Sunday, December 28, 2008

To Do BEFORE Obtaining Real Responsibility

My first blog. .. ... .... .....

I need to see the world, my life was so easy here in Ocean Beach until I lost my job. I really liked that job so it hurt, it hurt like getting dumped after a long-term love affair. Rejection, and like before there isn't anything I can do about it. I move on, think about how to make it huge, life changing, drastic. I'll get back on track with "earning" and "contributing" once this is out of my system. I'm $20,000 in credit card debt, what's $25,000? I am certainly not wealthy.
But currently I don't have a wife, a mortgage or children. My assets are ever dwindling retirement plans, a 2004 Tacoma, a Hobie 16' catamaran and 2 motorcycles. (street & dirt) My rent is $420/month for a house four blocks from the beach.

A Brief Timeline: After High School I went to College in Vermont, partied & skiied (too much) and got kicked out of Norwich University for shoplifting from the school book store. The last 3 1/2 years I spent entirely at Mansfield University (summers included) where I also raged hard. (most of this has been revolving around rock climbing or touring with Phish)
Eventually I obtained a Bachelors in Communications and moved to North County, San Diego, where my Dad had a place. (with Danielle, serious girlfriend #2) We stayed there for 3 months and moved into the city.

After a year of temp and telemarketing jobs I started working in local television, at the bottom. PLUS SIDE: I spent the next seven years exploring the West. MINUS SIDE: Horrible part-time repetitive shifts of boredom mixed with monotony. Then a News Dept. started up and after some more ass kissing I became a Director and won a few Emmys. It was a good job, it changed everyday and there was a lot of energy & passion that came with the territory which gives a high sense of self-satisfaction. They paid me for it, OK, nothing spectacular but more than I deserved for the hours I put in. I worked for the WB, freelanced with FOX and then NBC. When NBC laid me off in December of '08 they gave me health & dental insurance till December 31st, 2009, a decent severance and now I get $18oo/month unemployment check, which covers my bills/rent.

Mobilization & Action: I live with my girlfriend, Dorothy, 5th serious in my life and probably the last. She's seen me through getting laid off two times & she's beautiful, very supportive & I love her, she's a school psychologist. She is a huge part of why I'm able to do this, I've trusted her with my "Power of Attorney" for unemployment paperwork & 401k upkeep.

I don't mind flying and am totally fine with extended amounts of time away from loved ones. (Absence makes the heart grow fonder :) Most people don't understand how I do it alone, but your never really alone, when I get tired of trying to speak to a Norwegian couple I find a computer & write a friend or something. I didn't like growing up ignorant in Montoursville so now I make up for it by learning about new cultures & their languages. Then of course there's the universal language... one can always find an Irish or English dude to drink with, there are a LOT of travelers out there staying in the same cheap hostels I am.

How I'll Do It:
Prior to losing my job I had no savings - I know this is cliche but you only live once, and it's only money. The one thing my parents did beat into my head was "Don't fuck up your credit!" - well I didn't, and I think now they may see how much it's empowered me to run with it - man I hope I can score an OK job in September :) It's that or bankruptcy.

So seriously, I'll go to Korea, Hong Kong, Macau, Thailand, Australia, New Zealand. Spend weeks in the desert, Climb Mount Rainier, Go to New Delhi & travel overland to Kathmandu for a trek to Everest Base Camp. We'll chill on the Outer Banks and maybe explore Central America or Alaska... once my girl has her summer off I'm not sure where we'll end up. I think that'll be good, I'll do it cheap, take a million pictures and come back -- money is the ruling factor of course, but at the end of Summer in San Diego there's usually work even if it's only temporary.

So that's my first blog, I never really felt compelled till my professional social life went the way of the dodo. Here's a link to Boniors Blog
http://www.audioseduction.blogspot.com/ if you like good music.