Travel Plans: What to Do When Plan "A" Doesn't Work

So, Plan “A” didn’t work out. What now? Freak out? Cancel everything? Seek refuge from your bed and cry into your pillow until you fall asleep? Ok, that may be my way of dealing with things, but I can’t be the only one, right?

Recently, while casually looking at my calendar, I suddenly realized that I only have about 8 more weeks until I leave….that’s only 2 months! Panic mode ensued and the following couple of days were predetermined to be ruined. Now, normally, I’m a strange mix between fun, spunky Pinkie Pie and inappropriate, kickass Pam Poovy, but during panic mode, I was like, totally a Droopy Dog and Panicky Smurf combo. Not fun.

This is how I feel when people say something negative
about what I'm doing.

Yayyyyy for Dick Holsters!!!

I had an emotional breakdown and started worrying about all the things that could go wrong, how ill prepared I was, and of course, my sad little savings account which I check everyday just in case any magical money appears over night. Still hoping.

At this point, getting a third job would help a ton, but I’m struggling with the type of job I could get since scheduling is a problem with my other necessary jobs. I’ve even looked into temp agencies, which are still in the works. Another issue is the amount of time I would keep the job. I would need to find something in the service industry for 1) the tips and 2) the high turnover rate so I won’t feel bad when I leave. I’m not entirely selfish!

My initial Plan “A” was great back in February when I applied to be a substitute teacher and had full time availability. Unfortunately, the company had other plans and took forever with my hiring paperwork, costing me over a month of time without working yet. Looking back, I probably should have looked for something else right away to fill the unknown amount of time before I would start teaching, but hindsight is always 20/20.

Now, at my 2 month mark (have I mentioned I only have 2 months left?), I’m doing the math and it’s not looking good. To overcome my Panic Smurf freak out, I began thinking of my options for jobs and other things. After searching all over Indeed for American companies with offices in Italy, remote jobs for American companies, and thinking of other ways to make money working from my laptop abroad, I realized as I was doing all of this, I was sitting in the one place I spend most of my time. The coffee shop. Not only do I know most of the employees, and how things are done, the manager also knows me and my boyfriend by name and starts our drinks the minute we walk in. In other words, we’re regulars. Why did I never see this before? I spend my entire morning there anyway, so why not get paid for it? They started hiring recently and haven’t had much luck with the people they’ve been training. LA is full of unreliable people, actors especially. Ugh, actors. So, I had a nice little conversation with the manager, told her that I can work for 2 months, and she's going to put in a good word for me with the owners.  Extra income and free coffee for me, and a competent, reliable employee for a couple months for them. Winning!

Being adaptable is an important characteristic for a traveler to have. If Plan “A” doesn’t work out, you need to be able to think quickly, and stick and move. I’ll be honest, forethought isn’t a strong point of mine, especially if I have painstakingly strong faith in my existing plan, so there is always a disconnect between where I am and where I see myself. Obviously, this isn’t something I’m proud of, but at least I’m honest with myself. I am, however, resourceful and when I take the time to look around, I can come up with new ideas pretty quickly. If you’re stuck in a bind, try to think outside the box. Super cliche, I know, but sometimes the answer is right in front of you, or in my case, you’re so close to it (maybe even inside of it), that you don’t see it. In addition to this idea, I also plan on heading down to the main street of my neighborhood and pass out my resume to every bar and restaurant like a frat party flyer being distributed in the dorms! BOOM! That, my friend, is called hustling.

Now, for my new outlook and daily mantra, "I am so happy I have $5,000 in my savings account before August!" Put it out into the universe and let it happen!

Also check out my post 8 Ways to Save For Your Next Adventure for more ideas!

What do you do if Plan "A" doesn't work out? Tell us in the comments below.