And Back to Work
Ok so all of you are wondering where I am at, where I am working and how in the world did I end up there. Let me back track a little bit. Most of you know that I have been talking about heading out to North Dakota to get some work on the oil rigs once the winter was over, so I could survive living in my van. I actually don’t remember how long I have been talking about it. My goal was to head out there to get a job working a minimum of 80hrs a week but more then likely would end up more like a 100hrs a week. The pay out there is good and on top of pay there was housing, sign on bonus, monthly bonus and raises more often then you can imagine. How could I turn down the idea of making a few thousand a week. A few months of working like this and I would be completely debt free.
Once out of my debt I would go on my dream trip down to S. America and Antarctica (all 7 continents). From there I would go back to volunteering at non profits or working for expenses. I don’t need to work for more then that. Not saying I wouldn’t mind more then that but I am content with that.
After months of dreaming I find myself in a little room in the basement of a house in Williston, North Dakota. A town so big that it would take me about 45 seconds to tell you all there is to do in town. No really there is that little to do. I started filling out applications and talking to people about work immediately. I was really excited to get this adventure going. Fast forward a few weeks and I am still in that little room with a crack of sunlight coming through a hole filling out applications. I was getting nowhere, not even a single phone call. I was seeing postings being put up for jobs that I applied for weeks before. They are still hiring? Why haven’t they called? I called jobs back, dropped peoples names and anything else you can think of. You never got passed the receptionist. I really tried everything you can think of.
Ok so some of you might say why not cut your hair. One it made no difference cause I couldn’t even see someone to talk with. I was also more clean cut then half the people there. No really I was. J Everyone I talked to out there was surprised that I hadn’t landed a job or wasn’t even getting a call back. I was wondering if something was wrong with my number, nope that was still being used everyday without a problem. After weeks of filling out applications and getting no response starts to wear you down.
Now everyone one is saying that they are hearing about plenty of jobs. Do not get me wrong as there are plenty of jobs out there. Fast food was hiring at 12 to 15 an hour starting, warehouse work and plenty of other jobs. Most of which would offer 40 to 60 hrs a week. However that is not what I went out there for. I went to go work so many hours that I would really not have a life. The town was so small that I would just be bored out of my mind while not working. This isn’t a place that I wanted to build a life. The goal was to show up work, pay off the debt and get back to serving. I did however apply for a couple jobs that I know I was well over qualified for and still got no call backs.
On top of the wonderful feeling of no call backs, I was out there all alone. Now I have traveled a lot on my own but usually I have some sort of agenda or at least experiencing new cultures. If it was a place I didn’t care for I would just move on to another location. To try to bear with living in this place I started to work on making a community. For the first time I attended a new comers diner at one of the local churches. I made a fair bit of friends down at the disc golf course. Actually helped get a league started and get the ball rolling on a summer tournament. I was also blessed by having a friend show up the last week and a half I was there which helped make it bearable. He is still there and has a bit of a different goal then I do for being up there.
As I was sitting there filling out applications feeling unhappy I would think. I did a TON of that while out there. Now I can go grab a job working more normal hours for a good company and even grow within that company. But that isn’t what I really want. If I am going to work a job with more normal hours then I might as well do it around friends and family. At least somewhere that is a city where I can feel like I have more some sort of a life.
While sitting there thinking about work and friends I ended up in touch with a company I used to work for. They said they would love to have me back and that any work they would have would be mine. So here is my debate.
North Dakota – If I stay I can continue building this community I am starting and trying to make. I can at least find a job that will give me 40 to 60 hrs a week. Hopefully switching jobs in time that will give me the pay and hours I want. Would probably have to stay for a year (through winter) to get everything accomplished like I want.
California – live in community with good friends. Work for a company with friends. Work not guaranteed as it is typical production work (job to job) but they have stayed real busy and any work they get is mine. At times I would still be working a 100hrs a week. Probably take a few years to reach my goal.
So I sit thinking what do I want out of life? I want life. I must say that I do hate the lifestyle of Southern California as it wears me out and well I don’t care for a lot of the same things as the majority of the people here. I want to lice in community and enjoy my time. I need to receive a bit more right now. For awhile I have felt like I have given so much that I need to just rest and take some things in. I don’t have the strength or energy to build another community.
