Dreaming about the future

Scenario #1: Fly to Seattle, get shit ready to move to Chicago, go to Burning Man, drive to Chicago via 1-90.

Scenario #2: Seattle-get shit ready, road trip it down the coast and take my sweet ass time to get to Chicago, visit everywhere I've ever wanted to go between here and there.

I would like to do both, but time is a bit of an issue. Well, not really, since I'm not setting up a job before I leave. I'm going to try and get a job doing tech support at my roommates work. The pay is very good, and it's a real "adult" job with benefits and shit. Did I mention the pay is really good? I can live in Chicago and save a metric fuck ton of money to travel with. The first year I get 12 vacation days, and the year after I get 18. I suppose I can do either two 1 week vacations or one 2 week vacation. I will need some time off to go home for Christmas. Well, maybe only like 2 days, assuming we have Christmas off anyway. I can leave Friday night the 21 and come back the 26 and start work again on Thursday.

Then I can still have more vacation time. Where to go??? I think I want to backpack somewhere in South America (Bolivia?) for a week. And maybe go to Europe too for a week. The year after maybe I can take one week to visit family and 2 weeks to backpack somewhere. Somewhere...Asia maybe? A trek in Bhutan? Hmm....By the end of 2 years I should have enough savings (and have lived in one place long enough) to take off and backpack around for a good, long, while. Then, well, who knows.

And, I can finish grad school in those two years. Get my MFA in creative writing from Vermont College. Oh, damn. I will have to use my vacation time to complete my residencies....sonofabitch. well, it will all be worth it in the long run....lots of savings, a degree that actually qualifies me to do something (ie, teach), and I will have lived in a place I've never been for 2 years. All good stuff. I can sacrifice a couple things for these.