I was never much of a photographer in high school or college. Even with the rise of Facebook and tagging, I wasn’t tempted to bring a camera to social outings and catch the photons from that sunrise to preserve for eternity on my hard drive. When I first started taking pictures abroad, I was in Japan and felt motivated to do so.

Sure, I was a rank amateur, but I suppose everyone goes through a photography phase in his life; I was lucky enough to wait on mine until I had journeyed to a country worthy of it. Japanese signs, temples, funny Engrish… all seemed laid before my camera lens, obligated to stay in place until I had captured their essence.

It was a slow process, simply lugging around the point-and-shoot my parents had bought me before I left the US and looking for something memorable to post on Facebook. Before long, though, I discovered I had quite the portfolio of hot springs, road signs, Japanese people, waterways, and bridges. Enough photos, I reasoned, to create a Flickr account and organize them for the world to see. When that portfolio expanded to Flickr’s free limit, I still felt like I had more shots out there, more to offer Internet readers.

It’s been a journey, like everything else in my life has been. I’ve used equipment most professional photographers would consider inferior, even stupid. But I don’t care, because at the time it all came down to capturing the beauty of the moment, through any means necessary. When I did finally invest in a Canon G10, I didn’t have it for more than a few months before it was stolen in New York City. Just like any other setback, it took me a while to recover, and my photos (or lack thereof) definitely showed it.

People did start to take notice. A publisher contacted me regarding one of the pictures I had taken of the Shimanami Bridges in Japan. The architect of that bridge had died and he wanted to use my shot from an adventure weekend as part of a look back on his life in England. Of course, I agreed.

It should be no secret to anyone who’s been reading Once A Traveler that when I came to Korea, I was pretty burnt out on life. No desire for pictures or crazy trips, just getting through the day with a little bit of money in my pocket. Still, I couldn’t help but snap a few funny shots with a weak Canon while walking around Uljin.

Even these, some of the most casual and unprofessional photos I’ve even taken, got the attention of a publisher at Penguin Books:

I hope you won’t mind me getting in touch but I am an editor at Penguin books and I am publishing a book of the World’s Best Restaurant & Bar Names. It will be light hearted and fun and we would love to include your photo of Pizza Thinking in our book.

You never know who’s out there. As travelers to a new land, we see things with wide eyes at first, but after weeks or months when we fall into a routine and stop looking at our world with the eyes of a child, we forget just how amazing it is to be where we are. We may forget, but those cooped up at home in their cubicles longing for escape certainly don’t.

That’s what I need to remember about living my life in San Francisco. Everything I see is unique to me, to my perspective. Everywhere I run at the time I run can’t be repeated by any runner, even Dean Karnazes. Only I can tell you what I see, what I feel, and why. I want to share my perspective. I’m sorry if I ever forgot that.

It’s only been six weeks since I took that flight from Incheon, and already my world is established. I have a job (well, series of jobs, anyway), a girlfriend, a place to stay, food in the fridge, money in the bank. I’d be lying if I said things are exactly the way I wanted them to be, but things aren’t that bad. Not that they started out that way…

Let’s go back to the beginning. A ten-hour flight between Korea and San Francisco. With the inflight entertainment system broken. I’ve said it before, but travel just seems impossibly easy at times; it’s still so inconceivable to me that I could leave what had become my home for fourteen months and fly across the world in less than a day, to a place where residents know nothing about that world or the people in it. Americans just see strange writing where I see hangul. I hear Japanese, Chinese, and Korean where some just hear gibberish. My world and my experience have grown. And there’s nothing wrong with that, but, in a way, it makes me feel as though I stand out (figuratively, not literally) more in the US than I ever did in Korea (literally, not figuratively); I’ve been to Asia. I’ve seen life on a Buddhist monastery. I’ve traveled places friends couldn’t find even if they Googled their eyes out.

Stateside, people just been getting on with their lives: making money, building bonds, getting distracted by media and consumerism. It’s pretty much as I imagined it to be during my idle time in Uljin, but it’s quite another thing to experience it firsthand. Stores are so massive over here, even compared to the largest E-Mart or Lotte Department Store. The selection is incredible, almost wasteful. I remember seeing a few bags of Pepperidge Farm cookies in my local Family Mart and feeling lucky they had been stocked that day. Now, I can just walk into any Walgreens and find twenty different kinds, spanning half an aisle.

