Happy(?) 2 Years!

"Today is life - the only life you are sure of. Make the most of today. Get interested in something. Shake yourself awake. Develop a hobby. Let the winds of enthusiasm sweep through you. Live today with gusto." - Dale Carnegie

A friend recently posted this on Facebook - If you were unemployed for 2 years and have a decent money account with no commitments (children and single), what would you be doing those years. Glad to know I’m not the only one going through this! This is how I have been making the most of my days and how I spent the last two years:

Traveling

Oct. 2008 - Vegas

Two years ago I finished my last class towards a MBA and a few days later was my last day at the job I've been at for almost seven years. The next day I went to Vegas to celebrate. I also had a job interview and was hired on the spot. Training started a few days later but my flight home was the next day. Besides, I was not prepared to make that move yet.

One of my only pictures from this trip because my camera decided to die on me.

Dec. 2008 - LA

I had friends getting married in the LA area and found a pretty good last minute deal so off to California I went.

Sitting by a pool for a spa day in Dec! No complaints from me!

Jan. 2009 - Costa Rica

My parents have fallen in love with Costa Rica and decided to buy some property. My sister and I were lucky enough to join my dad to check out the land they were buying.

The house on the property

June 2009 - SF

Another friend was getting married, this time in San Jose. Got to spend a few days hitting up all the tourist spots in San Francisco with my family before the wedding.

Everywhere you look...

June 2009 - Costa Rica

Yes, I was able to Costa Rica twice! This second time was for a mission trip. Had a medical and dental clinic, as well as a kid's crafts area, where I was most of the week. Thought I would remember at least some of my Spanish... that didn't happen!

Kid's craft area

Sept. 2009 - Philippines

My sister had a summer internship in the Philippines, so I went to "pick" her up. Stayed for three weeks and did so much! I wasn't ready to leave yet, and even considered looking for a job here.

The chocolate hills in Bohol

Mar. 2010 - Baltimore

The first adventures of 2010 began visiting friends who live near Baltimore. Since we've been there a few times, our friends take us to new places to explore.

Ellicott City, MD

Apr. 2010 - Columbus

My friends were attending a seminar in Columbus and invited me to go since I still wasn't working. I had never been, so I went along for the ride and got to explore the city.

Short North, Art District

July 2010 - NY

I usually try to travel around my birthday so I can celebrate in another city. This year I was fortunate enough to find a cheap last minute flight. Since this was my first time I tried to hit up the tourist spots.

Rockefeller Center

Oct. 2010 - Aruba

My cousin decided to have a destination wedding. My mom sent me to represent our family!

Baby Beach

And in between a number of long weekends or day trips around the Midwest -Michigan, Indiana, Wisconsin, and Missouri.

Developing Hobbies:

Baking

I've always been more of a baker than a cook. I find it somewhat therapeutic frosting a cupcake. I'm not creative enough to make my own recipes but I am excellent at following directions!

Pumpkin Gooey Cupcakes

Photography

I've also always loved taking pictures. Last year I got my first DSLR. Still trying to figure it out, and hoping to take a class very soon.

Making extra cash:

Babysitting

I think it's a huge compliment when parents’ trust me with their kids. It's not easy to find someone you can trust to care for your kids, so I think it's great when I get asked to babysit, and I don’t mind it at all. It's also great to be able to "borrow" these kids but at the end of the day it’s nice when they go home to their parents!

It’s actually been suggested to me to open a daycare… We shall see…

Volunteering:

Mission trip - As mentioned earlier, I was able to go on a mission trip to Costa Rica.

Got to play and color with the kids all week!

Typhoon Ondoy - When I was in the Philippines, a typhoon hit the main island pretty badly. We were on another island at the time and missed the storm. We took one day and visited Marakina, one of the hardest hit cities, to pass out some relief goods.

Marakina

Ignite Fest - I have always loved going to concerts. If I can volunteer and spend a whole two days at a concert, I am there.

Ignite Fest 2010

It may not seem like much, you may think I'm not spending enough time looking for a job. I figure it's only about 100 days out of 730 days. After two years there is only so much you can do, and you start to find other ways to keep entertained and fill your days. Besides, it's these little things that keep me going, helps the time to go by, and helps me to stay positive. I will continue to look for a job, but I’m not going to sit around! I’m going to make the most of this time I am given and live my life with gusto!

If you had no job for two years and had enough money to stay afloat, what would you do?