I guess when I actually look at what I want my decision is easy. I am going back to cali. One place I thought I would NEVER move back to. Honestly if I was in Seattle still I would have at least stayed there with family and probably taken a job bagging groceries instead of moving back. Even with the same job offer.
Currently I am now waking up with the smell of the ocean every morning. Currently eating breakfast and writing this blog while looking through palm trees at the ocean and about to pick up a friend for a morning game of disc golf. I am spending my nights at the local coffee house where friends of 10+yrs work. Going to go to Lord Windsor grand opening party this weekend to support a friends roaster company. Basically I have come back to live life. Yes I am planning on being here for awhile with the focus of paying off my debt. But at least I will be enjoying my time while I do it. I will take this time to rest and gain more knowledge. Yes I will be back out in ministry and the non profit realm but instead of being out there next year it will probably be a couple. I am now ok with that.
Normally when it comes to work I have always put my faith in God to provide the work I need when I need it. If there was a trip I was planning I would pray and job would show up for the right amount of time giving me just enough money. Work would be slow and I would need rent. I would pray and well at the last min the money would always come in. I break my arm with no insurance. I pray that the Lord would give me the work I would need to be able to pay it off and some charity approval to help make the bill bearable. He took care of it. When I looked at the oil rigs I saw that I could make a lot of money real fast. Then I can get back out to doing the stuff I love doing and living life the way I want. I was a bit more money driven and self determined. I can do this. But no I can’t do this. What I can do is lean and trust on the one thing I do know. That God can do this and will show me how. I have come back to live a life a little different then serving others and traveling for awhile. It will be spent at birthday parties, friends grand openings, their concerts, weddings, art shows. A time to just live life receiving. Work? Well I am back to trusting God that it will come. Heck they already told me that since I am going to be back for awhile they want me to take more responsibility and help take care of things in shop as it has become a bit unorganized in my absence.
Alright Lord, in the center of materialism (Southern California) is where you want me to be then it is where I will be. How long will I be here? My guess at least a couple years so if I am going to be stuck here then I might as well have some fun and take advantage of things while I can.
‘The Way’
Ok so I just watched the movie ‘The Way’ and I really like it. Of course is that a surprise as the movie does have to deal with traveling and backpacker. It was maybe the wrong movie for me to watch right now.
So why was it the wrong movie for me to see now. Well lets just say if I wasn’t living in a room in a basement with a window that is 1’x2’ I would be in my car driving away. Yes I came out here for the adventure, the Black Gold Rush. Kind of thought of it like the old west. Just getting in my car and driving out into the middle of no where to make it big. Well at least big enough and long enough to pay off this debt. Well I am in my third week of filling out applications and applications to not even get a call back. If I was at least making interviews and getting rejected it would be better then hearing nothing at all. The few people I know around here are all surprised that I haven’t gotten any calls from anyone.
Yes this weekend I made a few friends out on the disc golf course and have talked with them about helping put on a tournament out here. Heck there is nothing else to do out here but drink at the bars, which we all know that is my favorite past time. There was some good potential that was going to come my way Monday but it was all downhill. Nothing came through which of course just doesn’t help keep my spirits up. Anyone who has talked with me recently knows that this town has NOTHING and that it is LONELY out here. Of course I do have a friend that is going to show up this weekend which will help. But if no jobs come then it wouldn’t be fun for either one of us.
I have started to question if this is where the Lord wants me to be. I have talked about this for so long and some great things lined up for me to make it out here. But no it just seems like door after door is just being shut. Am I just being told something different now. I thought about it earlier today and said that if I was in my van I probably would be gone. But have I tried long enough? If I just called this a wash and left would it be a failure? How long do you try before giving up? I could be stubborn and just keep going but then there has to be a time that you must admit that it wasn’t right. I am not above admitting I was wrong.
Now many of you are going I thought that place is full of jobs. Yes there are plenty of jobs out here. But a lot of them I know I could get back home. The difference is they will pay a bit better and give me plenty of overtime. But that isn’t want I am looking for. I am wiling to work hard to get rid of my debt which is possible on the rigs but not other jobs out here. If I was going to get one of these other jobs here then I would rather move back to WA or CA where I could be around friends and family. I know I can make some decent money out there and at least still enjoy my life instead of dread it.
This afternoon I was talking with a friend and he told me that maybe this isn’t where I am to be. He told me there was a room by him and that I should go out there. I don’t think he knows that I have thought about jumping in my van and just driving out of here. J But I was questioning if this is where I am to be.
