I'm just thinking out loud here

[marathoner452]

According to the American Airlines website, I could leave for New Orleans on 9/25 and come back on 10/12 and it would only cost $172 round-trip.  It doesn't get much better than that, esp. not because I have a $200 voucher from being bumped on my way home last time.  That way I could direct the Bachman Valley 1/2, spend 2 1/2 weeks gutting houses in New Orleans, and get back in time to volunteer at Baltimore and still be bumped on the way home if I got the chance.  It's a possibility.

The director of my summer running program might be offering a fall running program for $25 a month/$60 for 3 months to get in speedy shape for a fall race of my choosing.  That also sounds like an appealing way to spend my fall.  It might be a good idea to wait until hurricane season is done to go to New Orleans anyway.  Cooler and drier and less dangerous and I could get away from winter.

I'll make $75 a day as a degreed substitute teacher, before taxes.  I could make what I make now on 3 days a week and still have time to take the prereqs for a master's in elementary education.  I could also use the subbing to decide if that's even what I want to do.  That way I wouldn't sink a bunch of money and time in only to realize that while kids are fun when you're teaching them about tornadoes, a full-time job in teaching them is not my thing.  I've thought I knew what I was doing before, after all, and it came back to bite me.  I want to be careful this time.  Confident but still careful.

I could take out loans to cover school and use my AmeriCorps money to take a three-week Outward Bound course in Alaska.  $3k or so for tuition, plus airfare and supplies, for 3 weeks of kayaking and mountaineering in The Last Frontier.  That would be amazing.  Obviously that would have to wait until next summer 'cause Outward Bound ain't running courses in Alaska in the winter.  :-)  I could also do an Outward Bound Swap-Ya, but unfortunately those coming up conflict with my last week of work, which I would like to skip at this point based on how I feel about certain people but I do feel an obligation to finish what I started.  And I want my education award so I can go to grad school/Alaska.

I'm done thinking out loud now. 

~Bethany

Comments

[marathoner452.livejournal.com]

Outward Bound actually offers some pretty good scholarships, which you might be even more eligible for than I was because you'll be supporting yourself. I think I got $300 plus a $200 interest-free loan on tuition of $1695. Most of the weeklong courses are cheaper than that, but that one was international to the Bahamas. B-)

www.outwardboundwilderness.org
www.ncoutwardbound.org

Mardi Gras 2007 is 2/20, and the Mardi Gras Marathon is 2/25. I'm thinking get down there a week or two before to save on airfare and stay for a week or so after. I'd walk the marathon or volunteer-I'm not even going to try running a marathon if I have to gut a house the next day.

It's a good thing you're not moving in the next weekend, because that's when Kristin's going off to college. I have a race the morning of the 20th, but so far as I can tell I'd be free. I might even be able to talk some of my family into helping you out. :-)

~Bethany