Recently, we called the credit card company to let them know that we’ll be traveling out of the country and to please please please not “block” our credit card. When we were away volunteering in South America last time, they deactivated our card so many times that we continually had to have three backup plans in place at any given moment. Being stranded at the Buenos Aires airport trying to figure out how to make a collect call at midnight was no fun at all.
So, I’m telling the credit card guy on the phone the dates for our upcoming journey, and he is astounded at how long we’ll be away. I let him know that it’s probably not exactly as thrilling as it may appear; after all, we’ll be working. I told him that so that he could contain his excitement. Unexpectedly, though, he becomes even more blown away. He said “Who gets to work from where ever they want?”
It seems nuts that such an insignificant conversation could serve as a big reality check for us. We are very lucky that we get to make a living while we explore places like South America. So many people telling us that we are nutty for not being more “stable” that we can tend to forget how awesome it is to be living deliberately, outside of predefined notions of success.
So, here we are barely into January, and the year ahead already has two big themes: finding the courage to live authentically and remaining mindful of how incredible it is to do so.
Clearly, a periodic reality check is a good thing.
Latest posts by wearekandc
- Here's to Courage - December 11th, 2009
- International Volunteer Day - December 4th, 2009
- From South America to Samoa - November 27th, 2009
- Take Action in NYC: Mercy Corps - November 6th, 2009
- 5 Surprises About International Volunteering: #5 - We're All Connected - October 21st, 2009
- Help Keep the World Amazing: Blog Action Day 2009 - October 15th, 2009
- 5 Surprises About International Volunteering: #4 - "Wow" Moments - October 13th, 2009
- 5 Surprises About International Volunteering: #3 - Living With Less - October 1st, 2009
- 5 Surprises About International Volunteering: #2 - Language Non-Barriers - September 25th, 2009
- 5 Surprises About International Volunteering: #1 - Disorganized Organizations - September 18th, 2009
Right on, keep up the great attitude. We need more folks like you. Maybe one day our paths will cross.