Only a few weeks left in the year...
...and I'm trying to make a semi-long term plan. Meaning one that looks beyond a month.
So, as most of you know, I want to move out to LA, and have been trying to since the summer. However, a crap economy, and even crappier luck, I've settled at my mom's house indefinitely. As the new year comes, I've been really trying to look up and forward, hard as it may be. Now that I have a semi-steady-job that pays pretty well (I just wish I had the steady hours to go along with it), I'm not as strung out cash-wise, but still.
So far I have the safe (long and agonizing, as well) plan of staying in the desert for at least another 6 months, maybe even 9. Under this plan, I continue to work part-time as a tutor (so long as I continue to have students and hours) in the afternoon and evenings, and utilize my morning hours more wisely. If things go well next week, I'll be volunteering at the Desert Aids Project, which is, in my opinion, one of the best nonprofit organizations we have in the desert. And hopefully, I'll be working in the Resource Development department, gaining some skills that are really desirable right now (seriously, a good chunk of available jobs in the nonprofit sector are those requiring development/fundraising skills). In addition to that, there is also an internship available at our local Equality California office right in Palm Springs. While I personally would like to be more involved in an LGBT organization that focuses on more than marriage equality, there are not that many to pick and choose from here. Plus, I would come across some well connected people in the activist circle and get in some good networking (hopefully). The internship is a spring one, from January to June, so that pretty much requires me to be here till then, in addition to the tutoring gig which will hopefully last till June as well. After that, I practically have a guaranteed spot back at Camp Palm Springs, where I will most likely be promoted to Unit Director with Rosa, which would be more responsibility and more pay for a gig that is super fun and practically full-time. So....money in the bank.
The crazy (hard, but oh so good) plan involves me staying out here in the desert for a couple more months, just enough so that I'll have rent money for (best-case scenario) 2-3 months, and move to LA, probably with no job. Advantages of this crazy plan, you ask? Well for one thing, I'll get to be with Chrysanthe, which would seriously increase my happiness exponentially. Every day I don't see her while I'm here makes me a sad panda. It's really pathetic. Plus, I would have someone to share expenses with on vegan food and actually eat whole meals instead of scrounging on what little stuff we have here. Of course, that is more than offset by the costs of rent and utilities, but not much else. I'm still paying my own cell bill and my own gas, which is actually a lot considering I drive 20 miles each way for five days a week - I imagine it'd be the same in LA, maybe even less since we won't be driving every other weekend to see each other. Another advantage is that it would be easier for me to actually get a job in LA. Trying to get a job in a city that you don't live in is VERY hard because employers are afraid that you might ask for relocation benefits or something, and they really would rather hire in town. So my Cathedral City on my resume is a big deterrent. In addition, there are multitudes, and I mean multitudes, of internships (paid and unpaid) in LA. Tons. And volunteering opportunities. Being in LA will give me instant access to those. While it would be easier to find a job while there, the difficult thing would be finding one (either part or full-time) that will ACTUALLY sustain my income for a while. 've been looking in to Americorps stuff too, but those are in LA and there aren't too many in the upcoming months - just a couple next month and some more in April. So I've still been applying to stuff in LA, but it's been hard.
So that's where I'm at right now. I've come to the conclusion that I'm not going to find my dream job in the next year or so. That's just the way it is. But in the meantime, I can get involved in things I actually want to do, try to actually save a little bit of money, and maintain my mental health.
Any opinions? Either way, I will be tight on money, though the second option is definitely tighter and less secure, but more girlfriend time, which I value highly.
So, as most of you know, I want to move out to LA, and have been trying to since the summer. However, a crap economy, and even crappier luck, I've settled at my mom's house indefinitely. As the new year comes, I've been really trying to look up and forward, hard as it may be. Now that I have a semi-steady-job that pays pretty well (I just wish I had the steady hours to go along with it), I'm not as strung out cash-wise, but still.
So far I have the safe (long and agonizing, as well) plan of staying in the desert for at least another 6 months, maybe even 9. Under this plan, I continue to work part-time as a tutor (so long as I continue to have students and hours) in the afternoon and evenings, and utilize my morning hours more wisely. If things go well next week, I'll be volunteering at the Desert Aids Project, which is, in my opinion, one of the best nonprofit organizations we have in the desert. And hopefully, I'll be working in the Resource Development department, gaining some skills that are really desirable right now (seriously, a good chunk of available jobs in the nonprofit sector are those requiring development/fundraising skills). In addition to that, there is also an internship available at our local Equality California office right in Palm Springs. While I personally would like to be more involved in an LGBT organization that focuses on more than marriage equality, there are not that many to pick and choose from here. Plus, I would come across some well connected people in the activist circle and get in some good networking (hopefully). The internship is a spring one, from January to June, so that pretty much requires me to be here till then, in addition to the tutoring gig which will hopefully last till June as well. After that, I practically have a guaranteed spot back at Camp Palm Springs, where I will most likely be promoted to Unit Director with Rosa, which would be more responsibility and more pay for a gig that is super fun and practically full-time. So....money in the bank.
The crazy (hard, but oh so good) plan involves me staying out here in the desert for a couple more months, just enough so that I'll have rent money for (best-case scenario) 2-3 months, and move to LA, probably with no job. Advantages of this crazy plan, you ask? Well for one thing, I'll get to be with Chrysanthe, which would seriously increase my happiness exponentially. Every day I don't see her while I'm here makes me a sad panda. It's really pathetic. Plus, I would have someone to share expenses with on vegan food and actually eat whole meals instead of scrounging on what little stuff we have here. Of course, that is more than offset by the costs of rent and utilities, but not much else. I'm still paying my own cell bill and my own gas, which is actually a lot considering I drive 20 miles each way for five days a week - I imagine it'd be the same in LA, maybe even less since we won't be driving every other weekend to see each other. Another advantage is that it would be easier for me to actually get a job in LA. Trying to get a job in a city that you don't live in is VERY hard because employers are afraid that you might ask for relocation benefits or something, and they really would rather hire in town. So my Cathedral City on my resume is a big deterrent. In addition, there are multitudes, and I mean multitudes, of internships (paid and unpaid) in LA. Tons. And volunteering opportunities. Being in LA will give me instant access to those. While it would be easier to find a job while there, the difficult thing would be finding one (either part or full-time) that will ACTUALLY sustain my income for a while. 've been looking in to Americorps stuff too, but those are in LA and there aren't too many in the upcoming months - just a couple next month and some more in April. So I've still been applying to stuff in LA, but it's been hard.
So that's where I'm at right now. I've come to the conclusion that I'm not going to find my dream job in the next year or so. That's just the way it is. But in the meantime, I can get involved in things I actually want to do, try to actually save a little bit of money, and maintain my mental health.
Any opinions? Either way, I will be tight on money, though the second option is definitely tighter and less secure, but more girlfriend time, which I value highly.