Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with travel and work

City-Hopping in the USA and Europe

chbrown — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 19:58:48 -0800

I'm wanting to spend a month or so in each of some of the coolest cities of the USA/Europe. I've got a full-time work-from-anywhere-there's-wi-fi job that'll keep me going but still want to keep expenses down. Done something similar? What was your best way to find lodgings? I've got a stalwart car but definitely don't want to live out of it. I'm planning/hoping to get into grad school this fall, so the adventure will only last six or seven months.

If you have any advice on itineraries (San Francisco, Portland, Chicago, and Boston are on my list, but otherwise I'm looking for ideas), or ways to find lodging arrangements (house-sitting joints?), I'd love to hear it. Is the old craigslist the best way?

Especially if any US citizens have done this in Europe, I'd like to hear how you did it (I know a teensy bit of French).

Am I an jerk to consider quitting?

Anonymous — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 14:05:53 -0800

I'm lucky enough to have a job. Am I an jerk to consider quitting? I graduated from college last year, and was lucky enough to find a job in social justice as I had long hoped. I've struggled with being happy at this job for the half-year that I've been employed, for a few reasons: I had never done this type of work before, and am being trained through a system of constant constructive criticism, with little to no actual praise (which affects my confidence); my direct supervisor and I have difficulty communicating; I work very long hours and haven't been able to develop any meaningful balance between myself and my work, which wears me down. I believe intellectually in the work that I’m doing, but haven’t been able to summon the driving passion I have in other jobs.

On the one hand, I know I’m incredibly lucky to have a job I can believe in, especially considering the economy. On the other hand, I’ve been trying to find my footing at this job for half a year, with marginal success. Additionally, I just graduated from school, and my urge to travel, “find myself” (you know what I mean), and leave my hometown are making it hard for me to focus and commit to this work, which merits focus and commitment.

Other factors of note:
1) I’m a temporary employee, and my contract runs out in the next few months, at which point they may or may not offer me a full position.
2) I’ve been saving from all my paychecks, and have a few thousand dollars set aside to tide me over in an emergency.
3) I’ve dealt for years with seasonal depression, and the job intensity started building up as the weather got harder to deal with.
4) I’ve been working part-to-full-time ever since I was able to work, and I’ve always been responsible and hard-working. I’ve also always wanted to live abroad, and have never been able to do so because I’ve been supporting myself.

In this economy, in a job where I could potentially be happy, is it a bad idea for me to consider quitting? feetofhey@gmail.com, if you have questions or advice. Thank you.

Propitious places to move to & unusual living situations for having 3 or 4 days a week free to work on personal project

cotesdurhone — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 21:39:38 -0800

I'm working on a project that requires at least 3 or 4 full days attention each week. What are some places in the US or world I could move to, &/or unusual living situations, that would give me a good chance of doing this? Other considerations:

• Part-time job terminating Jan 1, and definitely want to move elsewhere (currently live in Boston)
• Have $5000 savings. Will probably also be able to continue receiving unemployment (about $1,000 month) if I move out of state (but not country, obviously)

• Age 30. US Citizen.
• Languages: English, Russian
• Skills: Writing and editing, visual art, Russian translation (but no graduate-level degrees to show this)
• BA from Liberal Arts college + semester (2 terms) at Oxford

Any and all reasonable options considered.

• Preferred urban environment: vibrant arts scene, inspiring architecture, not overrun with college students or sports fanatics, ethnically and age-ally diverse
• 'Ideal' destinations: Montreal, France
• Hypothetical order of preference: 1. Montreal & France (tie) 2. EU, Scandinavia, & Turkey 3. Eastern Europe 4. USA & Canada 5. South America 6. Asia 7. Australia/New Zealand 8. other

• Preferred rural environment: the more (interesting) people around, the better

• "unusual living situations" = housesitting - caretaking - living in some cabin - (earnest) meditative community - collective farm - kibbutz - teaching abroad - or anything else

• If it's helpful to know— the project is of a literary nature (a novel and other writings)

Finally, what are the very best resources (books, websites, magazines, etc) that might be of help?

How to learn from the world?

allymusiqua — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 02:25:44 -0800

Taking A Year Off. (yes, I realize it sounds like this.) I'm currently attending a prestigious university and I love it and I love all that I'm learning, but I don't know if an academic environment is truly where I belong. Currently in the early pre-developmental stages, taking a year off and traveling, working, interning or whatever-ing might be something that would benefit. Any personal experiences/advice?

