New York – a full month before Halloween!
Toronto
Chicago
What’s the wackiest Halloween decoration you’ve ever seen?
Browsing category: Uncategorized
The end of the road
“What happens when we go home? Do we just work till we die?”
(October 21, 2013, filed under Shit My Husband Says)
For the past six months, I’ve lived in a perpetual state of flux. I’ve never known what the week ahead will bring, let alone what lies in store for us the next day. I’ve gotten pretty comfortable with uncertainty, and now, it’s time to get used to routine again. To get up in the morning knowing, more or less, what to expect from the coming 24 hours.
I’m not unhappy about that. I could use some structure again. I want some of the conventional things that society dictates I should want, and I’m not ashamed to admit it: a steady income, a house of my own, maybe even a pet and kids someday.
What I don’t want is to sink into mundanity. The older you get, the faster the time seems to go, and I don’t want to lose precious weeks or days to a forgettable rote existence. I want to make memories, not just once a year, but throughout the year. A life that doesn’t warrant escape. One without the Monday blues. And I want this for both T and myself, with the knowledge that I’m much further along this path than he is, and that it’ll take work to craft that mutually happy existence.
If our priorities change, a few months or a few years from now, then maybe we could do this again. Work and save for a few years, travel for a while, then come home, rinse and repeat. Maybe we can craft a lifestyle where we work for 10 months a year and travel for 2. Or maybe we’ll choose the traditional middle-class route, and treasure the memory of the last six months like a precious stone, bringing it out every so often to admire, polish, and remind ourselves that once upon a time we were young and carefree with the whole world in front of us.
Work till we die, or work till we retire. Sound depressing? In a sense, it is … but it’s only a terrifying thought if we fail to make the most of life in between – in our careers, in our relationships, in our hobbies.
Monday motivation: Sarah @ Greesonbach Creative
Sadly, I didn’t get to meet my ballin’ blog buddy Sarah on the east coast last month. That said, she probably wouldn’t have the time anyway – she’s on fire with her new biz, an awesome company called Greesonbach Creative! I wanted to know all about it, and she was kind enough to indulge my curiosity.
Who are you and what makes you awesome?
I’m Sarah Greesonbach, CEO of Greesonbach Creative. What makes me awesome is my energy and enthusiasm for all things online writing and marketing. My slogan is that I help companies let their hard work shine online — because so often hard-working businesses don’t know how to translate that into a successful web presence.
Describe your work in three words?
Awesome internet words!
Who are your dream clients?
I love people who love to wake up in the morning. I’ve been very fortunate to work mostly with small businesses and startups, the people who are living their dream and looking for ways to accurately express themselves online.
How long have you been doing this?
My tango with words began as a nerdy ten year old, but I’ve been writing professionally for almost three years now. Two as an informal blogger, one as a marketing specialist, and a month and a half as a full-time writer.
How did you get into it?
I got into it by being laid off! I had been building my online “nest” so to speak for almost two years, and I had the itch to get out of the traditional 9-5 but not the legitimate need. Because who turns down a real job with a steady paycheck without a huge savings buffer and a fully-funded business plan?
What I’ve come to realize is that we’re all self-employed freelancers, it’s just that the majority of us only have one large, mean client (AKA the corporate job!). So now that I have several, small clients, I feel like a more flexible, more vested employee.
What have you learned along the way? Any surprises/learning curves/hurdles?
I’m not sure I can do it all justice… It’s been a self-respect learning curve, for sure, because once you realize you need to charge someone for talking to you on the phone, you sort of re-evaluate your life.
It’s a pleasant balance of being “in the zone” and helping companies do things that come naturally to me, while also finally being able to run my home and cook the food I need to stay healthy. We’ve rebuilt our budget based on what we have to pay for, what we need to pay for, and what we want to pay for, and I look forward to reaching a point where I can just stop working when I hit the right numbers. That has been a whole new kind of living, for my typically American workaholic self! I’ve never had the luxury, before, of thinking about what would be “enough.”