Don’t get me wrong, I know I was pretty much connected to this consumerism even in Korea. The Internet provided access to everything I ever wanted or could conceivably want at the touch of a button. But there’s no substitute for seeing product in person: touching it, smelling it, being reminded of something by it, and finding out it’s on sale. “I didn’t know I wanted these two minutes ago, but now I desperately do!”

Trade-offs. That’s what it all comes down to. In Korea, I have financial security, healthcare, regular hours… but I also will eternally be the outsider, cut off from my American identity, removed from family. On the other hand, I have time to explore my passions. I can honestly say I felt more whole in Korea, as I had time to run, go to the gym, write (case in point; how long has it been since I updated this blog?), read, and keep up to date on the news. For some reason, those things just seem diluted over here, as if I left my interest in the land of the morning calm and the only way to regain it is to go back.

In the US, I have flexible hours, easy access to social circles, more delicious food than I care to eat, and even (recently) a companion. But it seems like everything over here is just at a faster pace than that I want to move. I’m constantly scouring the Internet looking for better opportunities. Every time I see an ad it’s like it takes up a significant amount of memory to compartmentalize and store for later; it’s possible the same thing would have happened if I had understood the subtleties of Korean advertising, but I doubt it. I just seem to constantly be moving and searching while standing still. Ironic, as I left a life of traveling around the world to feel frantic in one place.

I don’t know how things will work out. Right now, I’m living in a safe and clean but ultimately temporary place south of the city. I’m dating someone in Noe Valley. I’m working promotions with Nintendo. I’m still running like crazy. But I feel incomplete.

Anyone else returned to find themselves in the same bind?

Having just completed one year in Korea, I thought I’d give prospective expats an idea of how much one can pocket and live on in a year here. You hear stories all the time about how Korea is the country to go teach EFL if you want to make money, but has anyone actually run the numbers by you? Well, I will. No commentary. Just income and expenses. Rounded for your benefit, and given in KRW, South Korean Won. I also excluded my consistent monthly expenses: TV, 6600; Internet ~30000; prepaid phone, 10000; water 1-2000; insurance, 35000.

August
Arrive in Korea with 2000USD. Everyone should bring at least 1000USD, as your first salary might not be paid until 4-6 weeks after arrival. I arrived August 7th and was first paid September 15th.

September
Income:

• 2,100,00 (after taxes)

Expenses:

• Wired home: 1,300,000
• Power: 10,000
• Gas: 12,000
• Major Travel: Busan and Japan for Chuseok holiday week

October
Income:

• 2,100,000

Expenses:

• Wired home: 1,100,000
• Power: 10,000
• Gas: 20,000
• Major Travel: None

November
Income:

• 2,100,000

Expenses:

• Wired home: 800,000
• Power: 80,000 (heat lamp)
• Gas: 35,000
• Major Travel: Busan and Seoul (imported Thanksgiving dinner)

December
Income:

• 2,100,000

Expenses:

• Wired home: 1,000,000
• Power: 135,000 (heat lamp)
• Gas: 60,000 (began using floor heat, ondol)
• Major Travel: Busan (xmas party) and Seoul (New Year’s)

January
Income:

• 2,100,000

Expenses:

• Wired home: 0 (used for xmas gifts, food)
• Power: 35,000
• Gas: 180,000 (way too much floor heat)
• Major Travel: Daegu

February
Income:

• 2,100,000

Expenses:

• Wired home: 650,000
• Power: Unknown
• Gas: 270,000 (I must have been out of my mind, but I was warm)
• Major Travel: Seoul (Lunar New Year)

March
Income:

• 2,100,000

Expenses:

• Wired home: 950,000
• Power: 20,000
• Gas: 190,000 (still cold)
• Major Travel: Seoul

April
Income:

• 2,100,000

Expenses:

