The Plan.

I've nailed down, more or less, what I'd like to accomplish in the next 18 months. I think I could squeeze getting my bachelor's degree in History by the end of next summer, but I think I'll take on an extra semester and get a minor or two. Possibilities include a minor in political science, sociology, anthropology, or economics. Political science is most likely, with anthropology and sociology tied for second.

I'd like to squeeze in as many hours working (anywhere) as possible so that I might end up with as little debt as possible. My time in Tampa will be done then, and I'll head back up north. I miss the climate and the people. Philidelphia holds some appeal, as does Montreal, Boston, Rochester, and even good old Batavia. Regardless, I'll most likely hang around for not anymore than 6 months as I arrange to teach english for a year abroad.

Southeast Asia appeals the most, but South America and Africa are far from off limits. Living cheaply is coming to border on obsession as my roommates will testify everytime I come home from the grocery store. I'm prone to exclamation regarding any and all sales in progress. After teaching for a year or so, I imagine coming back to the States and pursuing a masters in education. Portland, OR maybe? Austin, TX? Who knows?

I think it would be great to be able to teach during the school year, living as impermanently and simply as possible, and saving like mad. Then taking the summers to travel extensively, living for months at a time all over the world. One summer could be six weeks in Paris, and another six weeks in London. The next summer could be a month in Tokyo, a month in Melbourne or Sydney, and a month in Honolulu. All of this of course is wildly open to flexibility. And we haven't even gotten to South America or Africa. Porto Alegre in Brazil, Cape Town in South Africa, Cairo in Egypt.

A solid three or four years of this would be quite satisfying. Adding it all up, I would be in my early thirties, a lovely time to settle down a bit.

It's all imagined in an ideal world, I know, but it doesn't seem too unreasonable does it? It's a matter of priorities and passion, framing and forethought.