Earlier today I got a message from a friend telling me that I should go work with him this summer cause they are hiring. I told him what my plans were and he sent a message back to me with a little bit of info about the job. I could go move out by him and possibly still make my goal. It wouldn’t be sure that I would make enough but there is a decent chance that I may. Nothing is even guaranteed here as it is. Tomorrow I will call him and at least get the information about it. Doesn’t hurt to at least get the info. The job just seems to be with work that I wouldn’t be as use to. I mean I am use to long days of manual labor.
Now back to the film. So as you can see I feel like I am stuck here. I am in a place I do not enjoy. The film made me remember some of the things I love about traveling. It didn’t really go into seeing a new culture or what it is like to meet up with other travelers. It did show it some but I feel like I saw more of it cause the glimpses brought back feeling and memories. It is about a fathers pilgrimage to know his son. He saw life in a different way. People he came across were very inviting and friendly. He spent time with people that he would normally just walk away from. Everyone one was on their pilgrimage for their own reason. Sometimes you find what you are looking for and maybe where you thought you would find it. Most of the time you find something that you wouldn’t expect and in ways you could have never thought of.
In the beginning of the film something was said that stuck in my head through out the whole film. ‘You don’t choose a life, you live one’ To be honest being here doesn’t feel like I am living my life. I feel like I am just trying to get by. I am trying to do something that is draining the life out of me so I can go live my life. Why not take the time at a job that wont be as quick to make money but at least enjoy living my life more. So do I just go back to another job? I could get one here that has some decent to good pay and make a life here. But I really don’t see why I want a life here. Outside of disc golf I haven’t had anything here. Got to play some games one night with some friends but that can happen anywhere as well.
Decisions, decisions, decisions. I have a feeling I will be praying about jobs here and there.
A Long Normal Weekend
6:30 in the morning and for some reason I wake up. Not really sure as I only laid down about 6 hours ago and was feeling very tired. Oh well I need to get up this early tomorrow morning so this is a good start.
The last couple days here have been a bit different from the previous couple weeks. So Thursday afternoon I got a gift in the mail that I had been waiting for for a few weeks now, a bunch of Frisbees for some disc golf. Now to most people this wont mean anything and wouldn’t have meant as much to me until I was here. But this is currently the only thing I have been doing here in my free time so it meant everything. My day usually consist of going to a company and asking if the are hiring to be turned away by the receptionist and then sitting in my room on the computer filling out more applications. When I am not at my computer I walk into town to grab a bit to eat are chat to a few friends online. Too much time looking at the screen. So I have been trying to get out to the disc golf course in the late afternoon to play a game when it isn’t too windy and I need a break from being rejected all day. J
So I get this great gift in the mail but cant really do anything with them right now cause I need to get more work done and of course like normal out here it is a bit to windy the last few days. Friday comes around and I just have a really slow start to my day. After lunch I was able to get ahold of a guy named Nathan. He is a friend of a friend who works with oil rigs in North Dakota. Now I know he worked in ND but didn’t know that he was actually working out of Williston, where I am at. I would have so worked harder at getting ahold of him earlier if I had only realized this. We talked for a bit and he told me to go by one of the companies and who to try talking to about a job. I like the idea of having some names to use cause that means I can hopefully get past the receptionist. He also invites me to go out with him to a few rigs on Monday to talk to the guys out there to try to get on one of the rigs.
Ah some potential of getting a job that isn’t an ad in the paper or a website. This is a very refreshing feeling. So I get my stuff together and drive out to the company office to see what I can do. As I am pulling in they have a banner that says hiring. I actually didn’t pay attention to whish positions specifically as 95% of the time you need experience and or a CDL (commercial drivers license). It wouldn’t matter anyways cause I am still going to try talking to them. As I get to the front door there is a sign that say new applicants Monday thru Thursday only. Now this was a bit of a set back. So I decide to wait till Monday as it is already late afternoon on Friday so not much will usually happen over the weekend as the office will be closed. They open at 7 so I figured I would be there when they open and then meet up with Nathan at 8 to go out to the wells. The timing should work out nicely.
