Tuesday, March 20, 2007

Survey Time


I (we) have decided that the "meeting Bruce and getting married within two weeks" is a story best left for May 18th - our eight year anniversary.

So, today I want your ideas, opinions and thoughts on something - however outrageous and outlandish they might be... (Perhaps knowing my audience I shouldn't encourage you TOO much.... but what the heck!!)

To set up the scenario:

You already know we have finally sold the house. And now we still have to decide which way we're headed. The options on the table include spending a few months in NZ to see and experience it together and then;
1) allowing a decision about moving there to come to us, and possibly shipping our belongings there
2) returning to the US and buying an RV and touring the country while doing odd jobs on the road - for however long it moves us to do so before settling down again.
3) moving on to Finland...

Any given day one or another of those options has both of our votes. But that's the fun of what we're doing. We are free to decide.

So - here is the question I am posing to you:

What kind of work could I do on the road if Bruce and I were to go with the RV scenario? And before you suggest I become a mobile (no pun intended) auto mechanic or a Mary Kay Representative, let me give you the basics...:

- I hate sales. I would become an auto mechanic first before considering sales
- I am good with people
- I LLOVE animals
- and nature
- I am not scared of public speaking - in fact, I enjoy it
- I have a BFA with a major in Interior Design, although I never did a day of paid design work
- I am an MSW and a Florida licensed clinical social worker and a hypnotherapist (I see I am opening myself up for a roadshow here....!)
- I like working with teens and kids in general
- I am not afraid of physical labor
- I love adventurous (maybe bordering on "a little dangerous"?) stuff
- I have some experience with horses, ropes courses, expressive arts, martial arts, kayaking...
- I am a trained Static Line Skydiving Instructor
- I get bored with monotony
- I am good at office work but would rather avoid it
- My Myers-Briggs type is INTJ - although I feel more like an INFP at times...
- I would consider getting some amount of training, if the idea was worth it. (I am kicking myself for not having attended massage school!!)

OK - it's your turn. What should I be when I grow up take on the open road? I can't wait to hear!!!

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

I am SOOOOO blessed you're my wife!!!!! You're amazing! Will you marry me??? Wait, you already are!!! What a dream this is!!!!!

SzélsőFa said...

I don't see many restrictive features on your list, except perhaps that you don't cope well with monotony, but provided that you're no the move that won't occur really much, I assume...
So, I'm not much of a help here...
but an annoyance for I don't know what an RV is?

Tia said...

Szelsöfa,

RV stands for Recreational Vehicle, also known as a Caravan or a camper. =)

Tia

SzélsőFa said...

Ah the Caravan...Thanks!

Catherine said...

What about being a WWOOFer (stands for "Willing Workers on Organic Farms"). If you do a google search you may find some opportunities. I don't think there' smuch money in it though, more like "work for board". And it might not go well with "bored with monotony"

Anonymous said...

Wow, you have a lot of experiences to draw on.

Paul Arden said (in Whatever you think, think the Opposite) "the safe decision has danger written all over it".

But then we got a quagmire of a paradox. If the safe decision is to do something off the wall, would the dangerous thing then be to do that or something on the wall, if you follow me.

Busking? Adventure tours that come thru communities?

Jessica said...

What about National Park jobs, since you love animals and nature and aren't afraid of physical labor? Parks across the country would have different flora and fauna to keep it from getting monotonous. They also hire people seasonally for temp. positions.

http://www.nps.gov/personnel/

Jessica said...

By the way, on the NZ side of things, I know you have career options already, but you might like this site on NZ arts. It helps you keep up with arts event info all over NZ in addition to listing work and volunteer opportunities.

http://www.thebigidea.co.nz/

kunzang said...

Firstly, what a glorious photo that is. I love the glowing colour, the life, the hint of potential blossoming.
I like Jessica's NP idea....here's what came to my mind...mobile animal grooming, dog walking, CNA work (i bet that's available everywhere). What about pursuading a local newspaper/magazine - maybe in Finland?- to let you recount your travels. Bruce could do great pictures. May not be a lot of $ in it, but would surely be fun. Wilbert could make occasional star appearances!
Anyway, you have a varied wealth of talent to draw on.
Finally, thank you for your comment on my blog. I think the longing is the very same voice in all of us, that is the bond we share; how we respond to that voice will become the colour and texture of our lives. And although, for whatever reasons, my life and yours may look different, it is honouring the intention of goodness, in whatever language we choose, that will bring ultimate benefit to ourselves, and to the world.
I, too, am glad that in a way that only this century could offer, I have had the chance to connect with you and Bruce. By glimpsing the lives of others, and opening our minds to the joys and sufferings of life, we are offered the opportunity to contemplate, learn and grow.

kenju said...

I wish I had the talent to write an amusing comment that would take to account all of your many talents. Surely there are many things you could do.....I just can't think of any at the moment.

Bobealia... said...

You know how I feel about NZ...
Mr. Bo would vote for the RV for sure. He'd LOVE that idea. If you were to do that... I think you guys should start a podcast and website where Bruce would post documentary pictures and you guys should podcast about your experiences and then try to get paid to do it. The money is not great, but it's enough to get by I think. Look at Dawn and Drew for more...
I vote for Finland. But, what would Bruce do there?

Stephen Newton said...

Buy a video camera, movie-making software and record the journey day to day, honestly, religiously. It will help you know where you've been, where you are, and where you're headed.

keda said...

i like bo's idea.. you could also organise little seminars-classes couldn't you? in schools, colleges, community groups.

using your clinical social work degree, your interior design/art skills and your physical outdoorsy stuff. maybe even the hypnotherapist stuf.

you could easily come up with some arts and expression based program with bruce even and his art and photography background. and take it touring. if you have experience of working with children.. which i seem to remember you doing a while ago.

also writing and filming is a great idea. so as kunzang said is contacting papers or magazines etc in finland.

ooh it's so very exciting :)
you'll be great whatever you do and wherever you do it. i have no doubt. because you'll be together. and you are so very brilliant at that ;)

Sarah Jane said...

Oh I am so excited for you both! What adventures you will have.

I know a woman who "flogged" (as in whipped) business men for $5 a go and she made a killing at it. Yup, very funny stuff that. And since you hate sales, it would be kind of like getting your hatred of sales out on the business men that need a good whipping to feel better.

Teehee.
I couldn't help but throw that into the mix.

Seriously though, the podcast thing is smart. And you can do housesitting instead of an RV if you like and get random gigs that way. I'm on some website that matches housesitters with people around the world and get requests every day to stay in random places and look after their homes. Havent done it yet, but you sure could have fun with it.

Great to see you again!