What are you proudest of accomplishing so far?
My proudest accomplishment was hitting my invoicing goal for October 31st. Not because it means I can pay my rent, necessarily, though that’s nice, too, it’s more about unleashing my desire for self-determination. When put in a potentially bad position, I rallied everything I had and I’m making it work. Tons of others are doing so, and tons more do so in traditional jobs, but for me this has been an excellent fit and a huge accomplishment. And oh, yeah: terrifying.
What’s one common thing you see people doing online that just makes you facepalm?
Not having one, or having one with all standard backgrounds and images. Having the blank egg and sky clouds background on Twitter is insane to me!
To everyone wondering how to fix it, just stick your company logo and call it a day. Head to your website, right click on your website’s logo, click “Copy image URL,” open that in a new page, save it to your computer, and load it as your Twitter and Facebook image. Please!
Overall, I have loved hearing the sighs of relief from prospective clients when they receive my email response explaining exactly what they need, how I can do it, and how little it will cost. Social media and strategic content are really important for technical things like SEO and developing leads, but also for the morale and branding of the company itself. My favorite part is that everything I do and everything I’m paid is really an investment in someone else’s dream — their business! So it’s a lot of good karma all around.
What is the first thing you do in the morning? And last thing at night?
First: Thank God for this opportunity. Last: Actually get excited about the next day’s work (like… seriously. Can’t sleep excited about everything in the works and all the potential in the world).
What’s your drug of choice (aka what fuels you? Coffee? Doughnuts? Midday margaritas?)
Being Paleo AIP, most food “drugs” really are drugs to me, though I’ve been a sucker for decaf coffee lately. My go-to treat is really good dark chocolate and a banana, or decaf black tea with coconut milk.
Wanna see more interviews like this? Or be interviewed yourself? Let me know!
Three career tips we can all learn from
By: GotCredit
A wee break from travel talk today….
The prospect of rejoining the real (working) world this month has me mulling over career, personal development, and other such big picture things.
Funnily enough, I happened to click into this Billfold interview with a digital analyst, which offers a ton of nuggets that all of us could learn from, regardless of industry. Here’s the three most important points I took away from it:
Know when to say yes … and when to quit
She says: “I call it punching above your weight class, and it happens when you keep showing up and enough people like what you do that they keep asking you to do it in more and more senior places. For a company, that’s what you want, because you have someone young and excited to do the work…and you don’t have to pay them much … And the truth of the matter is that if you punch above your weight class they’re never going to promote you to what you’re worth. Because they know they can throw you little bits. They will always get more out of you than you are being compensated for. It’s the way of the world. I’m not saying I have a problem with it. But it got me thinking about what I wanted to do.”
My takeaway: Say yes. Take on more responsibilities, more projects. Rack up as much experience as you can, and when you can no longer get ahead to where you want to be, move on and parlay that experience into a new and better job.
The 80/20 rule
She says: “My theory is that 20% of every job is shit. Not to say that you can only be 80% happy, but you will always have status meetings and timesheets and things that are not fun for you. But if, on four out of five days per week you aren’t doing things like that, that’s pretty good. So I tried to tell myself that on good days—when I started looking for a new job, I said to myself, “What did I do today that made me happy? How can I do that?”
My takeaway: I firmly believe that even ‘dream jobs’ have their mundanities, and thinking anything else is naive. It’s about overall balance; when you’re miserable more often than not, that’s when you need to reconsider.
You need a champion – not just a mentor
She says: “Ten months. I got promoted out of cycle, which was really amazing. My boss led it, and the moral of that story is to find someone who will fight for you. It’s the Sheryl Sandberg thing—you don’t just need mentors; you need champions as well. I had a boss who was getting on people’s cases, saying, “I want to hire this person.” “I want to promote this person.” “I want her to work on these projects. I don’t want her to have to work on these other things.” Chances are you’re not going to get that relationship, but look for it, and look for opportunities to turn a relationship into that sort of relationship. You’ll know it when you see it.”