Desire to Become a Travel Agent

VC Drake — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 10:57:16 -0800

I'm interested in becoming a travel agent. How do I become one and find a job? I have a Bachelor's degree and some graduate school and I'm in my 40s, so I'm experienced in the world of work. For some reason, I just have no idea how to break into this industry. Any ideas or reference websites for more information would be appreciated.

Travel Nurse in UK?

mrmarley — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 12:50:45 -0800

As a registered nurse for 2 years now in the U.S., I’m thinking about going to England for a temporary nursing job for a year. I’m looking at this company Continental Travel Nurse. Anyone familiar with this company or other reputable programs. What are the benefits or pitfalls of such programs?

American guy and British girl - how and where to work and travel together?

crayz — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 07:43:26 -0800

American guy and British girl - how and where to work and travel together? Looking for advice / tales of experience My girlfriend and I met while traveling but for the past few months have been living together in her home town in England. We'd now like to go out and see the world again. Ideally we'd like to spend 3-6 months in a given place, working and living there and exploring the nearby area, and then move somewhere new and repeat. We're open to most places where the temporary work/live situation would be profitable and the place is itself is interesting / located near other places of interest

Starting to do the job search now, a big problem seems to be that as a UK/EU citizen she can feasibly obtain work visas to quite a few more countries than I can. This isn't necessarily a problem - I still have savings left and can possibly make more money doing freelance work (I'm good with computers/web programming). However, many/most of the ideal temp jobs seem to involve working/living in the same place(e.g. ski lodge, water sports camp, etc.). The problem is I wouldn't be allowed to work(and therefore live) anywhere paying "above the table" because of the visa issue

She doesn't really want to spend all the time working bar jobs - so we're looking for a situation where she can do some sort of interesting/engaging but largely unskilled work(she has sales/administrative skills, but it seems unlikely to find relevant jobs that would want temp workers), and I can either live with her in cheap accommodations or "onsite" in provided lodging, working under the table or not working

Other than that, anywhere (reasonably safe) in the world is OK - we're doing this for the experience

Too much to ask in the midst of a global recession?

I miss recess

Anonymous — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 14:29:08 -0800

I'm fresh out of college, I have a job I love, and everything's going great. But it would be awesome if I could have more time off, because of a few reasons, and I can afford it... but does anyone do that? I'm making 'A' a month and spending almost a thousand bucks less than that paycheck. As odd as it is, at this point I could afford to support myself for a few months, maybe a year even, with savings, since I rarely spend and always work.

Everything's great, except I'm in a long-distance relationship (about 100 mile distance, with bus/car/train transportation in between) with an amazing girl who is leaving the country for three months, and then going to be in school for a year. So, going down for weekends is great, and I will do that as much as humanly possible, but I'd like weeks. I get 15 days of vacation time (how does that compare to other jobs in the web-field?), which I'm going to split between a few days before and a week or two during her trip to the other side of the world, in which I'm going to fly there too.

So, my situation is: I'd like to just say, could I take, say, another 10 days off of work, unpaid? I know this is a personal thing, but I'm wondering if it's so nonstandard and possibly annoying for the company that I shouldn't even bring it up? Has anyone does this and how does it work out?

More time would be so great, if I could take off fall/spring break or something, that would be so incredibly golden, and seriously, I could do it financially.

I guess this is related to the question 'why don't people work less when they earn more?,' which I also wonder about...

Is this worth checking out?

Bakuun — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 10:45:51 -0800

Does anyone have experience with SWAP? (It's a Canadian work-abroad program for students that my boyfriend is currently considering, particularly for acquiring a work visa in the USA.) I've found a thread on a forum mentioning that all SWAP does is basically lick the stamp for you, on official forms available elsewhere. Deflates the excitement balloon a bit, but then if they actually speed up the process somehow, that stamp licking could be worth it. Especially when getting a US work visa is quite the difficult affair otherwise.

As far as I understand it, the regular process would require you to have a sponsor/job lined up already, while SWAP makes the visa available with no such strings.

Hoping for some personal experiences!

I want to make money this year (and learn the guitar)

saul wright — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 15:09:28 -0800

I want to spend a year or so making money and practicing guitar...separately that is. How should I do it? I want to make some money to save for travel. I also want to learn the guitar (already in the process) I don't have much holding me down at the moment. I am currently in New York City but would (and I imagine would have to) move anywhere. I have a BA in Video and Media Arts.

