A very optimistic view puts new stable work coming in around early December. Based on this past year, that work might not be in till February. Personally I'm guessing sometime in December as the customer seems to realize the urgency of getting their workers some work before they lose them. Now that means for the next month or two I will remain on overhead at work and occasionally doing a little direct work here and there and maybe some proposal writing (although that too is overhead, it's just under a different name).
With that in mind, since the company is putting me up for the awhile, common courtesy dictates that I help out however I can. This can come in the form of a volunteered pay cut. In that example I would work 30 hours a week and take off Friday, which gives me the benefit of a 3-day weekend. Or another option would be for me to use some of my vacation time, as I've mentioned before. I do have a bit of vacation saved up so lately I've been thinking about how to put it to use.
The first idea would be for me to head on over to Portland, Oregon for a few days to visit Gurney. I looked into this and found driving there is out of the question, making flying a necessity. The problem with that is tickets are insane. Like over $700. Now there are some sites out there like kayak.com which find better offers. Using those sites the tickets are pre-scheduled. So for example there may be a $300 roundtrip deal but it may be for 3 days. Meaning you fly in, have a day or two there, and then you return on the 3rd day. Typically the good deals are for 4 days, departing on a Thurday and returning Monday. That's not too bad, but the price is still in the mid-$300s. Now considering I get to stay for free at Gurney's $300 isn't bad at all. So that's option 1 that I'm considering.
But then I found out about option 2, and is the basis for the joke my Mom thought of at the waiting room yesterday. There are organizations that offer volunteer programs in all sorts of different countries. The way these work is that you find a country and project in that country you are interested in supporting and sign up for a 1 - 12 week interval. Depending on the country there is a fee involved that covers the expense for the host family, reception at the airport, and a few other things. Generally I've found the fee to be about $500 for 1 week with about $100 more for each week you stay. And there's a $200 non-refundable application fee. The application fee is used to get all the paper work straight with the hosting country and prepare for your inclusion in the volunteer program.
So here are some of the programs. You can volunteer in Sri Lanka at an elephant orphanage. You can go to Nepal and teach the Buddhist Monks English in their monastaries. In Tibet you can teach the school children and orphans English. In Italy you can work on a mountain side preserving a naturally growing olive grove. You can go to Peru to work on rainforest conversation efforts, or go to the Galapagos Islands and help save the sea tortoises from extinction. This is so awesome. My top two at the moment are going to Tibet to work with the children and going to Peru. The Galapagos sounds amazing but that fee is around $1400. Italy is amazing, but I know this because I've already been there twice, and the description says do not underestimate that you will be working like a dog. However, they also say to make up for it that everyday you are given a lunch that will be the greatest meal you have ever had in your life. Nepal also sounds incredible and was the basis for my Mom's joke. It would be funny if I were to help teach the Monks English and in the process convert them to Catholicism. My reason for not wanting to go there is only that I think I would prefer to help out the children. The monks would probably be more amazing to meet but helping the children would likely bring far more joy. Maybe Nepal can be saved for another time or as a backup if Tibet doesn't come through. Helping out the Dumbo's in Sri Lanka would be about the most fun I could imagine having, but I remember praying every week at Mass when I was an undergrad for war-torn Sri Lanka. If you've forgotten, this is Peru. That's why I want to go. As for Tibet, it's Tibet. That's reason enough.
At the moment I am trying to do several things. First I need to confirm that the organizations I am interested in working with are legitimate. Hey, maybe you can help the one I am most interested in is called Rustic Volunteer and Travel. I think they are fine, but I would really sleep better hearing someone who knows tell me that. Next I need to get the paperwork in order. These volunteering sessions start on the first and third week of every month. I want to go the first week of November, but that means I only have three weeks to get everything in order. Fortunately I already have an updated passport. I would have no problem going the third week of November but that will taken up by that retreat I'm going on. But if November simply won't work then I'll just shoot for December. Unless something horrible stops me, I am planning on making this happen.
Now I realize this is a bit more expensive than $300. That $700 fee doesn't cover air-fare after all. However, I am willing to pay significantly more for a week's stay in the Himalayas than I am for a stay in Portland. Gurney I'm sure you understand. How much more I still don't have answer to. Booking a plane ticket to Tibet isn't exactly on most itineraries.
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