I have an “opportunity” to make stripper money (low end stripper money, but still, stripper money) at a real job here in the city a few hours from where I live. It would be a job doing something I enjoy and am pretty good at, but still. A job. Being told what to do. Having a schedule. Being told how to do something that is important to me, and perhaps having my values dictated by an agency.
Still, it would be steady money, probably fun, and I could work one week on, one week off, and pay the land off in under a year. I think, perhaps naively, that the job is mine if I apply. I am overqualified (it blows my mind that in the impovershed area I lived in in PA, a job like this would require a college degree and pay like $7/hour, where here in Alaska they can’t find people with degrees and pay more than double).
If I’m going to apply, I have to stay in town instead of going home tonight and apply tomorrow morning.
My other options are to drive like a day south and work for an indefinite amount of time to make an indefinite amount of money in Alaska.
Or, drive down to the midwest and work about a month (maybe more, maybe less) to pay the bills and have the living on money for the rest of the winter.
Or, drive down to the midwest and work at least three months, although realistically there is a law of diminishing returns and it takes me more like four months to work three months, and pay off the land completely.
Or, stay in my cabin out in the woods and try doing phone sex and making websites for money and hope it works.
Gah. Should I go home tonight or stay and apply?
Where do you want to BE? Do you want to be on your land all winter long? how important is it to pay it off sooner rather than later??
Congrats by the way! Can I come visit sometime?! Got u some usnea by the way!
I’d give the application a shot. Usually when I’m in that kind of situation, I figure if it’s meant to be, I’ll get it, and if not, I won’t. For a regular job, the schedule sound great and in the best case you’d have fun, be able to work on your place, and get some steady cash to pay it off. If you decide it’s not for you, you can quit and pursue one of the other options you mentioned.
How fast do you want to be out of debt?
I have the feeling that you won’t be as happy being tied to one location for a year. Even doing the 1 month idea would be more your style.
On a related note, are you still fixing up the new van or was that pushed aside with the chance to own land?
Steelheart
I suppose you could always take the job and then stay in the cabin as long as you can stand not traveling. You could always work for a month and then take off for a few months and work on the road.
Personally I dont see any rush to pay the land off, so why not do what makes you the happiest and as long as you can make the payments, it shouldn’t matter when its going to be paid off.
I’d try for the job.
You can apply for the job, but decline to accept it if you change your mind or something better comes up.
I don’t know if this is the kind of job you could get out from underneath in two weeks, or how close you are to the boss-people, or how much you’d like the work.
As for websites and phonesex, don’t bother. Those services are a dime a dozen already, and getting close to literally being a dime a dozen this day and age.
“Hands on” work has more financial security (but less of the other kind) and a far higher return. Also, you’re experienced with working in the flesh, and young enough to make bank on that right now, youth does not last.
Has that “topless housecleaning” row blown over yet? That sounded pretty decent and I’m sure you can find a cheap “driver” up north.
Debt is a burden, I know too well. With the economy going down the tube, getting out of debt will become more difficult as time passes. If you have the discipline and good connection to work from home, you could have the best of both worlds – earn good money and be in your cabin, not to mention work to your schedule. With (A)DSL/broadband (not sure what you call it in America) you can also do webcam. Making websites takes a lot of time and work before you can hope to make any money. It is much easier to do it through an established agency type website like niteflirt.comwho have the billing setup and the traffic. Your own website can be developed side-by-side.
There’s nothing wrong with applying, and everything right. It puts your fish hook into the stream of life, and if you catch the job and don’t want it you can throw it back. Or use the application to network and develop your other ideas. I’ll bet you’ve got a few. >^;^<
If you worked every week for 26 weeks, can you pay off the land that way, too? Heck, winter is coming. What’s six months of nesting and canning compared to a year of wandering away from your dream?
If you get the day job, it can be helpful in years to come when you are ready to transition out of stripping. In addition to paying some bills and giving you a different routine & different perspective for awhile, it will look good on a resume.
Not that you’ll need a resume, but, like your college education, it wouldn’t hurt.
I think it is wise to kill off the debt if you are able to with a few months work. Then there is just the focus on living and having a choice on how to do it maybe with no need to work any job.
hey there been a long time since I stopped by this way.
you always seem so happy when you are out and about on the road,
why not do the job and if you tire of it be off on your vagabond ways….
your blog is awesome, i love it, and congrats on the land and how well you are going on with it all.
From what I’ve read, sounds like you have a good head on your shoulders and know what to do because you have experience on your side. So why ask us?
It’s your life, you make the choices, because you are the Captain of your own ship 🙂
Good luck in what ever you decide…