It is now late afternoon offices are in the process of closing, I have no more leads, the weather is nice and I happen to be across the street from the disc golf course with a bunch of disc I have never tried out. You guessed it, time to go and try out the new disc. So I head out to one of the more flat and open areas to practice the long range disc. It is kind of like going to the driving range to try out a new club, however you have to go fetch your Frisbees when done. So I was out there for a little over an hour throwing my drives over and over when I started talking to one of the groups playing through the course. I was invited to join in with them in their game and at first I was saying no. But then I decided why not. So I jumped in with them on the third hole and had an enjoyable game. The course has a few missing tees as it needs to be maintained so I showed them where I had been playing some of the tees and they showed me as well. We all played te course a bit differently this time.
As we were talking I go to find out that all these guys work at 3 Amigos which was the build your own burrito place that I found the day before. They of course like everyone are hiring but sadly not the work I am looking for right this min. (they did work 160 hr week the first week while looking for employees). After our game I went over to grab a bite to eat with them. They happen to make these philly cheese steaks at night only that they say are amazing. Decide to try it to find out that they ran out of bread. Back to the burrito which then I have to wait for the peppers and onions to be cooked cause they are out. I go to get my sweet tea to have to wait again cause it was out. What crappy luck I am having for diner.
After diner I walk through the parking lot to the house next door as that is where they all live. We then go to spend the rest of the night playing some board games, hookah and the rest of the Ron Zaccapa. As we sat there playing more of their roommates came home. Basically almost everyone that works at 3 Amigos lives in that house, even the manager. Looks like I just became friends with everyone there.
Now Saturday comes around and got no real plans but to meet up with the guys from the day before to play a game of disc golf in the afternoon. Now I get everything else done that I had planned before lunch and the weather is perfect out. The sun is shining, no wind and the temp is perfect. So I decided to head out to the course early and practice my the mid range disc this time. It is a little before one that I make it out there. I play a round then sit in the field practicing over and over and over. Take a few small breaks to talk with other plays on the course, most of which are trying to figure out the course due to the one bad map online and lack of signs to help you learn where to go next.
I then decide to take a little break and sit back at my van with a nice cup of tea. Saw two of the guys that were playing now sitting of in the field reading some books. I invite them over for a cup and we sit around talking for a little. Then decide to go play another game before diner. Go to find out they were trying to play a game with just a normal Frisbee as they were bored so decided to try to play the game. Interesting fact they are both also from the Seattle area. Since I now have enough disc I gave them some to use for the game so they can get a better feel of how it is played.
Now I wasn’t able to try these amazing cheese steaks the night before so the three of decide to head over there for diner. It is now a little after 7 and I realized that I had been out there playing for around 6 hours. If you are wondering if those cheese steaks were any good I can defiantly tell you it was one of the best I have ever had.
Ok so the basement that I am currently living in is still having a few more rooms built in the basement that are currently unoccupied. There is a chance that the two guys from seattle that I played with today may end up being my new roommates.
Plans for the day today. Going to meet up with these guys at church this morning grab some lunch and hit up another game this afternoon. The weather is suppose to be nice, not as warm but hopefully good enough for another game.
All in all it has been a good, busy, fun, normal weekend.
Why I Am Job Hunting
Here I am filling out more applications. I got an email from one of the companies saying that I didn’t get the job due to qualifications or the way I answered some of their questions, mind you the entire process is done on their website. I was actually really glad to have gotten the email cause I know where I stand. I would rather be told something harsh right up front then let it be ignored and wonder where I stand. Of course the email I got was a generic one I still would like to know if I didn’t get the job because of the way I answered the questions or qualifications. That is a bit annoying. Oh well I just filled out another application for another position with them. Just keep going and don’t let it get you down.
Now I did expect this to take a couple weeks to get a good job and it has only been one so far. However I am finding it hard to put all this time, effort and energy into something that I could really care less about. I don’t care about this work, these companies or what they really do. I just want out of my debt enough that I guess I am willing to put up with all of this for the time being.
There are a lot of people out here working to make all this money cause they believe that once they have it they will be happy. Guess what it wont work. In a way I guess you can say I am doing the same. I think of it more as getting away from this burden so I can stay happy. I have found peace and happiness picking up the rubble of a house hit by a tornado. Walking the slums of costa rica giving someone food. Hanging out in an orphanage washing the clothes for the kids. However our wonderful government is going to stop me from living like that until I pay off this debt. So that is what I am working for. I am not doing this to save up money so one day I don’t have to work anymore and live like this.
