Westward Ho!

This may surprise some of you, but I'm flying to Seattle today.

I'm flying to Seattle to interview for a job that would take me to Japan for the next year. Remember a few blog posts ago or so when I mentioned applying for a job that I really wanted? Yeah, this is it. I got an email from the company on Tuesday night asking me to be in Seattle this weekend for the interview. So I blew my savings on plane flights and hotels, and I've packed all my suits and professional clothing in my backpacking pack. I was up until midnight working on an example lesson plan and the accompanying props. Speaking of props--major props to the friend who came over and took me grocery shopping and helped with my props until nearly midnight, but they don't read this blog anyway. But without them, I probably wouldn't have gotten any sleep at all.

I'm gambling a lot this job opportunity, but that's what trying to fulfill dreams is all about right? Taking risks. It's about not doing sensible things like fixing one's car and instead using that money to buy last minute plane tickets to Seattle and moving to foreign countries to live by one's self. It's about going for broke. Right?

I wouldn't call myself incredibly well-travelled, but my record's not bad. I've travelled to three foreign countries and two other continents. I even have a fair amount of solo travel experiences. I've flown to Hawaii, Japan, Washington D.C. etc. on my own, and I've wandered around strange cities many times. But I don't think I've ever done a trip quite this solo. I've never bought all my own tickets and reserved all my own hotel reservations. I've never not had someone to meet me in the destination city, whether at the airport or near to it. This is my first trip completely on my own. Chances are, no one else from my interview group will even be in the same hotel. The number of things that could potentially go wrong on this very high-stakes trip (did I mention that I blew my whole savings? and that I really really want this job?) are rather alarming, but, overall, I'm staying confident. I'll have my cell phone and my computer, and there are few problems that can't be solved with internet access and phone calls to friends and family. I've looked up the necessary bus schedules, and I've got double copies of all the important information.

So, wish me luck, both with the travel and the interview.