My takeaway: Advice is one thing; someone who knows your capabilities, believes in your potential, and will go to bat for you is another. And this is why clicking with your boss is more important than I ever thought. I’ll never forget my first boss, who did exactly this for me, unprompted.
Wordless Wednesday: Falling for New England in full colour
Endless forests
the colour of sunsets and wine
blush through their leaves
New York, you are glorious
Residents of New York City, I envy you.
I’m not going to drop the “Oh, you’re so lucky to live here!” line. I understand that for most of you, it’s not a matter of luck; it’s a matter of hustling and sacrifice and trade-offs.
In another life, New York City would be the place for me. One where a less risk-averse version of myself would make the leap, like one of my high school friends recently did (with success! Unfortunately we couldn’t meet up while we were in town). That might sound strange considering I made the choice to travel for six months, but moving abroad with no job prospects is a heck of a lot scarier in my book.
There are no words that adequately describe this city. I felt so overwhelmingly lucky to be there every minute, from deli-hopping in Brooklyn to sushi in the East Village, to strolling Astoria, Chinatown, and the mad buzz that is Times Square.
I will remember New York in snippets: BBQ. Shake Shack. Food carts. Dumpling festival. Karaoke. The Highline. Central Park, complete with strains of Kings of Leon (playing Global Citizen Festival) and a softball game that nearly devolved into a fight.
Link love (Powered by tacos and red rocks)
Holla! In less than two weeks I’ll be home, a fact I can’t quite get my head around. I haven’t even begun to recap any of our American adventures!
In lieu, I offer you some choice reading material. You’re welcome.
Here is what it takes to live a truly offline life today (slightly off topic: I’ve been watching The Newsroom and Scandal on delay over this trip, and eerily, saw the government spying episode just as all the NSA stuff was happening, and Genova just as the Syria chemical weapon stuff was happening)
Geek in Heels ponders the concept that all parents screw up their kids in one way or another
I think most women would be lying if they didn’t wish they were a little more ‘beautiful’, so I adored this post on the conflict that comes with being a smart girl rather than a great beauty
Another post that really resonated with me is about outgrowing a passion. Like Rachel, when I was a teen music was such an integral part of my life, and I used to want to be a music writer myself
Penelope Trunk makes a few assertions about Asperger’s in this piece, but I can’t help but think her conclusion applies to most of us: find a life partner, and find a job
The best thing about getting older: curating your life, according to Live It Love It
Date a man who asks your opinion, says NYC Love Addict
In the same vein: date a female personal finance blogger, writes Cait
Nicole and Maggie want to know: do you miss anything from high school?
Landing Standing has a few top tips for booking short stay apartments when travelling
I nearly died laughing reading Asian Pear’s recounting of a few choice conversations with her parents
Ashley talks us through how to do stuff alone
Not everything you do for fun has to be turned into a business, as Leslie points out
What would you think if you met me for the first time? Berrak says odds are you might not like her all that much
As Her Every Cent Counts points out, it’s tricky to navigate the career waters when you don’t know who to turn to for personalised advice
Finally, you need to read this letter – it’s beautiful, and full of hope for the future, and oh so wise
Happy weekends!
The great US road trip: Oddities and observations so far
There are many things we love about the USA. Here’s a few off the top of my head:
- The low, low prices.
- Free drink refills.
- The vast variety of cuisines available.
- The fact that everyone speaks English (a relief after so long in Europe … though admittedly we’ve been totally stumped more than once in the South by the accents and been left staring blankly at the person addressing us).
- The customer service! It’s true: Kiwis are usually ridiculously passive and reluctant to speak up. Thank you Pear for salvaging T’s burrito situation in Toronto; remaining silent in dining out situations is just how we roll (see this blog and comment thread for proof) and we should probably work on that.
But there are some … oddities we’ve encountered, some of which are interesting quirks, and some we’re not so fond of.
