’ve hit the jackpot but the truth is most people don’t, it’s simply something they do in order to spend their weekends how they want.

I’ve never thought that trading 5 days of your life for 2 free days was a good trade.

So that’s why I’m openly going against the grain. At present I am working but it’s different, it feels more off-the-grid. I work as an au pair during the after school hours, tending to the children and helping them practice their English. I actually love kids so most of the time it’s basically like hanging out. No annoying coworkers, no office politics, just Disney channel and lots of orange juice – not a bad deal. Unfortunately, being an au pair doesn’t come along with the best pay bracket, but that isn’t the only reason I do it; free accommodation and food is a big help when you’re traveling on a budget.

I wish I could just ignore money and go live on a farm somewhere and make my own food (hey, there’s an idea for the summer) but for now I understand that money is a necessary evil. So, I supplement my income with work from Elance which I’m actually saving up for future travels. I really like freelancing because I get paid to work in my pjs and can work at ridiculous hours.

You see, working in your pajamas is actually a “life hack” because you don’t need to spend money on work clothes (saving cash) or waste time and petrol commuting each day (more cash savings) and well, you can still be in your pajamas at mid-day which is a win in itself.

Honestly, I don’t think my partners are that stoked that I’m galavanting around the world, but I am. I feel like I’m getting a whole other type of education that I certainly couldn’t get from the confides on a University a few miles from home.

I think the Internet has changed so much, we’ve become a much more easily connected global society and I’m training myself on how to be a global citizen.

I wonder how long I can go against the grain before the white fence and 2.5 kids starts tempting me…