• Wired home: 900,000
• Power: 35,000
• Gas: 100,000
• Major Travel: Gyeongju, Seoul 2x
• Other: 300,000 for dental work

May
Income:

• 3,300,000 (took on morning adult classes)

Expenses:

• Wired home: 1,500,000
• Power: 0
• Gas: 40,000
• Major Travel: Busan and Japan

June
Income:

• 3,300,000

Expenses:

• Wired home: 1,500,000
• Power: 0
• Gas: 25,000
• Major Travel: Ulleungdo and Dokdo

July
Income:

• 3,300,000

Expenses:

• Wired home: 2,300,000
• Power: 0
• Gas: 35,000
• Major Travel: Boryeong Mud Festival

August
Income:

• 5,400,000 (end of year bonus)

Expenses:

• Wired home: 2,200,000
• Power: N/A
• Gas: N/A
• Major Travel: Seoul and Daegu
• Other: new DSLR, shoes

As you can see, my international travel for the past year has been limited to Japan; I didn’t even go home for Christmas. If you’re thinking I didn’t get out too much, you might be right, but I didn’t include travel to small towns near me when roundtrip transportation was less than 40,000 – this included quite a few cheap adventures. Obviously, there were other small expenses like visiting the doctor, getting a massage, and overpaying for EZ Shop food, but you can get a general idea of what one can pocket after a year in the country: ~14,000,000 (currently ~13,000USD). I never starved myself to save money, I felt comfortable, I went out, I lived. Want to try teaching English in Korea?

What’s been on my mind recently? Actually something I’m quite concerned about. Let me set the stage.

A new NongHyup Mart (농협마트) opened in my town of Bugu recently. For those living in Seoul, Busan, or really any sizable city, this may as well be insignificant. But let me assure you, in Uljin-gun, such an occasion is marked with banners across the city and promises of gifts to customers who spend a certain amount. Couple that with the attached Paris Baguette (파리바게뜨), a bakery which barely has a presence on the rural east coast, and you’ve got yourself a momentous occasion.

So of course I went there on opening day and received my gift coffee cup in exchange for 7,000 Won worth of cookies and cakes. I was walking out of the store when I passed by the opening committee table: a large group of smartly-dressed Korean men and women offering snacks and conversation (it was informal, but by walking over to them, you left yourself open to a sales pitch of sorts). I was not-so-well-dressed, sporting running shorts and a beat-up grey sweatshirt. And, considering my arms were full of groceries and my face determined to leave the scene, I have to question what happened next.

One of the men in full suits called me over in Korean to listen to them speak and perhaps have some fun. Indicating I was in a hurry, I kept walking towards my apartment and hoped he wouldn’t try to embarrass me and himself with a ridiculous attempt at broken English. Alas, it was not to be.

“Hello! Come here please!”

My heart sank, literally. I know I should be used to be called out from across streets, parking lots, crowded rooms, etc. after years in Asia, but moments that were once sources of amusement are now nothing more than infuriating. Worse still is how I am aware of their affect on me, yet I still let them anger me. Why would he embarrass me by speaking English and drawing everyone’s eyes on me? Can’t he see I’m in a hurry? Isn’t it obvious I’m not comfortable?

To add final insult to injury, when I brushed him off with my hand, everyone on the committee started giggling at the retreating waegook. I have to admit, when that laughter reached my ears, I felt like rounding back and just exploding on all of them. But what good would that do? They weren’t aware they had done anything to offend me, and probably assumed I was too stupid to understand they were trying to offer food and entertainment. Not so… I just didn’t feel it was worth the spectacle.

A series of events just like these have forced me to confront my feelings about living abroad for so long… well, four years, anyway. It’s unfair of me to assume strangers’ impressions of me will change just because I expect them to. How could they know I’ve lived in several Asian countries, and find that locals pointing and laughing at foreign faces is not only annoying, but degrading. Even more so when one person might say to himself or a friend: “Ooooh! 外人だ! 외국인! 老外! ฝรั่ง!”