Since I really enjoy travel (I just got back from a month in Asia) I thought of teaching English abroad but as someone with no teaching experience and minimal foreign language skills, can I get a job that will be worth it considering I don't think I want to be a teacher later in life?

I don't think the Peace corps is right for me because 27 months is too long and I don't think I'd like all the bureaucratic government stuff you have to do. While I like the idea of volunteer type things, I really need to be making money right now. The idea of a fire lookout is exciting but I don't think I am qualified for that.

Basically, I'm willing to go anywhere, do most anything, and I can live pretty cheaply. I just want to have a little time to practice guitar and and have a chunk of change in my pocket at the end so I can travel.

So what should I do?

How easy is it right now to go work in Germany with limited German language skills?

exquisite_deluxe — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 06:21:01 -0800

How realistic is it for me to go live and work in Germany six months from now, currently knowing little German? I'm considering applying for a one year working holiday visa for Germany, starting late 2009. I'm a Canadian who is currently doing the work/travel thing in New Zealand. My job experience is varied and includes web design, drafting, admin/reception, vineyard labour, and bakery assistance.

I'm about halfway through the German steps program on the BBC website. My German is pretty much limited to that, plus curse words learned from fellow travellers in New Zealand. :D

How feasible is it to go live and work in Germany, considering the current state of my German, my work experience, and the economic climate? If language is the biggest barrier, what could I do in six months to improve it to the necessary level? I'm especially interested in moving to Berlin.

How do I live with no current address? What do I ship and what do I donate?

ender6574 — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 00:45:24 -0800

How do I live with no current address? What do I ship and what do I donate? I was recently laid off, and I'm about to change my life entirely, by making it so that I don't have a permanent place to live. I'm 32 years old (single, no kids) and about to give up most of my material possessions and travel the country to visit friends and relatives until I find work; I think this will be cheaper than the rent on my apartment in Newport Beach, CA (that's Orange County, SoCal) and I haven't yet moved on to a "post-college" lifestyle of owning my own things and not being mobile. Everything I own needs to be sold, given away or shipped back to my parent's or brother's house. Help me with this. What is the cheapest way to ship things with no time limit, what should I get rid of (to buy new for cheaper at my final destination) what's the most effective way to sell things (I'm using Craigslist, so far (3 days)). Furthermore, despite the bad economy I think I can get a job (I work as a chemist) even now, that would be a backward career move, anytime I need it. I think I should wait for a good job in a good location, and take my severance, my tax return, and my ongoing unemployment money to travel the country and not pay rent until a better job comes along. Does this make sense?

And how do do I live responsibly with no current address?

I'm living in an apartment in a beach house on the Balboa Peninsula in CA. I got a one way ticket for my younger brother to fly out here from CO on 4-14-09, I've given notice that I'm vacating the apartment on or before 4-21-09. We'll drive up the Pacific coast to Seattle, possibly taking 2 days or so to stop by crater lake (reference the great answers to my previous question )

I've sold or don't mind giving away the big things (the surfboard has found a place, the TV has options, the futon I've been using for a bed can isn't worth much, the couch my old boss gave me can be left on the curb). The questions I have are with the other things: everything I own is either ship, toss, or fit into my small 2-door Saturn.

The camping / backpacking gear clearly makes the cut to take. The keep and ship side of things clearly includes family pictures, momentos, etc. The take in the limited space of the car load can include about two large totes in the trunk that will minimally contain my clothes, shoes, shaving bag, etc. We'll take enough water. I'm thinking that I'll take my DVD's and CD's out of their cases and put them into books and either take them with me or ship them like that. But I like to cook, what about my favorite skillet? My best knives of course come along. In the end the question is what to take with me, what to sell and what to ditch. Help?

I have some cookbooks that I use rarely, should I ship them or donate? I have multiple extension cords and plug/electrical stuff, I'm thinking curb it. I have some coffee table books, some of which were gifts, do I ship or donate?

Overall, the time it would take for me to fully calculate the cost analysis answer to the questions of what to ship and what to ditch among multiple items, of unknown weight, with unknown shipping costs (among multiple shippers) overwhelms me because it's too much to simply calculate. Should I lean towards ship or ditch?

Also, does my plan make sense? And how do I deal with mail? I plan to have it all forwarded to my parents address back in MI (they always check the mail) but what do I put on my resume? I'm thinking I'll leave it as my Newport Beach Address. I get Health Insurance until the end of April, then I'll COBRA, and I'm worried about the mail forwarding of the COBRA documents (I've moved a lot and the Postal Service mail forwarding works about as well as Ed McMahon's clearing house making me win, in my experience).