Why not live like it now? That company you are working for that s going to give you that wonderful retirement package, well will they still be there when the time comes? Will your health still be around for you to be able to do it? Would you regret that you never did it? Will there still be a government to give you your social security? Many people are putting their trust that they will be able to one day do all this. I am not and know MANY people to aren’t. I am putting my trust in my God that when the time comes for him to provide he will. I mean how many times have I had a job just come my way that gives me what I need to go on my next trip? Or I win a contest at the last second that is the same amount as my bills? Or I call about a bill and they tell me that it has been taken care of and I owe nothing? Go to diner to find out it is payed for? I put my trust there and not in the paper or companies. Yes I can be discouraged about all the companies not getting back to me. However I am doing what I can and the right job will come along for the right amount of time like it always has. I do not doubt that. I just sometimes get frustrated with the timing of all of it. Oh I cant wait to be able to just write off my debt.
One last quick thought. Working to provide is different then working to find that happiness.
The Job Hunt is On
The Job Hunt. Oh what fun it is not. This I must say is a bit odd for me as most jobs I have ever had have come from word of mouth. So to spend my days filling out applications is no fun, not saying that it is for others. As I have said before there are many jobs out here and the hard part is getting the right one. I enjoy going in and talking to people about jobs I just don’t care to fill out an application and let it sit on the computer hoping that someone will see it. That to me feels like a waste of time. More then half my jobs have all been on the computer. I have been just walking into some places and asking them and filling out an application right there. Still you don’t get past the receptionist.
So Friday I go to my friends work cause she says her boss has a friend that is could use some help and he is a construction worker. Ok I thought I would at least go get his info to talk to him. Really don’t care to do construction work cause I could find a job doing that somewhere else where I am at least around some friends and family. Yes I would be able to get more hours here but would at least like to do something a little different. As we were talking she told me that her ex boyfriend was looking for a couple people to build some pumps for the wells in their shop. He works for a company called Weatherford which is a large company in the oil fields. She told me that she would give him a call as well. Not even ten min later I have a msg from her to call her. This was on Friday. She said that he wanted me to come by Monday morning to talk about working. I was like wow that was fast, it always help to get word of mouth over the computer. Also glad to is still friends with her ex.
Now I would have gone in on Friday but it was Good Friday so I guess that he wasn’t in. This morning I went by to go talk to him about the work. From her talking she was like he needed something right away. As I got in he was like so you are looking for a job. We talked for a few min and he did inform me right away that he had nothing right this second but was working on a few things to start to get more people in there. He does have my info and then said he will give me a call in the next couple days letting me know what he has. I do feel like it went well but kinda bummed cause the impression I got was more like work right this min.
I am however going to fill out a few more applications this week to see what happens. Just not sure I want to just go walk into a company and pick up a job for two or three days doing warehouse work. A couple weeks no problem but for maybe just a couple days makes it harder. Of course another week of filling out applications and sitting around in this town with nothing to do and no one to be with does not sound like fun either. Why did it have to get colder again? If it was at least warm like the other weekend I could play some disc golf. It was 20f or -6c this morning when I go up. Yes it warms up during the days but this week isn’t suppose to be too warm. Probably wont start warming up again till I am in a shop working all day long. Alright got to go fill out some more applications.
Same Question Different Answer
A year later same question, different answer. So this last year has been a crazy year with many different adventures. I do NOT regret any of my decisions this last year as I have had the time of my life. However this next year is going to look a lot different.
This time last year I was hanging out at my friends apartment on the thirty something floor over looking Miami Beach. I was offered a really good job building the set for the new mini series ‘Magic City’ (go check out the trailer as my friend was one of the designers). And to piggy back that there was a film or two and another mini series. I decided to turn all that work down in the hopes to do some disaster relief and more non profit work. Well that dream sure came true within weeks and more so then I could have ever imagined.
Well this time around I am sitting in a room in a basement in Williston North Dakota about to take a job on an oil rig. I do have an interview Monday morning so feel free to pray that goes well. This time I am looking and applying for work instead of it being handed to me. Last time would have been a lot of work for the glorious Hollywood and this time it is for the dirty oil fields. Now, I have been asked why I am going to work now if I just turned down a dream job last year cause I said I don’t want to have this life anymore. Mainly cause now I want to get rid of my debt so I can go back to the non profit world without any worry of owing money. I believe that some of my adventures last year confirmed in me even more what really makes me happy and that I am going to go for. So last year was a great year of traveling around the US and world both a couple times and this year looks like a year of warehouses and the planes of the Midwest. Not as glamorous but in the long run will be just as rewarding. Here is to another crazy year, another glorious year. And Happy Easter to all.