Whereas newbies to Asia might take this in stride by simply enjoying their newfound celebrity status or laughing it off as just another part of being away from home, I’m just sick of it. I don’t like the fact that I’m sick of it, but I can’t see any way I would once again appreciate a random man trying to call even more attention to the fact that I’m not from around here and I do things differently; I do that pretty well on my own. This got me to thinking what happens to those who stay in the ESL business of Asia, marry locals, and become true lifers abroad. I’ll grant you, it’s not a bad life: steady salary, foreign culture, hot girlfriend (well, maybe). But after years upon years? It wears you down.

Part of the reason I left Japan was that I could never see a light at the end of this tunnel. My Japanese skills were still subpar and there was plenty more of the culture for me to learn, but I found I wasn’t treated any differently from Japanese friends, coworkers, and especially on the street following this knowledge. More to the point, I just couldn’t imagine even given twenty years in the country that this would change. I would always be mistaken for a teacher, assumed I was an English speaker, and gawked at for speaking the simplest Japanese in situations that should come to no surprise I could do, i.e. ordering at a restaurant, riding the train, buying food.

My time in Korea and Asia is coming to a close. Although I can’t guarantee anything, my current plan is to leave in August and not come back on any kind of semi-permanent basis. I’m worried about what would happen to my perspective if I let this resentment grow; it’s already evolved from euphoria to amusement, amusement to annoyance. If I stay, it may very well lead to full-on hate, and I don’t want that to happen. I came across a blog some months back written by an American in Japan. He has been there for nine years, and you can see in his journals how his opinions on Japanese culture and the people have become more jaded and approaching bias over time. I know this is just one man’s story. But there are others: The Good and Bad Japan is also written by a lifer, but takes on a slightly more whimsical approach; the author has accepted his role as the gaijin, and, at least from what I can tell, doesn’t let it harm his perception. He’s upbeat.

I’m not sure I would be after that much time. Already I feel like giving up my fins and walking on land, any sacrifice to be where I feel I would belong. And it may not be in the US. But I can say for certain, it will not be over here.

My current boss, a legitimate businessman and a nice guy, has been cheated a number of times. He’s attributes this to his previous recruiting agency. One time a teacher stayed for three months, then said he couldn’t take it. Another time, and I find this to be the standard, a Canadian was recruited to teach for a year. He arrived in Seoul without incident, caught the bus all the way to the school… then once he was settled in the apartment, left without a word. The police were able to catch him on a bus back to Seoul, but plenty of times, the teachers just vanish. Immigration doesn’t always know to look for them on the way out, or they just stay here for a while.

Why are so many waygooks (foreigners in Korean) tempted to do this? Take advantage of a system which needs them to educate young people? It’s not limited to Korea: Japan, China, Thailand, probably South America and Africa too, but I can’t speak for those continents.

“Dax and Kieran Teaching English”, sixintheworld

1. A contract is a contract is sometimes a contract is sometimes not a contract

This is a business and you need to understand that you teach when we have students. That’s all. The contract was a mistake. Capish?

Then what is the value of the contract?

It is to get you your visa.
- Paul R. Friesen, An ESL Teacher’s Handbook For South Korea

So many innocent college graduates come over to Asia, thinking high pay and little responsibility. Some of them find a good school, a good manager by chance. Others discover they are “required” to work more hours than agreed upon in the contract, cannot take days off, and have strange expenses deducted from their salary. Why do they allow this to happen?

- They’re in a foreign place now, and too excited to argue with anything that happens. They don’t like what’s going on, but find that the benefits of being abroad outweigh little problems; it becomes black and white to them
- They don’t speak the language, and have little knowledge of the local laws; they don’t know if they even have legal precedent to challenge a contract dispute, and even if they did, it would require language skills far beyond those of even native speakers
- Teachers adapt to the “Asian mentality” of the culture, and decide to roll with the punches, just accept things as they are, don’t challenge the system. Most likely they’ve complained to other foreigners about their contracts, only to hear “that’s just the way it is”

I’m not saying employers are right to get all the work out of you that they can. However, there are better solutions than throwing a fit, creating so uncomfortable an work environment one feels he has to leave the country early. Ask teachers who have been successful in voicing them opinions on this matter. Research legal precedent, and see if you can use it as leverage. Depending on your manager, try to speak to them outside of the office over drinks; in many cultures, anything said while drinking is excusable, which is why many foreigners and locals alike in Asia choose to get hammered after work.