If I make my parents address be my permanent address and have them notify me, will that work? Can I make it so that I don't have an address at all, and only have a cell phone number? Even before now when I move I always wind up with crap on my credit report from people that never tried to "could't" find me for some stupid medical bill.

I'm rambling, question part 2 is how do you live responsibly with no current address?

I dont care if its minimum wage, I just want to do it where I want when I want.

baking soda — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 18:57:39 -0800

I want to find a type of work that I can do from my laptop while travelling, potentially indefinitely. Ideas for my new occupation? I realize that there are many jobs that I could technically ask the boss if I can telecommute but I am looking for something that was meant to be done remotely from the outset, and something that was never localized to any one company or geographical location.
I am willing to train for this but not so far as say getting all kinds of certification in different types of programming languages. I could see myself doing a medical transcription certification course for example. Something semi-skilled.
Some random ideas I have are the medical transcription idea above and other data entry monkey work, day trading, and......
There is also remote call center stuff and online tutoring but I think that may be sketchy trying to rely on voice predominantly when I am staying in random hostels.

Volunteer work in Kosovo

Grimble — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 17:39:44 -0800

I'm a law student, and I might have the opportunity to work, on a volunteer basis, for a political development program in Kosovo this summer. Is there anything I should be worried about? I find the work I would be doing absolutely fascinating, and I would be located in Pristina. Everything is organized through the law school and the selection process is quite rigorous, so there is no doubt that this is a fabulous opportunity. My parents, however, while recognizing how amazing this would be, aren't exactly thrilled. My father, who spent time in Kosovo, is quite worried about possible safety issues, especially since I'm a woman. I'm wondering whether someone who's from Kosovo, or has worked/traveled there can either shatter or substantiate those concerns and share any personal experiences. This is much appreciated!

New road warrior looking for the tricks of the trade.

wile e — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 01:24:53 -0800

New road warrior here! Looking for sites, blogs, toys etc that all you other road warriors use to help ease myself into this lifestyle. With my new position, I will be traveling around two weeks per month flying mostly. All international flights, so not many short runs. I know the usual jazz, drinks lots of water, get up and exercise every hour or two, etc etc. What I'm looking for are the tricks, the websites, the toys that make it easier.

Thanks to all who can offer any help!

Can I work in New Zealand for the summer in the recession?

SamuelBowman — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 01:33:39 -0800

Is it feasible to go to work in New Zealand for June-September period this year? If not, is it possible to go anywhere? I'm getting the itch to travel after I graduate from university this summer. I've never done any kind of work abroad so I'm apprehensive, especially given the times we live in. I'm from Ireland (if it's relevant) and I'd really like to go, with my girlfriend (this is a must), to New Zealand for the summer (well, it'll be winter there) and work. Is this possible at the moment, given the recession? I don't have enough money to pay for the trip beyond travel expenses etc, so if I can't work, I can't go.

I'm unskilled, but have worked quite a few different jobs and I'm willing to do practically anything. How do I find a short-term job on the other side of the world? WWOOFing sounds interesting, but I'm a little wary in case I end up in a Bart Simpson's French exchange situation. If you've done something like this, how was it?

I don't know enough about NZ to know whether South Island or Auckland (or wherever else) would be more interesting and fun, but I would love to see South Island (especially Fjordland) at some point during my time there. I'm also not 100% set on NZ, but I think it would be first in my list (and going somewhere outside North America/Europe is pretty essential). I don't speak anything except for English.

I can find things like visas, etc, out for myself, this is really about whether it's worth thinking about this at all. Would it be possible? Would it be worth it?

In short:
* I want to go somewhere amazing this June-September with my girlfriend. Preferrably not Europe or North America.
* We don't have much money, so we'll have to work, and we don't mind what we do. Working together is not essential, but living together is.
* It doesn't have to be New Zealand, but it would be pretty swell if it was.

I would love to hear thoughts, suggestions or experiences from anyone before I get my hopes up too high. This is my first question on Metafilter, if I've left something out just let me know!

Thanks in advance!

