I talk to well over sixty people a day, and I can’t even count how many people I’ve spoken to since I got here.  Calls range from the simple, “I need to pay my renewal,” to, “The DMV says I’m going to be suspended,” to even the more challenging, “I need a quote.”  Mere seconds after I posted the last entry, it was time to take a call.
 
“Thank you for calling, this is Sara, how can I help you?”

“Yes, I need to talk about my insurance policy.  I will be moving to Korea for two years to teach English and I want to keep my car insured with you.”

Rick Pohlmann and I discussed his policy, and how easy it would be for him to keep it insured and pay while overseas, and we discussed how he got there.  We talked about what it was like for him to teach in Spain, and how it opened the door to teach internationally.  One week of teaching opened the door for him.  He’s paid around $2,000 a month, but his house, apartment, transportation; it’s all paid for.  So he sends the $2,000 home to pay for student loans, and maybe saves some for extra spending money, and in the meantime, he’s teaching kids a language that [unfortunately, but let's not get into that] is the door to their future.  He’s learning the culture and the language, and he says, “Once I’m done I’m going to see which one I liked best and retire there.” And we discussed politics and I was torn when I told him I had to go.  But when we were departing, he spouted one of my favorite quotes, from one of my favorite books,

“Learning is finding out what you already know. Doing is demonstrating that you know it. Teaching is reminding others that they know just as well as you. [We] are all learners, doers, and teachers. ”

I know this may be breaking confidentiality, but I will send him a letter when I get this done.  When I step foot overseas, I will write this man a letter.  Even if it never reaches him.  And just, how, how can I not believe when something like this happens?

I don’t care how hard it is.
Because I’m going to make it.

Eight hours of my life is wasted each day as I sit here. I don’t have a taxing job; I get to do so many things through out my day, including work on websites, which also gets me money. It’s a privilege I can work two jobs at the same time. But all I want to do sites and commission artwork, maybe one day photography. So I can work on my own time, by my own leave, and go to school full time without the stress of a job. And maybe it’s not even that. I just felt, saw myself, no, want to be someone freelance. Odd. Creative. Fun. Challenging work. I want to roll out of bed at four and paint, or go outside and take photos… or invent little compositions for web designers to put in their flash templates. Or maybe even full soundtracks for low budget, powerful, independent films. Or to be a writer. Oh, to write.  Right now, I’m on track for teaching over seas.  It’s what I want, it’s what I breathe.  I want to travel the world teaching.  Summer’s off to write.  

Sadly, so many people will tell me, “Go for it!”, “follow your dreams”, “anything is possible”, and other various forms of inspirational encouragement. And thank you for those, those of you that leave them, but at this point in my life, when I have $1000 in bills alone every month, and I’m trying to get through school, and I still have to eat, I just can’t take that risk.

So, they’ll have to stay at a distance for now, and remain as dreams.