2. High gain, low risk

Simple math, in any kind of financial situation. If you’re dealing with a company willing to fly you over, sponsor your visa, and set you up in temporary housing, why stick around if you find working conditions less than ideal? I’m certainly not advocating it, just going over the logic others surely use to justify their actions. You’re in a foreign country on another’s dime, and it seems unlikely they’ll catch you if you flee. I’ve certainly never heard of someone being stopped at immigration or being extradited for bailing on an English-teaching contract.

3. Fear

Immaturity is more like it. Teaching English to little kids sounds so easy, so simple from far away in time and space, but any teacher will tell you: it’s the younger kids who are the most difficult, who need the most structure. In any culture. If you’re not terrified the first time you see those little eyes staring at you, expecting you to take point, there’s something wrong with your teaching style. You will screw up. You will get frustrated. Some just can’t handle it, so they bail.

Even if the job is going relatively well, there’s still the issue of being a stranger in a strange land. You’re living over here, not just visiting, and after a few months, it stops feeling like a vacation and turns into your life. Maybe it’s not what you want it to be.

4. Money

In general, teachers get about 2000USD a month in Japan, Korea, Thailand, and Taiwan. About half of that in China and Thailand. Plenty to live on comfortably in your country of choice, but what if something goes wrong?

Again, it comes back to the contract. Teachers being “asked” to work overtime, and not being paid for it. Late paychecks. Deductions for bad behavior (at the discretion of the employer). If your boss says “sorry, we can’t pay you this month”, what are you supposed to do? Who do you tell? The police? File a lawsuit? The company knows its power, and knows your dependence on them. They know you’ll have little choice but to cave to their demands. Some just take themselves out of the equation.

5. It’s the individual

I read a work of fiction called Experience Preferred, But Not Required on teaching English in Thailand. In it, the author suggests there are a few specific types of individuals who choose to teach English abroad:

The malcontent
He’s gotten frustrated about being locked into a contract in a foreign country early on, and everything just fuels his anger, which he doesn’t hesitate to show to locals, foreigners, and little kids.

The career-minded
Teaching is the first step. Now that he’s in Asia, he’ll be learning the language and applying to different companies.

The adventurer
Teaching is a means to an end. Spends his weekends climbing mountains and bedding the natives. Always looking to get out of the apartment.

The teacher
Yep, there’s just one type. Someone who wants to teach just for the sake of teaching. He or she makes lesson plans. Cares about students’ progress. Puts his or her own money into supplies and props. Has no problem coming in early, working late, or being called on days off. This is the one employers should be able to find, but I doubt they do for more than 1 in 10 applicants.

The list goes on, but the point is, everyone has their own reasons for wanting to live and work abroad. With as many people that do apply, you would think recruiters could actually do some screening. I’m the adventurer. I teach as a means to an end (namely, to get into the country), and my boss really doesn’t have a problem with that, as long as I do an adequate job. I’m hardly extending myself.

For someone career-minded, I could completely understand them bailing as soon as they found something better. The malcontent should never have made it past the first interview… but they do, somehow.

6. No security

The sword cuts both ways. Employers know they have a long list of teachers waiting to come in, not including English speakers in-country who would be willing to substitute while a new instructor is found. They can fire you with a day or a week’s notice (check your contract!), and bring in the second string. By the same token, you can quit and just vanish. Both parties know this, and when tension or fear arises, both consider just how much they’re willing to put up with.

Let me bring you up to speed with the timeline, shall I?

Dec 2009: Leave New Zealand for holiday cheer in the US
Jan to Apr 2010: Employed to promote conventions across the country. My supervisor was a bitter, evil shell of an old lady.
May to Jun 2010: Bounce around Philly, DC, NYC in the hopes of securing a job for the summer. Had one, it got cancelled at the last minute. Met a girl, caught up with friends. Good times.
Jun to Jul 2010: Waylaying in Dallas. Not much going on…

Which brings me to the issue for all of you considering freelance work: Craigslist gigs.

