(source)
A couple of days ago I blogged
about AUPAIR work as a cheap way to travel.
It’s funny but I never even
considered it before I had to think of something, fast. See, I was practically
homeless and living on benefits in the UK. True story. And since I'm pretty good at getting out of sticky situations, AUPAIR came to mind. Even though I know there are lots of other options to travel
cheap...
Come on! If you really wanted to
travel, you’d find a way. You’ve a brain on your shoulders, yes? So
use it to get creative! What is more, a
person infected with the “wanderlust” virus will never be satisfied with staying
in the same place for too long. I didn’t even know I had it before last year when I
graduated from Uni and realized I’d overstayed in the UK. Like, majorly.
Don’t get me wrong, I had a blast
in Jolly Ol’ England!
But my blast didn’t have to last
that long. Three years, to be exact. Somewhere around the second year, I
remember thinking, Hmm, maybe I should do
Erasmus or something. But my scattered brain made me miss the deadlines for
applying. I wish there was such a thing as a backup brain.
Now I know better! I know to do a
lot of research before jumping into something, preferably on time. And I know
not to commit to anything that’s longer than a year. Actually, six months
sounds perfect, depending on the place. Right now, being in Rome feels right. I
can happily stay there until the summer. Then I’m planning a big
Europe trip. (Awheee!) However, I still don’t have a lot of money saved.
The money I earn always
gets eaten away by rabid adventures.
So let’s look at the “work + travel”
options:
- I could do more AUPAIR, but something tells me I’m over that.
- I can find a volunteering position that pays for the basics.
- I can teach English! Hmm, does that mean I need a certificate?!
- I can look into house-sitting. No idea where to start.
- I can be a travel blogger/writer/photographer. Yeah… maybe in a few years.
- I can go on a cruise ship! Noooooooo. I get sick in the car, let alone a big-ass ship.
*If you’ve done any of those, please
share your experiences and resources. TY!
By
the way, I met an Asian girl in Rome, who was CouchSurfing her way through
a lot of places (hey, I’m still waiting for those CS stories!), and she told me
that there was a site designed to help people travel by connecting travelers to
people who needed some work done. So, for example, you’d spend a couple of
months at a farm for free, but you’d need to work a little to “pay” for rent. That way, you’ve time to explore but you don’t worry about going
broke. It’s like an extended version of CS and a more varied version
of AUPAIR. Unfortunately, I lost the piece of paper where the name was written AND she didn’t give me her correct email! Darn those CouchSurfers. If
you happen to know the name of that site, for the love of travel,
gimme!
And now let’s look at some other
things I can do to sponsor my travels:
- I can do more freelance gigs: writing, editing, blogging, social media. But that takes a lot of time, savvy, and energy. I like to reserve those for my own projects and crazy campaigns.
- I can start selling something. Let’s see… I did some research back in the day and it turns out you can sell a kidney, some lung, an eyeball, a ghost, and your soul. Yeah… no.
- I can self-publish! But it’s going to take me ages to turn profit. And the book is not finished yet.
- I can offer services! Umm, I’m not a professional anything, so what gives?
Selling my body is not an option. Neither is taking part in medical trials.- I can play the lottery more often. That’ll do the trick. /sarcasm
See? I told you there were tons of
options! Question is: which one fits 2013.
Right now I’m thinking about
volunteering/house-sitting/teaching. Maybe all at once, lol.
And by the way, it goes without
saying but if you’ve done any of the above things successfully, I wouldn’t mind
featuring you on my blog. Mainly because one of my resolutions is to make my
blog pretty and full of inspiration and kick-ass success stories! For more
information, read this recent post.
P.S. Aren’t you so glad the world didn’t end? We get to make plans for the epic 2013!
