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.

8 Ways To Save For Your Next Adventure

1. Cancel any unnecessary subscriptions and memberships.

Exercising is a great stress reliever, but you don't need a gym to work out. There's no reason you can't do squats or push ups at home, climb some stairs or go for a walk on your break at work. Sometimes gym memberships are the most difficult thing to cancel or freeze, but it is definitely a good call if you’re trying to save money. For me, that was the first thing that went. I was not going every day to begin with, and the weather was starting to warm up, so I could run at the park. Ah, the fresh LA air. Another subscription you probably don’t need is Spotify. Why would you pay for something that you can get for free? So what if you have to listen to a few quick commercials every 20 songs—I would rather save the 10 bucks and suck it up. Anything you pay for on a monthly basis that automatically gets taken out of your account is bad news. Most of the time people are too lazy to cancel whatever it is, whether they use it or not, than to pick up the phone and keep their money. If you think it’s no big deal, do the math. It adds up quick. I cancelled my cable/satellite service a long time ago simply because I didn’t have time to watch TV, plus I had Netflix. So, I saved myself over $75 a month and decided I didn’t need the fastest Internet connection possible, either. Keep that Netflix subscription though. I’m sure it will come in handy later on your laptop during a 10-hour layover. You’re welcome.

2. Set up automatic saving transfers with your bank.

Most banks nowadays give you the option to schedule automatic payments from checking into savings at a set amount. It is so much easier to save money when $50 goes straight into your piggy bank on the 15th of every month. Out of sight, out of mind, which means you won't be tempted to spend it since you don't even realize it's missing. Seriously, it’s the easiest way to make sure you don't blow your whole paycheck on fast food and alcohol. While you're at it, you might as well set up a Keep The Change setting so you can save on every transaction. It rounds up the change to the nearest dollar and automatically puts it in your savings account, sort of like a digital piggy bank.

3. Make coffee at home.

I don't know about you, but I am addicted to my morning latte. I'm not a big Keurig fan since I don't really like regular brewed coffee, and I despise Starbucks (it tastes like over sweetened sewer water—sorry I’m not sorry), so this tip took some time for even me to realize. Maybe it's the cozy ambiance of my favorite coffee shop around the corner, or maybe it's just out of pure habit that it's my first stop of the day, but I've found that if I wake up and make coffee during my morning routine, I don't feel like I need to go anywhere to do work. I worked as a barista once upon a time, so luckily I am an expert at making lattes. If you don’t know how, no worries, just look up a tutorial on Youtube and you’re good to go. It might take some practice, though. Once I put the effort into make my own latte while I'm getting ready, the next thing I knew, I was at the table scrolling through emails and starting my work at home. I have saved tons by buying the espresso served at the coffee shop and having them grind it for me. I can almost guarantee that your neighborhood coffee shop sells their espresso beans by the pound and will grind it for you, too. I bought a Moka, the brand of stovetop Italian espresso maker that I love, a manual frother for milk, and vanilla flavored syrup all on Amazon for what I would have spent on croissants and lattes everyday for a week (remember, I'm talking LA prices). It was crazy how quickly I saved $100, all because I broke up with my coffee shop...but you can say we’re still friends with benefits. The point is, make your own lattes, save more money.

4. Use coupons!

This is an obvious one. There are tons of grocery apps that you can download digital coupons for that work with your local grocery store. They are put on your membership card automatically, so when you're in the check out line and you put in your phone number or scan your rewards card, all of those deals are instantly applied. Unfortunately, not all stores are compatible with the apps, but nowadays you can go on the grocery store's website, login with your membership and download instant coupons from there. If you're a frequent shopper anywhere else, always ask to be put on their mailing list and get emails with great exclusive deals right to your inbox. Buyer beware, however, that if you keep seeing coupons for your favorite clothing store, don't be tempted to online shop because you saw a subject line that said "50% off!" I only subscribe to the email list for things like groceries, car washes, and pet supplies since those are the things I tend to spend money on a lot. Why pay full price when you can get the same thing for less? Which brings me to my next piece of advice...