Photo by the author

Everyone is struggling for work right now. You know it. I know it. Even my travel friends, who are accustomed to long periods without steady pay, are feeling down, useless. I’m right along there with them. With an unemployment at – what, 12%? – it’s no wonder gigs are being scooped up by people willing to work for next to nothing.

Which brings me to Craigslist. For those of you who have followed me since the beginning, you are aware I survived on nothing but Craigslist Gigs from 2005 to 2006, my first year out of college. Moving, modeling, promoting, tutoring, selling, etc. It was an adventure, and I made a decent living. The site was still in it infancy then, and although you had to be on the ball to grab gigs when they were posted, it wasn’t impossible to get work. In most cases, individuals posted looking for other individuals.

Not so anymore, with spam ads for gigs, even steady jobs cropping up on Craigslist sites around the world. Even for those ads that are legitimate, the posters are… well… ignorant is a kind way to put it. Let me give you a few examples:

This is not a paying gig, but should be lots of fun for anyone thats shows up!!!

I am looking for help moving some items onsite. I also have some material that needs to go to the dump, so if you have a truck, that’s even better. I can promise a minimum of 2 hours of work at $15 per hour. I will pay an extra amount for gas if the truck is used.

The last ad may sound the most reasonable to you, but it’s these in particular that I have a problem with. “Employers” listing jobs in remote areas (25+ miles from the CL city), offering 1-2 hours of work. Those photographers, event coordinators, calling for men and women to work “for the experience”. People just randomly posting in the gigs sections, stating how qualified they are to do absolutely anything… why do I suspect that many of them are women desperate enough to sell themselves for rent?

There’s just no respect for the people answering these ads; a few years ago, it used to be that if you posted something on Craigslist extremely last minute, you were grateful for the workers who paid attention to the site and responded in an intelligent email (i.e. correct grammar, listing your qualifications, contact info). Now, with Craigslist completely mainstream, employers expect to get someone, and they expect to get that someone as cheaply as possible.

You have to drive 30+ miles to get to me? Who cares? I’ll just respond to the next guy; he’ll drive!

I know I promised you 10 hours of work, but we finished in 6; here’s your $40. Now beat it.

How many people do you think respond to someone who needs nothing more than an extra set of hands? 50 in five minutes? 200 inside of an hour? And that’s probably a conservative estimate. With so many scrambling for any jobs that come their way, CL listers must feel like gods, able to decide who to take on nothing more than a whim: I’ve had some telling me they thought my name was sketchy, others who didn’t want to call my Austin-area code cell phone… wow.

I don’t know how to turn back the clock and get these employers to understand they should treat workers who reply on CL the same as those they hire with an I9 and W2. If labor was cheap before, it’s almost free now. In fact, that’s probably the next step in the evolution of Craigslist Gigs: “Work today for free and we’ll see what you got; if it works out, we’ll take you on full time.” But if it doesn’t work out??? Hey, they’ve got 300 guys’ emails… might as well just hire free labor for the rest of the year. I’ve actually seen this done with a Photoshop gig: “I’ve got 50 pictures that need to be digitally altered. Show me you can do it with 2 and I’ll assess your ability.” 25 replies, that’s all he needs. Sick.

I’ll try to blog more regularly from now on, but with my deadly sin barometer creeping from gluttony to sloth, I can’t promise anything. One thing is certain: South Korea, August 7th.

- Talked to two models, who happened to enjoy late night blackjack almost as much as me (one of whom posed for Playboy).
- Had a meaningful discussion with Chuck Yeager, the man to first break the sound barrier
- Watched Tom Selleck buy an Alaskan hunting knife, while his bodyguards warded off potential photographers
- Woke up to snowy morning runs
- Worked 12-hour shifts for five days with no breaks for lunch… or anything else
- Got paid a considerable amount, with lodging, meals, and travel included in expense

“Sands Convention Center @ CES 2008″, TigerDirect.com

How exactly did this happen? Well, as many of you know, I am now back stateside after my travels in New Zealand looking for work. I was staying with the family for a few days after the holidays ended, doing my typical web searches in favor of writing travel articles for Vagabondish, Matador, and Iloho (yeah, I really should play catchup; I have about ten unfinished files just sitting on my desktop): Craigslist gigs in Dallas, Craigslist jobs in Austin, and Gaijinpot jobs in Japan. The usual gigs popped up: tutoring opportunities, moving jobs, and one ad written in all caps, requesting labor to help set up a booth at the Dallas Safari Club convention. Surprisingly, there was no email address, just a contact number. Half expecting it to be a scam, I called the number on Skype, left a message, and didn’t hear from them for a week.