How to be a working nomad?

bodywithoutorgans — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 04:20:33 -0800

I am a recent college graduate and I also suffer a good deal of wanderlust. There is the inevitable problem of combining work and play. At my university, the only career advice I received was graduate school or working the traditional 9-5 job. I'm wondering if it's possible to travel and earn money? I'm not really interested in teaching English abroad, being an au-pair, and I've read this post. I'm more interested in the nebulous world of telecommuting and freelancing. I've seen this guy's page, but it sounds a little vague. I'd like to make money in a country where cost of living is low with a unique culture (Thailand, Guatemala, Kenya) but at the same time has access to steady internet so I can work.
Some specifics:
1) How does one break into the freelancing/telecommuting world? I know some webdesign (PHP/MySQL) and programming but often geared at an academic level for university classes. I don't have the faintest clue how to make money out of this! I have some down time right now where I'm picking up skills and making a portfolio. Any advice?
2) Will the stability of the internet connection be a factor? Will I need to have access to an internet cafe every day?
3) How are taxes worked out? Are there any books/information for people who are US citizens but live/work globally?
4) How does health insurance work out?

Thanks a lot MeFi!

Fun and money required

djgh — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 11:04:42 -0800

Eight months out - how to have fun and earn money - preferably abroad? I'm based in the UK, and from about July I should have around eight months out to do my own thing.

Where can I go, and what can I do whereby I can have fun and earn money at the same time? For example, in the winter months I could work in a ski resort in North America or Europe, so ski and earn.

What reputable websites etc. have tons of good info on this - I've Googled, but with a ton of options I'd like a recommendation as to a good site.

What should I be looking to do in the next few months to prepare? (e.g. visas, brush up on language skills etc.)

Any other thoughts? I'd really like to make this time as awesome and varied as possible, and I'm not looking to make huge amounts of cash - essentially enough to live and to save for my next ticket somewhere.

Hit the road or suck it up?

Anonymous — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 13:45:51 -0800

Is now a bad time to leave a stable, solid job for traveling contract work? Am I setting myself up for financial disaster in a few months? Will this economy affect health care jobs to a degree that this is a bad idea? I am a physical therapist working in New York City. I love being a physical therapist, but I feel like living in New York is eating me alive, and have felt that way for some time now.

I have a stable job with lovely coworkers in a place where I feel like I am learning a lot, but at the end of the day, I feel like NYC is chewing me up. The baseline level of stress here is really, really getting to me. I am frequently overwhelmed to the point of tears with the stress of NYC life. I want to see stars at night. I want to be near trees without having to take a subway to get to them. I want to be able to hear myself think.

I'd like to take contract work in other states, see if there's somewhere else I'd like to live, somewhere with a slower pace. Contract jobs, which pay well, are in plentiful supply right now, my recruiter says there are "hundreds" of openings (usually 13-week contracts) that he's trying to fill.

I'd like to pack up my stuff and drive south for the winter, take a 13-week job, and do the travel thing for a while. But I fear that if things in the economy continue as they are, that the work will dry up and I'll be stranded, far from home, regretting this decision.

Any insight? Will physical therapist jobs dry up? Will hospitals/nursing homes cancel their contract workers? Is this a good choice, or should I suck it up and soldier on for a while? I'm thinking of packing up and leaving in January.

(Anonymous because coworkers read mefi, and I don't want them to know I'm thinking of hitting the road.)

A suggestion box

Lemon of Byzantium — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 12:33:19 -0800

I graduated from university a few months ago, and have absolutely no idea what to do next. After reading about my past and current circumstances, could you swell folks offer me some suggestions? Although I did quite well in high school, my experience studying liberal arts in university was checkered. I went to a good Canadian school, and performed reasonably well academically, but there is undoubtedly a whiff of mediocrity emanating from my years there.

My mental health was at a low ebb during portions of my time there. This made it extremely difficult to concentrate on anything at all, much less academic work. I graduated without writing a thesis. This lack of purely academic prowess would be negated by good work experience and other extracurricular things, but I didn't focus on these either. Despite a few half-assed efforts in these areas, I was probably one of the most aloof people to ever attend this particular university. I didn't do any internships, nor did I form any lasting contacts with professors. I really didn't have any idea why I was even attending university in the first place.

Now that I've graduated, I have no idea what to do. I've been living at home and working a couple of so-so jobs, but this is driving me nuts. I've been thinking about teaching English in a foreign country, but I'm not sure. Does travel help? I have absolutely no desire to do an MA, or any other schooling, at the present time.