Tyre pieces all over the highways
It all came together for us when we were driving directly behind a truck somewhere in southern Illinois. One of its back tyres popped and came flying in our direction. Luckily, we were able to change lanes and avoid the debris.
Petrol stations requiring you to enter your zip code
I have a freaking PIN number on my card. That should be enough authorisation. I can’t enter my NZ zip code as they’re only 4 digits, and entering 00000 doesn’t fly either.
Voting for a local traffic court judge
Yeah … this is a totally alien idea for us. It took me a little while to figure out what all the signs around New Orleans were for.
The prevalence of cheque cashing/payday loan outlets
The concept of being ‘unbanked’ is another incredibly alien one. I doubt you could exist in NZ without a bank account. All companies (to my knowledge) pay staff electronically, and usually that goes for freelancers too. The government also pays out benefits electronically.
ETA: Oddly enough, just as I was writing this post, we were watching New Girl – and it was the episode in which Nick, one of the great unbanked, goes to open up a bank account.
Taxes
I get that there are all sorts of problems that make it difficult/impossible to just list the final, tax-included price for items. But seriously, as a consumer, it’s a massive pain.
A Couchsurfing guest we had once expressed shock that we pay rent weekly (by and large) in NZ (and always electronically). That would never fly in the US, he said. It’s so inefficient. Well, to the untrained Kiwi eye, this tax bizzo is your equivalent inefficiency.
Tipping
Okay, it’s official: I hate tipping. I’ve always been of the mindset that waitstaff should just be paid a decent wage – but hey, I’m from New Zealand, and it’s a totally different culture. I know I praised the customer service up in my first paragraph, but the problem is when it goes too far. And too often, that’s exactly what happens. Tipping seems to have bred a uniquely overzealous type of server: either chirpily subservient, or the greasy schmooze. Both make me feel uncomfortable in different ways. Either way, it’s downright annoying being ‘checked on’ every five minutes.
Honestly, I’ve never had substandard service while eating out back home, even minus the tipping culture. What I WOULD support is tipping for better customer service over the phone – I would be down for that if it could be facilitated. (You know what I’m talking about – there’s nothing worse than having to call your internet/power/insurance company.)
Everything is crazy sweet
I used to have a heinous sweet tooth. A couple of days here quickly cured me of that. Now, I walk down the snack aisle and feel absolutely nothing as I cast my eye over the shelves. In fact, I feel … revulsion, almost. A month ago, I would have been all “OMG cookies with Reese’s pieces! Must buy three packs!” Now I would be perfectly happy to never consume another peanut butter cup, another sweet cereal, another Oreo. I couldn’t finish any single dessert item from our hotel buffet in Vegas last night, so you KNOW this shiz is serious. (Also, please. Stop sweetening your potato salad and coleslaw! I’m now scared to eat any creamy salads at all.)
Guidebooks and vaccinations – do you really need ’em?
Who needs them anyway?
By: Jimmy Harris
Guidebooks
Seriously, all of my travel research and planning has been done online. I compiled some must-sees and recommendations in Evernote before we departed, and referred back to them when we were in the corresponding country. On the road, the Triposo app has been a lifesaver. I download guides for each city in advance, so I can access them offline. Even offline, you can use the city maps, and it will pick up and track your location (you’ll never get lost). It pulls in information and ratings from sites like Wiki and Yelp, offering ideas for sightseeing, places to eat and stay, and background on each destination, as well as the latest exchange rates, weather, local phrasebook and current time. For big cities, it usually includes a metro map. For free.
The problem with guidebooks is that information can be out of date by the time they go to print. Places close down, move elsewhere, or get pricier and more mediocre through complacency. I’ve learned to always seek out the most recent reviews and details online. Too often, I’ve been disappointed by places touted as the ‘must dos’. Personal recommendations and Yelp have yielded better results, especially for hole-in-the-wall type establishments. I’m not saying that long waiting lines and bulging crowds are always a bad sign, but they’re not always a good one, either.
