Back and Forth (and back again)

Jonathon Fairclough

Production Editor

People ask me from time to time how I’m able to travel every summer. Most assume that I have charitable kin or that I’m in good stead with credit companies, but the answer is far simpler than that.

Every summer, thousands of jobs open up overseas and every summer, thousands of people make excuses for why they can’t go. Perhaps it’s the North American mentality, a ‘denial of deservedness,’ which convinces us that staying at home and making “real money” at a warehouse or a restaurant is far more feasible than embarking on an odyssey into the unknown.

I concede that travel isn’t for everyone, that some people are indeed satisfied with the home life; I don’t blame them. Unfortunately, for me, there is far too much to see, far too much to digest, and far too much to discover in this small pocket of time that we possess, that remaining still in my free months might as well be a death-sentence.

That might be little dramatic, maybe, but for those of you who relate to that last sentiment, hear me out: getting over there isn’t as hard as you may think.

It comes down to sustainability if you think of it. Many friends of mine have made the mistake of cashing out their OSAP loans, stacking their credit card bills, and plunging into their savings accounts without thinking of how easy it is to travel in a more rewarding way: by working.

Four years ago I needed a change of scenery, and for plenty of reasons. Brandon Hall caught fire and McMaster had paid me a hefty “transportation fee” for the hassle and inconvenience of having to commute from a hotel downtown – so I had money for a plane ticket. I had lost an old friend to cancer and was getting over a long-term relationship that went sour – so I had my motive. I was in a mental grey-area, devoid of any real purpose or direction – so I had my necessity. But one thing I didn’t have was the funds to sustain myself over there, so I did what I had to: I googled “European summer jobs”… it was that simple.

Now it may sound like a longshot but I promise you, it’ll pay off.  I spent upwards of six hours my first day getting in contact with every restaurant, hostel, and travel company to inquire about job openings. Every single business that caters to the tourist industry is looking for extra help in the summer: this is a fact. You don’t need to know multiple languages (I’m a shameful Anglophone myself) since English is a general travel language and most places won’t mind one bit.

Don’t be intimidated by contacting companies through any means necessary, or apathetic with following up with them.  I

f they don’t have an email to be reached at, call them, what do you have to lose? Haven’t heard back from them in a few days? Call back, keep asking. You have absolutely nothing to lose, thousands of miles away, from being persistent and asking for a job – the worst thing that’ll happen is that they turn you down or ignore you… and who cares about that?

I asked questions, fired off resumés, and gnawed away at the internet. I refused to accept that I couldn’t find a job, I refused to accept the comfort of staying in Canada for another summer; I simply refused. In one week from that first day of job-hunting I had an interview for what was to be my eventual job. Now every summer I travel around the continent and guide trips for a reputable travel company – all food, travel, and accommodation paid for.

Not into guiding trips?

Why not work as a server in a café or a grape-picker in a vineyard? These jobs are a dime a dozen and I have encountered plenty of people who have done it.

They book time off of work and travel on the money they’ve earned, and they’ve had a kick-ass time doing it.

When you work overseas you are enabling sustainability, and you will pay for all of your expenses (including airfare) and you’ll come home with a little money in your pocket and a book full of memories and misadventures.

So, dearest travel companion, if you’re reading this, be sustainable in your adventures. Emptying your savings account and travelling until it runs out is no way to enjoy a life abroad; the thought of being low on funds will interfere with your experiences overseas, trust me, I see it all the time in hostels and campsites. People who don’t have enough money for a meal or a subway ticket because they foolishly wrote a cheque they couldn’t cash.

Instead, dear reader, plan ahead. Find a source of income over there, forget about running out of money, and enjoy the time you have there.

This summer will be my fourth year overseas, and there’s no way I’m slowing down. It happened to me, it could happen to you, start searching and make the dream happen.

Until next time: adios!