5. Say goodbye to Bloomingdales and hellooooo to TJ Maxx.

Personally, I've never been one to spend more than $30 on a top, and that's only if it's a really cute one that I absolutely can't live without. I'm not one of those girls who max out their credit cards at the mall (that's just plain irresponsible). When I do feel like a little innocent retail therapy or I actually need something, my go-to stores are TJ Maxx, Target, Marshalls or Nordstrom Rack (it’s the last on my list unless I'm looking for something specific--they have great shoes). I have found time and time again that whatever I saw at the mall will end up being at one of these places for a fraction of the price. If I'm going to spend $50, I would rather come home with 4 or 5 items than one. What makes it even better is that I always feel a sense of accomplishment after I beat the system by finding the same top I saw elsewhere for $40, but buying at one of these stores for $18. You just can't beat that. Another thing I recently discovered, at least in LA, are recycled clothing stores. It's like Salvation Army and Macy's had a very stylish, but fairly priced baby. You can buy and sell gently used, brand name clothes that are in season and probably spend less than half of what you would have in a department store. No lie, I saw a pair of Gucci heels, barely worn, for $100! Being on a budget and having a practical mindset, I'm not in the market for a pair of Gucci heels, but you get what I'm saying. Look around before paying full price for anything.

6. Take advantage of Taco Tuesdays.

Last week, my friends invited me to Taco Tuesday, which meant super cheap all-you-can-eat street tacos and huge $5 margaritas all night long. Cha-ching. That's my kinda place. When I asked why we had never done this before, one of the guys said, "Well, since you're now the official Poor Friend and can't come out with us on the weekends, we figured you couldn't turn down cheap food and alcohol while also getting to hang out with us." Well, they were right. My friends are awesome. I haven't been very social lately since whenever we get together it's usually out on the town somewhere on a Friday night, which does not get along with my budget. So, they've been really great about finding cheaper things to do so I can tag along, too. I haven't been able to go out nearly as much, but it is nice that they're thinking of me and respecting my cause to save money. Don't be fooled, though. They give me so much shit for being a charity case if they buy me a drink here or there, but hey, that's what friends are for, right?

7. Drive safely.

Nothing sucks worse than getting a ticket! Seeing those red and blue lights flashing in your rearview mirror sends your heart to the pit of your stomach and you know you’re not going to get out of it. I don’t know about other states, but in California a speeding ticket can cost upwards of $400! What a waste of money that would be, all because you were being careless. Drive (and park) safely to avoid getting any citations. Recently I acquired 2 ridiculous parking tickets, the kind that LA is infamous for. $68 each, one for parking “too far” from the curb, which, by the way is 18”, for future reference, and the other I got at 6:02pm on a street where permit parking is enforced starting at 6:00pm. I was lucky it was the second Wednesday of the month during a full moon or else I could have been towed!

8. Last, but not least, earn a second income.
This may or may not be possible for everyone, but you'd be surprised how easy it could be thanks to el internet. Fiverr, Task Rabbit and Guru are just a few websites where you can find side work to complete in your free time. If you have some extra hours in the day, Take Lessons is another great resource if you have a teaching or coaching service to offer. Earning extra income doesn’t necessarily have to mean getting a part time job at a restaurant (although that is a good choice since you can come home with cash in your pocket every night). Get creative with what you can do; you might even surprise yourself.

These are just a few things I've noticed about the change in my spending habits in order to save money. Planning for a trip, whether around the world or just across the country, is hard. You need to make sure you surround yourself with people who understand your goals and are supportive of your means to getting there. Don’t get discouraged if things aren’t happening the way you thought they would, because, trust me, life doesn’t always go as planned. Sometimes you have to improvise. Be flexible, think positive thoughts and thank the universe for all the money you’ve saved (even if it’s not true yet—it’s all about gratitude).


How did you save for your last trip? Leave a comment below to share your tips!

Teaching English Abroad: How I Made The Decision (The Real Story)

I can't believe my TEFL course is almost over! 11 weeks went by really fast, and soon after I'm finished there will only be 12 more weeks until I'm off to Europe. I definitely had higher hopes for how much I would have in savings right about now, but things don't always go as planned. I started a GoFundMe account which you can donate to here (please help spread the word)! Hey, if some random girl can get her irresponsible trip to Vegas paid for by strangers, then I should definitely be able to get my teaching trip paid for. I haven't lost hope in humanity yet...don't let me down!

As I mentioned in another post, I started working as a substitute teacher for extra income and to prepare me for my own classroom. It's been fun and nerve racking at the same time. Although, I wish it was more consistent. I'm beginning to worry I won't be going to Europe with the fat savings account I was looking forward to. I never understood how other blogs only highlight the awesome stuff and give the illusion that dropping everything and just going is something can that be done in a day. For me, the decision had been building, but I guess the official verdict did actually happen over night. Some of you have been asking how I came to this point and how I decided. So, here's my story.

