So I've posted a few things about finances here before. There is my most popular post of all time on Cubicle Throwdown, Tipping Guidelines for Diving on Roatan (or Anywhere) that had quite a bit of money info in it, as well as a detailed Dive Instructor Salary on Roatan post that generated lots of love but also some threats from jerks who wanted to hate on "gringos stealing all the jobs here" (again, to those people: first, read my small disclaimer post, then, get your ...
Figuring It Out
I am not a tree. (On changing my house, and other things.)
If you don't like where you are,change it.You are not a tree.I read the above quote on my friend Amanda's blog and first I laughed. Then the absolute simplicity and truth of it exploded my brain. Think about it, and then really think about it. Unless you're actually a tree (in which case, kudos for getting online and being literate and all that), you have no reason that you cannot change it. Maybe you have reasons you won't change it, or don't change it. But don't ...
How Being an Expat Has Changed Me (or, I Never Knew I Could Drink This Much)
I'm almost coming up on a year in living on Roatan. Moving to this tiny island in the Caribbean has made me a different person. Slowly but surely, Roatan has pushed me, pulled me, stretched me and gotten under my skin and I'm changing. I think it's amazing how transplanting yourself into a foreign country can make you see yourself so differently.Since becoming an expat here...I've learned to cling less to others and rely on myself.People come and go, and come and go here. It's a ...
Renovating the cubicle.
Welcome to the new cubicle!This little blog has been around for 9 months now and in the theme of that timeframe, I am starting to think of it more and more like a baby. I have to take care of it, interact with it, and put work into it for it to grow.I have big plans for Cubicle Throwdown, however we all know first impressions are the most important, so on my to-do list first was a little cubicle redecorating.Being on a tight budget meant that a custom blog redesign was unfortunately out ...
Here or there?
Things are strange. Things might change. That is all for now. ...
You’ve come a long way, baby.
Sometimes I sit back and still can't really believe my life now.I live on a little tropical island in the Caribbean.I have absolutely no obligation to do anything I don't want to do until at least December.I spend my days diving the most amazing reef in the world and then I either party at night or stay home and relax and watch the sun set over the ocean.And now... I'm a certified PADI Divemaster!I've come a long, long way.Last week I finally finished my divemaster training. It ...
And so it begins.
Well, hello! It's been awhile. I've been drowning in to-do lists and work. I was crazy when I thought I could do this two full-time job thing until the end of September. I absolutely can't, so it's a good thing I'm leaving early. I'm exhausted and cranky (sorry to everyone who has to deal with me at either workplace). I've gotten TWO eye infections in the last few weeks. I've never had a damn eye infection in my life. What the hell? I know I need to slow down and rest but the countdown on my ...
Motivation.
As someone with ADD I find it incredibly difficult to keep my steam going in one direction, especially when it comes to long(ish) term plans....such as deciding to pack up your life and move to the Bay Islands in five months. I knew right from the start that this would be a challenge for me and so I had to prepare for it.This is my bedroom mirror where I sit in front of and get ready every single day. I have a 2 lempira bill on the mirror and every morning I force myself to look through my ...
Up and down.
Sometimes I think this blog reads like a roller coaster - up ("going to Roatan wooooooooooo") and down ("forgot about a billion things I have to pay for boooooooooo") over and over again. Although, when I stop to think about it, it's really what life has been like lately so I guess at least it's accurate...?We are back on an UP after my lame downer about my tax miscalculations with having two jobs this year. I hadn't taken into consideration that I wasn't getting enough income ...
Over and over again.
Once again I have managed to overlook an important detail - I hope when people read this blog they can avoid some of the mistakes I am making! Oh well, all in the name of knowledge, right?In my post a couple days ago, I talked about how I'm going to be rolling in cash by the time I leave on my cubicle throwdown thanks to working what basically amounts to two full-time jobs. I completely forgot that with all this money comes a new tax rate since my jobs are not taking into ...