During my 9 weeks home, I dabbed in all types of work to add a little more gas to my traveling machine. The day after I got back, I decided to serve my country (the $17/hour was very appealing) and sign up to work as a U.S. Census Worker. That actually took much longer than I anticipated and I didn't start training until almost a month and a half after I applied. My first week back I also got a job teaching English at a private English college. First private lessons with an 8 year old girl and then a week teaching an academic class to a group of students with advanced English skills hailing from Japan and Korea. I also convinced my friend to allow me to serve alcohol at her bar (I even met a guy there which was fun!), waitressed at the restaurant and helped a friend out by selling flower leis at the neighboring Costco. I've never had so many jobs!
My other full time job (while I'm traveling) is helping people save on their medical expenses by telling them about AFLAC supplemental health insurance. I got involved representing AFLAC because I really feel that every business should offer this benefit to their employees; learning this first-hand after running our family business for 7 years, I saw the advantages of having such a program implemented from both the business owner's perspective and the employees. Not only was it employee funded (= free for employers), but it also helped employers and employees pay less taxes. More importantly, it helps to pay for those medical expenses at a pre-taxed rate. If you know of any businesses or individuals in Hawaii that wants to keep more money in their pockets while helping to pay for medical expenses that you would otherwise pay for out of pocket, please get in touch with me! By the way, I also passed my life insurance license just days before leaving so I am also licensed to sell life insurance as well as Long Term Care. If you know anyone who can benefit from having something like this, please don't hesitate to refer them to me!
Why the sudden undertaking of all these new jobs? I came to the shocking realization after traveling for almost 3 months that I no longer have a steady income. SURPRISE?! That's usually what happens when you're unemployed but I've worked ever since I was 14! So long are the days that my account would bounce back every two weeks, teetering around the same comfortable figure. So long are the days that if I wanted something, I'd buy it. Many times I'd have to ask myself 'is it worth it?' when I would go into McDonald's for our daily Census meetings and pass the order board. I'd always have to say 'no, not worth the calories and not the worth the $5 for the french fries and chicken Mcnuggets!' Of course I'd slip a few times but for the most part, I was motivated to save up for the bigger reward: more travel money!
So I was thinking of other ways to generate income, as small as it may be, and in an attempt to not sound too cheeky, I thought I would let people know that I am willing to send postcards from all of the places that I am traveling to. Of course, I would love to send them out to all of my loyal readers but as you know, there is no such thing as a free lunch...therefore, I am requesting a suggested donation of $5 for every postcard that you would like sent. This will cover the cost of sending the postcard (postcard + stamp) and a little extra money ($1) to go toward my next meal. Half jokingly, half serious, I put up a ‘donate’ link that dead center of my blog! (Don't tell me you didn't see it because I strategically placed it for all to see!) I thought putting this up there would help facilitate the process though I hadn't explicitly commented on my secret move as I had so may other things to write about then to beg for money. Anyway, no pressure but the button is there if you wanted a postcard...Please keep in mind though that paypal does take a cut, so if you prefer to send me your donation directly, please let me know and I will happily give you my details!
So despite not soliciting my new add-on feature, the other day, my good friend Courtney, being as smart as she is put 2 + 2 together and figured it out. Her wish? She wanted me to do something fun and think of her on behalf of her and her family. How incredible is that? When I first found out, I actually couldn’t believe it?! Court had actually put in her donation several days before but I only found out the day AFTER I was walking across the world’s highest bungee jump bridge, rising at 216 m in the air. THANK GOD I didn’t get her donation notification sooner or else I would have had to jump!
Yes, I am not a charity case, I am able-bodied yet I have chosen to take time off and see the world and learn to live again so I am really not in a position to solicit donations from hard working people who have better ways to spend their money but it is truly a blessing to have generous supporters like Courtney. Believe it or not, writing takes me about 2-4 hours per entry! Yes, my own fault because I write about everything but connecting to the Internet also costs money. Doing activities to write about costs money, so does sleeping, eating, getting from point A to point B. For now, if there are any interested sponsors out there that want to sponsor my next activity, feel free to see how that ‘donate’ button works. I will dedicate the blog to you and profusely thank you for your kind donation in allowing me to experience something in a foreign land. Or, feel free to pass my blog out to your rich friends! Or even better, if you need life or supplemental Health Insurance, you know who to call!
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