The thing is, I'm well aware that you can do well in life without having accomplished a billion things during your youth. Many people - intelligent people, at that - have faced similar problems, I'm sure. Perhaps you're one of them. I shouldn't be too whiny. But some help would be much appreciated. Does anyone have suggestions?

What are your favorite smallish New Zealand towns?

nitsuj — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 08:37:13 -0800

What are your favorite smallish New Zealand towns? My S.O. and I will be spending a few months working (as telecommuting tourists) and living in New Zealand (among other places). We'll be flying into Auckland, but I'd rather find a smaller (but not too small) town to find a short-term, furnished, Internet-ready apartment to rent. Where do you recommend?

Bonus points for any tips on finding said apartment aside from the obvious (Craigslist, local newspapers, etc.).

How do I set up a Remote Working Hub?

SarahM — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 07:58:30 -0800

I have been asked to set up a “Remote Working Hub” to allow employees to work away from the office. Where can I go for more information? Does it work? I’m setting up a Wireless Remote Working Hub to encourage working parents to go back to work & help an area decrease the number of unemployed. Do you know anyone who has tried this? Who should contact? Have you tried this concept & does it work? Thank you in advance

How does one get a start in the tourism / travel consultant business?

chrisinseoul — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 12:09:12 -0800

How does one get a start in the tourism / travel consultant business? Education or work experience? What kinds? More questions than answers, inside... Me: 26 years old, Business / Marketing Bachelor's degree, variety of business experience, love of traveling / writing about traveling (active blog about South Korea with thousands of hits), currently overseas in Seoul (see username), and trying to figure out how to get into a career of travel or tourism consulting. Currently working as an English teacher and trying to break free of teaching 6-year-olds in favor of something much more interesting. I find traveling fascinating, and often wonder why more people don't try it or do it on a more regular basis. Some other ideas include writing / reviewing about places I've visited (which doesn't seem like a feasible career, though it makes a hell of a blog)

Instead of helping people to get from point A to point B (as a travel agent might), I could see myself working with a local population for a given time (6 months, 1 year, 2 years) with the goal of creating tourism opportunities, easier time getting around / finding things, and so on. This may be done as part of a consulting firm, on my own, or simply on a contractual basis. Another term for this dream position might be a creative marketing consultant in the travel / tourism field.

While there are plenty of Master's degree programs available in Travel / Tourism Management (both online and physical schools), I'd rather not spend the money / time doing something considered irrelevant by having the work experience instead.

How does one get their foot in the door? Anecdotal stories are welcome, as are specific companies that work in this way. If anyone can help narrow down this seemingly broad field to a better title / career goal, your advice is appreciated as well.

What. to. do.

brynna — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 22:49:45 -0800

How can I reconcile two different and conflicting plans for my future? (long-ish explanation) I'm about to graduate from college and have been thinking a lot about my "future" as it were. I'm graduating with a degree in Literature and a vested interest and passion for education. I also work in a restaurant to make money.

I've worked in restaurants for a few years now and love the subculture, carefree attitude and flexibility that it affords. Recently, I've considered moving to Hawaii when I graduate and just spending time there, working in a restaurant (the place I work for has multiple locations in Hawaii - Roy's) and hiking, surfing and cooking during the days.

I've also considered joining Teach for America or a similar organization after graduating and going straight to the classroom. I'm really passionate about education and am an advocate for educational reform, especially in under-resourced schools.

The problem is basically this: I would love to go to Hawaii and THEN start teaching in a classroom (I feel a little ridiculous jumping into a classroom and spouting out life-lessons at 21), but I can't shake the feeling of selfishness and guilt at not devoting everything to the cause. I guess I'm trying to decide whether my life for the next few years should be a sensual or a humanitarian one.

Can anyone recommend some books, articles, etc that would help me find some direction? Also if there are any teachers that have experience teaching straight out of college, would you recommend it? I just need some perspective and general life advice at this point.

looking for legit au pair placement agency in France

Dcotton — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 04:14:11 -0800

can anyone recommend a legitimate agency in France that places people into au pair or similar jobs? 23 year old Canadian female with extensive experience working with children and currently teaching in Korea would like to spend a year in France, probably working as an au pair or similar child care position. Any ideas about how to go about finding a decent position? There are tons of places mentioned on the net--but how does one know which are legit? 23 year old Canadian female with extensive experience working with children and currently teaching in Korea would like to spend a year in France, probably working as an au pair or similar child care position. Any ideas about how to go about finding a decent position? There are tons of places mentioned on the net--but how does one know which are legit?