Bravo Smills!

(so there are actually others in the tri-state area who think like i do?)

quote:

Originally posted by quimby:
lucky, this is a very interesting thread. Your thoughts and questions are the same ones many women go through when they are going to have a baby. Having done both (RTW/given birth and left a great career to do it), I can say that for me, it was the right thing to do. I would have more regrets if I hadnt taken those risks.

quimby, it seems that there is more dilemmas for women and men when it comes to traveling , and most women still have a ‘baggage’: Family. And I think that’s basically why men dominate the traveling world. It is my idea to have the rtw trip this year and I really appreciate my husband’s support and encouragement. I do feel that if I don’t do it now, I will probably have to wait another 7 to 10 years (gotta have children before my good eggs run out :P ). Yeah, we are definitely on our way and we are happy and optimistic about the future after our return.

This is a great thread and is really hitting home at the moment. I have a great job! For me anyway. I've always done the dispensible job and travel lots thing (figured it out the other day and I've traveled more than I've worked, so that's cool) But now I have this job servering at an awesome restaurant making great money, avg. $231/7hrs, working with great peeps and having a good time doing it, great hours let me play outside every day and I eat amazing sushi all the time for free! Oh yeah, and I live just south of Yellowstone in the Tetons! So basically it's an amazing life! But I'm feel that I'm willing to give it up to travel. Once I have the money, I'm out. So the question now comes down to how much is enough? Back to the thread though...How did I come to this decesion? A life of unknowns is all too tempting. Right now I have a schedule, i know what each next day will bring, I don't like that. I want adventure, I want excitement, I want pure freedom! I want that feeling of the unknown, the chance to make spur of the moment decisions that effect my life, I want beauty, unhindered, spontaneous, newly realized beauty! Sights and sounds I've never seen! Tastes I've never imagined, friends within a short conversation. Life exposed!

Now just one more dilema. I'm a thinker, I've got good thoughts. Right now I have a great one. And I have the contacts to begin a serious pursuit of this company. This has a very good chance of becoming hugely succesful, making me and some others quite rich. And strangly enough, I almost don't want this. Maybe I could start this thing up, create a succesful biz and sell in just a matter of a few years and then be set for life. It sounds great, I can't imagine how this wouldn't be perfect, but I just described to ya'll what it is in life that really makes me feel alive and I just can't imagine having that same feeling if I were wealthy.

????

If you´ve a great idea that you believe in, that you have the backing to make work and the finances to secure a future then why not?. If you want to put in a couple of good years to just get this idea of yours established, then I say go for it. The world will wait for you. If, after your success in your venture is assured, pass it over to other employees perhaps and be a sleeping partner or just sell it lock stock (but hopefully without the smoking barrels).
Giving up everything is one thing but slapping a good thing in the face when it appears is another. Best of luck whichever you decide.

elv

quote:

Originally posted by travis:
But now I have this job servering at an awesome restaurant making great money, avg. $231/7hrs, working with great peeps and having a good time doing it, great hours let me play outside every day and I eat amazing sushi all the time for free!

Why did I work so hard in school getting two Masters degrees but just make about the same as you??? Maybe I will just tell my kids to wait table in the high-end restaurant when they grow up....

quote:

Originally posted by travis:

A life of unknowns is all too tempting. Right now I have a schedule, i know what each next day will bring, I don't like that. I want adventure, I want excitement, I want pure freedom!

I do think Money brings freedom in today's world. It is hard to deny it. The wage you are making ($273/7hr??) does bring you lots more freedom (i.e. planning the next trip) than those making $75/8hr day also waiting table in not-high-class restaurant, isn’t it? I waited tables in a Hong-Kongnese cafe 6 years ago, the owner gave me $5 a day, ($5 per day, not per hour!! and it is based on 8 hours work.) and the tip was pathetic, I only got about $ 20-25 in 8 hours and the owner wanted me to pay tax on it. Men, you are really in a good position, I would like to wait tables in your restaurant too.

[/QUOTE]

quote:

Originally posted by travis:
Now just one more dilema. I'm a thinker, I've got good thoughts. Right now I have a great one. And I have the contacts to begin a serious pursuit of this company. This has a very good chance of becoming hugely succesful, making me and some others quite rich. And strangly enough, I almost don't want this. Maybe I could start this thing up, create a succesful biz and sell in just a matter of a few years and then be set for life. It sounds great, I can't imagine how this wouldn't be perfect, but I just described to ya'll what it is in life that really makes me feel alive and I just can't imagine having that same feeling if I were wealthy.

Why avoid being wealthy if you have a chance? If this opportunity comes only once in a lifetime, why not grab it? You can still be the same person if you are rich, you are who you want to become.

Ahh what people do not know the horror money can bring to people. I have very rich friends in my life that I know, never once thought of them as friends for there money or how I could use them to get somewhere. And I can tell you without a doubt, it buys broken homes, destructive lives, health records that kill you, and a life that has no fullfillment at all but regrets and thats it. Its horrid and Ive seen the disease first hand. I will not work at this call center for long so that I could get my salery and possition past 100k, After I gain around 10k Im off, bye bye, and could care less looking back. In all honesty, you wont stop the job if money is your concern to be rich only, you will stop if you want to better yourself and others you care for at whatever the cost once fullfilled. Mine is bettering myself, you can never EVER have both, I'm convinced. Just ask the friends of mine who are druggies, dealers, on daddies little tab and have no way to stop. Talking to there dads its apparent they lost hope a long time ago of fullfilling themselves

I'm not convinced it has to be that way. If the 'disease' you're referring to is consumerism, combined with people making themselves so busy with doing stuff or having addictions so they don't have time to think about what exactly the point is of their life or what they're doing, then yes, lots of people follow that path. But if you're a person who starts out with the recognition that money does not equal meaning or happiness, then you aren't gonna get corrupted by it.

Yes, most people will continue changing their lifestyle as they make more money -- they'll eat out more often, they'll buy more stuff, they'll buy a bigger place, and as a result of the accumulating, will add more stressors to their life because they have more stuff to worry about (I have a friend who I observe doing this). Then they might do drugs or whatever because they're now unhappy with their life, etc etc, and know it's inherantly empty, and know it, but keep buying stuff. Cycle continues. But that is a path of choice, and having money does NOT mean it's inevitable you'll go that route.

Now, I'll *never* be 'rich' as I think it's being defined in this thread (let's say, over 100k), and I really don't care that I'll never be at that level. But I am making maybe 60% more than I started out with, 5 years ago, and guess what? My everyday life hasn't changed a bit. I budget, just like I did back when I was truly penny-pinching, and my everyday spending is basically what it was 5 years ago. What I AM able to do now is to travel comfortably, and without stressing about whether I can afford it or not.

Great post, Eowyn.

I also wonder, isn't traveling a form of consumerism? I mean, you are saving to buy tickets, lodging, etc. You need money to travel.

Anyway, I like security. Having a job means that I can put towards my savings and 401K, thus giving me the option to take off and travel if I'd like, and also making sure I have money to live off of should something happen to me. I don't mind working. I like getting paid to take time off.

When I was younger, I gave up my job to do some traveling. I don't regret it a bit. But I didn't like worrying about what I was coming back to. It was a good lesson for me.