Opportunities.... I am sick of people saying, "you better do it now, because once you are married or have a family, you can't do what ever you want." This outreaches to many many areas. But, today I am going to focus on Travel. I am going to make a point here, about my views on travel, and feel free to contradict me if I am way off, or agree if I am way on, or give me a new insight.
I have traveled, but it has always been at a price (and it usually has to do with Men). For example, at 19 I was at Ricks College. I was invited to go on a trip to Vegas with my true love Mr. Bigelow, and our friends Crystal and Brian (they are married now). What price did I pay to go to Vegas (baby Vegas). Well I had the best job in Rexburg, plasma center intakes....6.75 an hour, and they wouldn't give me the time off. But I faked illness, went anyways and paid the price. I eventually lost the job, based on my flakiness (they didn't believe that was a real illness).
At 24 I was living my dreams of being in massage therapy school and paying for my lifestyle as a school bus driver. I had 3 weeks off for Christmas break at work, but not at school. My friend Jeff (who I was crushing on) and I decided "now is a good a time as ever" to go to Europe. So off we went, I had discussed it will the Massage School, and they said I could make up the missed days, and would still be OK (which ended up being a lie, I failed that semester due to my missed days and would have had to take both day and night classes to make up). Of course my massage therapy debt I am still paying for (it has been absorbed into my other student loans).
So I have had 2 experiences where I threw caution to the wind, and paid for it.
Anyways, the reason i bring up a little of my travel at a cost history is because i have a couple opportunities this summer. I applied to a summer program in Spain and I was accepted. It will be 5 weeks in Madrid, 6 credits. The cost for being there is about 10 thousand and then i have to take out more to pay my car payment, credit card bill, cell phone etc. Or I could stay here in Moscow, and it will cost about 5 thousand for 6 credits, and that includes the rest of my expenses. So there is is, is it worth 10 thousand to go to Europe? Is it a chance of a lifetime?
I don't think so. As the economy is crazy, and I have so much disdain for our government, and all of us who didn't listen to the prophet and live within our means (myself included). I can't simply throw caution to the wind. And say, "well i will pay it back later". I have said that so many times. I am still paying for my stupid kayak (2 years ago), I am still paying for my 1 quarter of massage therapy school (7 years ago). As a grown up, with very real debt, it is hard for me to make unneccessary purchases on credit, with the idea that i will pay it back later. Am I wrong? What are your opinions of play now, pay later (because your not going to be single forever) because the opportunity (means) is available...Isn't that how we screwed up America and our own personal finances in the first place.
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11 comments:
I wish I was really rich Jodi, cause I would wire you the 10 grand so that you could go with no worries! But as Cort would say, "if wishes were fishes we would all have a fry!" I love your new header picture. That Olivia is such a beauty!
I think it's hard to ask for our opinions because we're all in different stages of life and none of us really know how much debt you're really in.
Me, I'm in the 'stay at home mum' stage and so a trip to Spain and 10 thousand would be worth it to me.
You bring up good points though, so at the end of the day...........it's up to you.
I'll I gotta say is DON't GO to Spain. It's not worth the debt later. You sound like you already know that though . . .`
Read the last part of your blog.... you already know the right answer, and you already know what my opinon is on getting into debt.
that being said whatever choice you make, we still love you!
I say forget Spain... Take the 10k, sell the kayak and then buy a streamline and travel to S. America. "you better do it now, because once you are married or have a family, you can't do what ever you want."
On the other hand, Obama said college is free if you do community service...
i am feeling a "no" on spain. instead a few fun weekend trips might be cool.
Whatever you decide will be the best decision, but I say go to Spain. What's a few more thousand when you are already in debt? It really won't add that much more to what you already have to pay back. Experiences like that are what life is about. Call me, I'll talk you into it!
P.S. You can always join JAG and they'll help with law school!
You don't want to go so don't. It doesn't sound like it's your gig. I don't think we should get into unnecessary debt. I do, however, get into debt for travel. That's just me. I have to be evil in some area in my life or I'd be translated. Besides, it's not 10K, it's a 5K difference, right? So is it worth 5K? Well, I can tell you that if you want to travel overseas, you can do it a whole lot cheaper than that. Also, I am SO against the opinion that people can't travel once they're married and have children. You already know my opinion on that. I think it's lame to blame your choice on giving up travel or anything you love on your children as a sacrifice for motherhood. You can still do whatever the hell you want as a mother! (Blame this emotional comment on post-pregnancy hormones...)
Man, this is the most comments i have had in awhile...
Cameo thanks for your little fresh perspective...my life is all about doing it on the cheap, even if my credit cards don't speak to that (hey i had to pay for my LSAT prep course and applying to law school somehow. Anyways, I am a bargain hunter, and if i am going oversees i am doing it on the cheap. Anyone up for Central America in Aug. I got 1000 of tax return allotted for it, and with some months of plasma, maybe i could swing it. LOve you all, thanks, thanks, thanks for commenting
Jodi! It was fun to read your last couple of posts, it's been awhile, and really I should go to bed, but your posts are always so captivating! I say, probably not on the SPain thing--- which really is contrary to who I am, I LOVE TO TRAVEL and typically would do anything to go anywhere, but these are kinda scarey times---
ANyway, good luck on the decision!
As fun as I'm sure Spain would be, the good feeling that accompanies being out of debt far outweighs any good feeling you get from being in Spain. It's just not worth it.
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