As it turns out, overplanning stresses me out. When I feel I have an enormous list of sights to see and restaurants to hit, I really can’t enjoy myself. I need to pick just a few priorities, and then leave myself room to wander, snap photos and be a sponge.
Vaccinations
I meant to get us both all our shots before leaving. I honestly did. I wasn’t worried about Europe or North America, but I was a bit concerned about south east Asia. Thing is, between wedding madness, moving madness, and winding up work madness, I left it to T to organise this (he has a family doctor and I don’t, which is something I need to sort out at some point). Before I knew it, we were less than two weeks out and at that point, I threw my hands up. We weren’t travelling off the beaten track, and the odds of getting malaria in the main cities were low.
We took a gamble, and made it through without any serious illness. I wouldn’t recommend this for everyone, but I am now on the side of those who reckon it’s up to you to weigh up whether the expense/hassle is worth it, based on where you’re travelling and your general state of health.
I’m curious: what’s your stance on either/both of the above?
RTW budget: What it costs to travel in the UK/Western Europe
Aside from cities like Berlin and Athens, Europe was pricey. I was constantly asking myself, is this a YOLO purchase? Is it a big thing that is going to enrich our memories for years to come? Is it a small comfort that will make the heat and exhaustion today that much more bearable? Is it something forgettable that I would enter into our spending log and struggle to recall an hour later?
We had a few days under budget … and a lot more over. Which is not unexpected by any means, but it’s a little embarrassing to fess up to. We may be backpackers, but we are not hardcore. I would rather hustle harder to make more money than subsist on crackers and bananas (particularly in Italy! Oh, the food!) or miss out on certain experiences.
And while trains aren’t always the cheapest way to get around if you’re willing to plan ahead, having the flexibility to hop on and off with our Eurail passes has been fantastic. We can extend stays in places we like and move on when ready. Our Munich host kept suggesting we hitchhike around (and indeed we’ve met a lot of people who have the most amazing hitching stories) during our email exchanges, but once he saw us in person, he changed his tune. I can’t imagine anyone who would ever stop to pick up someone of T’s size.
You know I’m not a hardcore budgeter, so although I was all gung-ho about sticking to a strict daily cash allotment (envelope method, anyone?) that just did not happen. Not my style – never was and never will be.
As always, spending is for both of us in NZ dollars. Our priority was food – you might even say we had almost a mid-range food budget, so much did we spend on filling our bellies – whereas we skimped on accommodation where possible. Flights, insurance etc aren’t included (you can see how much we spent pre-departure here). I’ll be doing a monster budget breakdown at the end of the whole trip and will answer any questions you have then…
June
While most of June was spent in Vietnam, we also made our move from Asia to Europe, starting with a few lovely but expensive days in the UK.
Bangkok/London
June 20 – $157.04 (including Heathrow Connect train from Heathrow)
London
June 21 – $230.28 (including London Eye)
June 22 – $134.16
June 23 – $385.58 (including buying train tickets to Edinburgh)
June 24 – $42.25 (the day we actually took the train, saving on accommodation)
Edinburgh
June 25 – $150.38
June 26 – $160.19
June 27 – $130.16
Belgium
June 28 – $193.28 (including ridiculously expensive bus tickets from Charleroi airport)
Amsterdam
June 29 – $233.80 (accommodation was a killer – 80 euros for two in peak season)
June 30 – $217.81 (ditto)
July
July was a full month in Europe, and even with a free week (thanks to hosts and to volunteering) we still spent a whopping $4675.82. Splurges included a gondola ride in Venice, BMW hire in Munich, canyoning in Switzerland, and of course, a lot of delicious Italian food. Food made up the majority of our spending at 33 percent, followed by accommodation at 30 percent, transport at 17 percent and entertainment at 16 percent.
