I am grateful for coffee.  I am grateful for my new memory foam pillows.  I am grateful for the snooze button.  I am grateful for Fridays.  I am grateful for killer deals on Bikram Yoga on groupon.com.  I am grateful for the ability to express myself.  I am grateful for Sunrise energy bars from Costco.  I am grateful for appreciation from my boss.  I am grateful for a powerful mind.  I am grateful for creativity.  I am grateful for education.  I am grateful for coffee (did I already say that?! Well, I mean it!). 

Today I intend on making my day productive.  I have been procrastinating on writing a paper about whether or not "Google is Making us Stupid."  I am going to try a new approach to tackling this mundane paper.   We are going to a new restaurant called Sienna for Ellie's birthday.  Although it doesn't look like they have many options for a vegetarian, they do appear to have a nice wine selection!  

I hope to tackle some seriously planning for the year.  I am trying to figure out my travel plans and decide on a location(s).  I want New Zealand or Europe or I would settle for South America.  Greg wants Hawaii.  I prefer to get OUT of the U.S. he prefers to travel less, enjoy more.  The way I see it is that now is the time to go to the distant places while we are still young and have the energy.  We can go to Hawaii any time.  I hope that where we are meant to explore will find its way into our lives.  

Wouldn't it be nice to travel for a living?  To make exploring the world your job?  Lets ponder some logical ways this could happen...

• Flight Attendant (wouldn't work for me I'm too scared of flying.)
• Photographer for National Geographic (OK!  Now I'm onto something!)
• Travel Writer (somehow make my blogging PROFITABLE!? Yes, please!!)
• Makeup Artist (this would be fun but not realistic)
• Teacher (go teach English in foreign countries...not too shabby!)
• Work as an Esthetician on a cruise ship (hmm...i'd get cabin fever)
• Nursing (too much school for now)

I'd say that working as a Travel Writer with a little Photography as I went would be the ideal job for me.  I would have to get over my fear of flying alone, BUT anything is possible (I'm getting better I swear!).  Today I am putting it out into the universe that THIS is what I will for myself. 

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How to Be a Travel Writer

by Rick Steves

Become a Generous Teacher of Travel, Not a Travel Agent

Without a sentence of small talk, she gets right to the point, “My name’s Colleen. I’d kill for your job. How did you get started?” Without waiting for me to answer, she continues, “You wrote the book I should have written ages ago.”

First, Learn How to Travel

Intrigued by her energy and realizing we were stuck together on the train, I gave her a more complete than usual answer to this tired topic.

“You can’t just want to be a travel writer,” I said. “You have to be a traveler first. I traveled for six summers purely for kicks. Europe Through the Back Door was born from Europe Through the Gutter. The best travel is on a shoestring . . . not just meeting people but needing people.

“From the start, I followed one strict rule. Never finish a day without writing it up. Accidentally, by finding scenes I could bottle and sell back home, taking careful notes, and teaching my love of travel, I became a writer.”

She slipped a bottle of wine out of her daybag. “But,” she persisted, pouring me a plastic glass, “how do you make money at travel?”

How to Make Money

I hadn’t really thought of the formula before. The wine was good and she was bubbly, so I took a long sip and, sounding both professorial and fatherly, I traced the evolution of my business.

“First you travel. Then you give talks with a slideshow. Be generous with your information. There’s a huge demand for entertaining and practical talks--libraries, schools, businesses, clubs.

“When you write a book, people think you’re an expert--even if you’re not. That respect gives you the momentum to become an expert. Get your teaching out there anyway you can. Keep giving free talks. Let newspapers use your writing for free. Teach first. Sell second. But don’t quit your day job. You’re still not making much money.

“Actually, to make any serious money,” I said, finding myself progressively more interested in putting my peculiar business formula into words, “you need to organize a mini-bus tour which you promote through your lectures. Think of it as a nonprofit communal adventure. Charge only enough to cover your trip costs. Limit the group to eight. Be selective. Assemble a gang of friends. Take lots of photos showing you and the group having a blast.

You are a teacher of travel. Not a travel agent. Continue being generous with your information. Be passionate about the beauty of travel--a Johnny Appleseed of travel dreams. If you doggedly keep teaching and let your love of travel shine, eventually you might make some money.”

"As long as you have the desire, you can become a travel writer. No special education or experience is necessary to become a travel writer."
 
I desire.
I desire.
I desire.
I DESIRE!!!!!!