After graduating in the fall, and taking way too long to get to that point, I really couldn't think of a job I wanted to go after. So many of my friends had known exactly what they wanted to do way before they graduated and it always secretly worried me that I didn't have that. I wasn't one of the lucky ones in that sense. After taking some exploratory classes, I majored in sociology, which came easily to me. Throughout school I took tons of extra humanities classes, but never enough in one subject to earn a minor because, apparently, I have ADD and like to make things difficult for myself. By the time I graduated, I had traveled to Italy (twice), worked at multiple internships and had a well-rounded resume from all my jobs in high school and college. I worked as a preschool teaching assistant my sophomore year on a work study program and I can honestly say, that was my favorite job. The only problem was that I didn't want to be a teacher, so I didn't see it benefitting me in the future other than learning lots of patience and gaining some parenting skills (seriously, anyone in college who thinks they want to have kids at any point in their lives should spend a week in a toddler classroom-- holy fuck). Having to take a closer look at myself when the high of finishing school had dissipated, I began searching tirelessly for jobs in all the fields I had experience in. I had a great resume and impeccable cover letters, but I just couldn't shake the overwhelming feeling of dread when thinking about sitting in an office all day being a part of the corporate American rat race.

I found myself searching around for international jobs in my down time, which is when it hit me. What's stopping me from going? Absolutely nothing. I just finished school, had no tangible job leads, I had no mortgage, no kids, and no real responsibilities that couldn't be taken care of remotely. That was the "over night" decision I was talking about. I had no plan and surely no specific job in mind, but I had to find a way to do this. Traveling had been my dream since I was 9 after learning about the magic that is the rain forest in Mrs. Meyer's fourth grade class. My family is not rich and my mom didn't even get her passport until I decided I wanted to take advantage of a summer and travel abroad for the first time after saving all spring, so this was going to take a lot of work.

One night, during my boyfriend's lunch hour, I showed up and surprised him. A lot had been on my mind during that time when the high wore off and I needed to see how far I was going to take this idea of mine. As he sat across from me at the table consuming his food, I sat there silently until finally I blurted out "I think I want to start applying for international jobs". At that point, that's as far as I had gotten and wasn't prepared to answer any of the questions he had, but was surprised when he finally reached across the table, took my hand, looked at me and said "I know this is something you've always wanted to do and traveling is your passion, so I'm not going to be the one to stand in your way". I broke into tears in the middle of a quiet Panera Bread, and all I could say was thank you. From then on, I began my search. I had looked into teach abroad programs before and had even been in talks with an advisor from International TEFL Academy 3 years before, but the timing wasn't right since I was still in school and was only flirting with the idea. A few weeks after the talk with my boyfriend, I get a phone call from that same advisor. Out of blue. On my birthday. I couldn't believe it. He didn't even know it was my birthday (I asked him later), which is when I couldn't call it a coincidence any more, even though I don't believe in coincidences in the first place. I took a bit more time to consider my options, but what I was really doing was planning how to put my deposit down for the class and where I wanted to go. A few weeks later, after many phone calls and emails with Matt The Advisor, I took the leap and registered for the next class. That was my move and everything from that point on was going to be different. Since January when I enrolled, I have asked my boss for more hours at work, gotten a second job as a sub to save money and work around my main schedule as a nanny, and used my tax return to buy my plane tickets. This shit is real. I honestly can't believe how everything seemed to fall into place for me to get me where I am, which is why I am not as worried as I should be about my current savings account. There is just this serene sense of faith I have that I am right where I am supposed to be and I couldn't be happier.

My ticket is non-refundable since I got the cheapest price possible, and I will soon be TEFL certified, so there is no turning back now. I started going through my stuff and donating clothes, and trying to sell things I don't need. When the time gets closer, my furniture will be split between a storage unit and keeping it at the apartment to loan to my boyfriend for the time being, but that's another worry entirely. For now, I am just focusing on being as cheap as possible cutting way back on brunch with friends and Friday nights out. I have a goal that is growing nearer and nearer, so from now until July, I will be pinching those pennies.

Pre-Travel Stress: What No One Told Me About Planning a Trip

Currently feeling: Vance Joy "Georgia"  "Best That I Can" ...His entire album.