Berlin
July 1 – $92.14
July 2 – 109.68
July 3 – $42.15 (free accommodation through Hospitality Club)
July 4 – $43.09 (ditto)
Prague
July 5 – $69.12
July 6 – $131.47 (expensive accommodation on the 2nd night)
July 7 – $226.06 (simply because I allocated the purchase of Berlin-Prague bus tickets to this day, but I actually bought them a few days earlier)
Berlin
July 8 – $27.01 (again, free hosting)
Munich
July 9 – $82.88 (free accommodation through Hospitality Club)
July 10 – $23.83 (ditto)
July 11 – $0 (ditto)
July 12 – $344.15 (BMW rental)
July 13 – $238.38 (expensive accommodation in Munich)
July 14 – $5.82 (first day of Englischhausen volunteering in the Black Forest)
July 15 – $0
July 17 – $0
July 18 – $0
July 19 – $269.10 (expensive Munich accommodation, plus settling our drinks and wifi charges from Englischhausen)
Switzerland
July 20 – $241.90 (expensive Swiss hostel and expensive Swiss food)
July 21 – $202.98 (ditto)
July 22 – $512.83 (ditto, plus $300 for T’s canyoning trip)
Bologna
July 23 – $116.14
July 24 – $168.41 (including laundry)
July 25 – $142.46
July 26 – $112.11
Venice
July 27 – $427.57 (including $70 on train tickets and $150 on a gondola ride)
Rome
July 28 – $203.51 (glorious, glorious food)
July 29 – $156.24
Greece
July 30 – $132.78 (including bus to Rome airport and train from Athens airport)
July 31 $554.11 (including Acropolis tickets and 239 euros for ferry tickets to Santorini)
Booking.com
August
August was another full month in Europe, most of it in Italy, but a relatively frugal one. We spent $2423.68 although half of the month was spent volunteering on a farm. We could have spent less on food for sure, but who goes to Italy to NOT experience all its culinary delights? Food clocked in at 41 percent of spending, accommodation at 37 percent, transport at 14 percent and entertainment at 5 percent.
Athens
August 1 – $81.57
Santorini
August 2 – $202.33 (including quad rental, petrol)
August 3 $194.30 (ditto)
August 4 – $136.55 (including laundry)
August 5 – $124.08
Athens
August 6 – $102.48
Rome
August 7 – $146.07 (including bus transfer from airport)
August 8 – $160.84
August 9 – $132.94
Salerno
August 10 – $125.05 (including train tickets to Salerno)
August 11 – $172.54 (including ferry and bus tickets to/from Amalfi)
August 12 – $131.63 (including bus tickets to Naples)
Naples
August 13 – $92.50
August 14 – $115.54
August 15 – $135.59 (including Naples museum entry)
August 16 – $147.22
Cerveteri (where we stayed for free while working on the farm)
August 17 – $87.48 (including new plug adaptor, train tickets from Rome to Palidoro)
August 18 – $0
August 19- $0
August 20- $0
August 21- $0
August 22- $0
August 23 – $0
August 24 – $9.85 (beer)
August 25 – $0
August 26 – $0
August 27 – $0
August 28 – $50.88 (groceries)
August 29 – $0
August 30 – $0
August 31 – $73.86 (a night out on the town)
September
September took us from the farm to Paris and to Iceland.
Cerveteri
September 1 – $0
September 2 – $0
September 3 – $0
September 4 – $0
September 5 – $0
September 6 – $99.51 (a day trip to nearby Viterbo)
September 7 – $24.62 (T’s night out on the town)
Paris
September 10 – $151.97 – (including bus from the airport)
September 11 – $173.04 (including laundry)
September 12 – $106.03
September 13 – $102.61
September 14 – $113.20
September 15 – $112.45
September 16 – $66.05
September 17 – $117.38
London
September 18 – $211.02 (free accommodation with friends, but Eurostar tickets for two – total 77 pounds – pushed us over)
Iceland
September 19 – $226.17 (free accommodation through Couchsurfing, but car rental, petrol and food pushed us over)
September 20 – $162.89 (ditto)
September 21 – $159.29 (ditto)
All in all, that averages out to a daily total of $117 – which is actually a heck of a lot closer to $100 than I expected to get.
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