Long story short, I was called the day before to pick someone up at the airport, set up a jewelry booth at the Dallas Convention Center, worked sales at the event for three days, broke down the booth, and was called to fly into LA, drive their supplies to Reno, and stay in a casino hotel for a week for one of the biggest conventions in the country, the Safari Club International.

Jobs like these, that allow one to travel from show to show, are not exactly rare, but usually restricted to certain kinds of people: women who are attractive enough to work as tradeshow models, the businesses themselves, and local talent (which usually means no traveling). The fact that I’ve been lucky enough to land a position and see the western US on someone else’s dime is pretty sweet, but I have to admit, I’m feeling that I’m working harder, not smarter…

The pay is decent ($1200 last show, about $15/hr with meals, lodging and gas included), but I was working incredibly hard and not moving around as much as I’d have liked. As strange as it sounds, I’d rather have a little less money for a lot more activity, so I don’t feel so full of pent up energy at the end of a workday. Running before and afterwards helps, but it’s just not enough. I bet I’m still gaining weight (enough to keep me out of the league of those Playboy models ), and to top it off, my boss is walking a fine line between obsessive and pure evil.

Still, these shows are an interesting choice for the traveler looking to rake in a little dough. As I’ve discovered, you can pocket a bit more if the company advances you for lodging and you choose to stay with Couchsurfers.

Off to Tucson for a big gem show, then back to Texas for a bit. Peace.

As always, my job search in the US begins (and usually ends) with Craigslist. This one ad caught me completely off guard, a seemingly perfect match:

Swim with the dolphins. Cliff dive in Costa Rica. See the Great Wall of China. Zipline through the Amazon. Taste kiwi in New Zealand. See the Glaciers of Alaska. You no longer have to sit in a cubicle at work and stare at a computer screen to see pictures of exotic places. Come play with us and make a living, well… living.

A FEW REQUIREMENTS:
If $750,000 in annual income after two years sounds “unrealistic”, this is not the company for you. If you do not like hard work and lack a desire to help people or sense of humor, our company is not for you. If you know you can sell like nobody’s business, are well-liked by others, want to retire earlier and travel to earn a living, we want to hear from you.

Sounds great, right? A chance to work in a moderately stable position, earn money, and stay in the travel industry.

Maybe it was my ignorance in sales. Maybe I’ve just been out of the working world for too long. Either way, I was not prepared for when I arrived at the designated interview time and place, sports coat snug on my shoulders, hiking boots on my feet instead of loafers, and arrived to a single man using the stereotypical 80′s sales voice and spouting rehearsed line after rehearsed line extolling the virtues of World Ventures.

At first glance, it all sounded pretty good: put in the hours, develop your sales’ skills, receive benefits including free travel. The only problem? World Ventures is nothing more than a glorified pyramid scheme. Ok, maybe not in the strictest sense: the income isn’t solely based on me getting friends and family to sign up for the same system and pay a fee, but also on selling travel packages. Still, the rep in Austin couldn’t have been a better salesman for such a lousy product, the whole time expressing the urgency of me signing up to sell for them ($100 one time fee plus $10/month… for ME to work). Even told me if I waited a few hours, it would be money lost. What a crock.

Here’s how this would have worked. Sign up. Pay money. Become an official representative of World Ventures. Now spend the rest of your days convincing others to sign up to be a part of the program. Let me be clear: not selling vacation deals. Getting others to sign up for the program.

Strike one for applying to travel jobs. I’ll be reporting on some conventions I’m working around the midwest soon. Stay tuned.