But really, where do I start? I guess at the beginning-ish.
I’ve wanted
to take the leap, go abroad, for a long time. I daydream about the places I
would go, the things I would discover, and the people I would meet. I keep
daydreaming but not acting. I keep seeing job postings for overseas positions
and hesitating. I keep saying I cannot afford to take a temporary position
abroad, and that if I am going to leave New York and my job it has to be for a
permanent position. Not anymore. A temporary position could turn into a
permanent one, or maybe just a series of temporary positions. Every opportunity
leads to new ones. I have nothing to lose.
“If you want to come to Thailand
for the summer you can have this job.” Ok, yes! I’m spending 10 weeks as a Trip
Leader for an org that runs two-week programs for young adults in and
around Chiang Mai, Thailand. Many of their programs have a veterinary medicine
focus. Obviously that is not what I was hired for. All of the groups vet and not, spend a week at the Elephant
Nature Park (more on that later). Then we spend a week in Chiang Mai. My groups
spend the week adventuring in and around the city.
It seems that student travel is my
thing for now.
This seems like the perfect thing
to jumpstart my adventure. I am spending 10 weeks working for awesome people,
doing awesome things. Then, I’ll find something else to do (more on that later
too).
So I bought a fancy backpacking
backpack, gave notice at work (which felt so good), moved out of my Brooklyn
apartment and back into my parents’ house, and took off!
I don’t have a post-job plan, but
I am not stressed about it at all. I am sure some stress will creep in as
August gets closer. For now I am riding this adventure high.
The best possible outcome would be
finding a super awesome job for a great international NGO in Europe. I would go
home to New York to say hi and change out my wardrobe before moving to Europe.
Worst-case scenario, I go home and live with my parents until I find a new job.
Not ideal, but not a disaster either.
**Shout out to my parents, Caryn
and Stu. How many parents do you know who’s response to “I’m quitting my job
and going to Thailand with little to no solid plan,” would be awesome, have
fun. And they are willing to take me back if this doesn’t work and I have to
come back to New York, probably broke.
So I am leading 5 two-week trips.
That means I am doing the same thing five times. Should be interesting.