I officially bought my plane tickets for the end of July and this is feeling very real. Knowing that my relationship has an expiration date now is the hardest part. I’m balancing so many things and trying to organize myself is becoming increasingly more difficult. Not only am I trying to keep my household normal (I live with my boyfriend and our dog), I’m doing work for my TEFL class, going through the hiring process to become a substitute teacher before I leave, feeling the sadness and bitterness from some close friends, dealing with the fact that my mom [very vocally] doesn’t support my decision to travel, and, on top of everything else, constantly having a growing list of things to do and to take care of before I go. Cancel the car insurance, switch the bills out of my name, pay off my credit card, get up to date with dentist and doctors appointments, set up my student loan payments, move all my stuff into storage, apply for visas, try to save as much money as possible while also trying to make time to see all my friends and family and have a good time with them before I go. The list goes on and on. Nobody blogs about how stressful this whole process is. Moving to a new country is proving not to be as romantic as I thought it would be and sometimes part of me begins to doubt if I realize what I’m actually doing. All the stress, all the worry, all the uncertainty. Is the juice really worth the squeeze? Am I doing the right thing? And then I remember, oh yeah, I’m following my fucking dream.

Aside from the planning, maintaining my relationship is the hardest part of all. We live together, so the emotional rollercoaster of knowing I’m leaving soon, wanting to pull away, actively trying not to pull away, realizing we only have 4 months and 13 days until we break up, then seeing it as having a whole 136 days to enjoy with each other, then repeating the whole cycle the next week, is exhausting. We both know this is necessary, though, not only for our relationship, but also for us as individuals. Me being gone will be a great time for Sam to focus and really buckle down to further his career. I hope everyday that something awesome happens for him before I go so he has something positive to focus on. As for me, well, I need to do this. As much as it sucks, I can’t stay. I love him, I love our dog, I love my family and my friends, and I love calling LA home, but something inside of me is telling me it’s time to go.

I am leaving everything comfortable and familiar behind in an attempt to fuel the wild fire of wanderlust in my soul.

Willingly and knowingly throwing myself into the unknown is the single scariest thing I’ve ever done. I’m not sure it’s the right thing, but it’s the only thing that feels right. I hope I’m heading in the right direction. The countdown begins. 

Moving To Europe and Teaching Abroad

MissDirection. What a perfect name for me/my blog. What am I doing? Where am I going? I can’t believe I’m actually taking the leap and moving abroad. I enrolled in a TEFL class, so in 11 weeks I will be a certified ESL Teacher deciding where to apply for jobs. I will be leaving in August to go to Florence for 6 weeks to be an au pair for the family I lived with a couple of summers ago. I’m so happy they’ve decided to have me because this will be a great transition into figuring out where to live and getting my shit together before I jump into the job market. I’ll be in a comfortable, familiar place like the calm before the storm.

Florence is my happy place. My soul feels whole and my heart becomes giddy. I can’t help but smile walking through the city. I must look like a lunatic, but that is the one place where I am just genuinely, truly happy. I can’t wait to be there and just enjoy being present.

Ponte Vecchio, Florence, Italy 

Loving San Gimignano, tucked away in the Tuscan Hills.

September/October is the hiring season for teachers, which is when I will have interviews. I am probably going to apply in Spain and some cities around Italy. Since most language schools in Europe don’t offer contracts to their teachers, I can stay for as long or as short as I want. I’m thinking I’ll stay at my first job for at least 6 months, enjoy Spain or Italy, then see how I feel. Who knows, I may want to stay! It’s hard to make plans this early, though. I can guess and “plan” all I want, but I don’t know what is going to happen. I prefer to have a loose idea of what I want, then to wing it after that. It always works out better that way for me…ok, well, not always. I guess I just enjoy the freedom of choice.

I am a college graduate with no savings (thanks to rent and my TEFL course), student loans due in a few months and I’m planning this move to Europe. It sounds crazy, right? Well, it is. If you're feeling generous or believe in my dream, you can donate to my GoFundMe campaign. I would be forever grateful! I honestly don’t know what I’m doing, but my heart is telling me I have to. Corny, I know, but despite my lack of funds, I do have a plan, which I will talk about in another post. 

Before I even thought of starting a blog of my own, I remember looking for a travel blog with advice and a real story of the struggle other people had to go through in order to get to where they were. I hated reading all the awesome stuff without mention of the hard work it took to make enough money for their trip or figuring out logistics or worrying about having enough savings before their departure. I wanted to hear about those things because that’s what makes it real. That’s what I want to give to those of you out there who want to know what it really takes, which is why I’ve decided to document my pre-departure. It’s not going to be easy, and that’s ok. Hard work is what makes the payoff even sweeter. I can’t wait to get started.