N. Dakota Life
My life in North Dakota is so eventful that I haven’t been able to find the time to write. Actually that isn’t true, I don’t really care to look at the computer screen writing. I have spent a fair bit of time on computers the last couple days looking for jobs. That is really all I have done the last three days. Now don’t get me wrong cause everyone is right when they say there are a lot of jobs but that it just might take some time to get the job that you want. That is defiantly true. At the moment I guess I am being a bit picky. I am also told just don’t jump all over the first job that you are offered. Well right now I will take that first offer. After I don’t know how many applications I have sent out I am going to wait a day or two before I just go get a job as a metal fabricator or construction. Now I don’t mind these jobs but not to sure that is what I want to be doing up here as I could be doing that at home. However I would be getting A LOT more hours up here and probably a little better pay as well. I could just walk over to walmart or mcdonalds and get a job at 15hr with an easy 60hr weeks but don’t care for that. There are a ton of jobs like that around here. Fed Ex, UPS, Warehouse, Fast Food, I mean everything is hiring. So next week I will probably take more of a normal job and who knows I may stick it out with them or at least stay with them until one of the rigs are hiring.
Now there are a lot of rigs hiring but I walk in and most of them want experience or a CDL (commercial driving license). So that does hurt me even though some of them say they are accepting applications cause the are expecting to be hiring a lot more crew soon. Which again means just take another job for now and make what I can until one of those jobs open up. I did apply for a rig in the next town over today in hopes that if I get on and can transfer to this town when an opening comes along. The next town over (Watford) is about an hour away.
That brings me to life here. I don’t believe I have seen so many trailers and rvs in my life. You could almost say that this town is like comic con. I also don’t believe I have seen so many pick up trucks in one place in my life. There have to be more here then you would find at the redneck family reunion. Now what is there to do in town well not much. Most people work probably 10 to 12 hr days and life to go out drinking afterwards. If you want to know what most of the people here are like well imagine this. Boots, dirty jeans, flannel or carhart, ball cap, some sort of facial hair (either just haven’t shaved or growing it) and well I am about the average size build. Yes primarily all guys as I was told the male to female ratio is 80 to 1.
Now I have found the local disc golf course and talked with some people out there and I know when several of them show up to play. However I probably wont be playing much once I start work. I also received a note on my car today telling me that there is a group of other VW vans around and that I should give them a call. I have also found a decent café but sadly it closes at 6. The sun doesn’t set till about 830 so there is time to take a nice walk after diner. Of course there isn’t really anything to see.
That is what life is like here. I know really exciting. It also makes me wonder why I am still here. I know I am going to be here to pay off my debt but it is hard looking for a job and going to plan on work like crazy for something that doesn’t matter. I know it will be worth it in the long run but hard to stay motivated to get a job that I could care less about. Right now I have been hearing about the tornados in TX and it is taking a lot of will power to not take the little money I have to drive down there and help rebuild the houses down there. I would so rather be spending crazy hours picking up that rubbish and re tarping those roofs for people. Just think it was almost exactly a year ago that I missed the Tornado that went through Alabama. I will stay here to get this job and pay off this debt so I can go back to helping others but I must say I would so rather be down in the hot and humid south in the middle of all the rubbish. Oh Lord give me the strength I need to stay here and not head down.
Alright time to go to bed so I can wake up to all my job interview emails tomorrow.
North Dakota I Have Arrived
I have arrived with no problems. Of course as I go to grab a bite to eat my car acted up a bit. I pray there isn’t a problem now as I only want to deal with getting a job and not fixing my car. Add that to my prayer request.
North Dakota (I do believe that this now only leaves me with 7 more states to visit). Wow, I can’t believe that I am actually here. This is something that I have been talking about for some time and it is now actually happening. I don’t have a job yet but I do have a place to live out here. Everyone I have talked to out here says that finding a job wont be hard but may take a bit of work to get the right one. Well I was here for about 10 min when the guy working on the house I am moving into says that he might be able to hook me up as a Pipe Inspector. Starting pay is 25 while I get certified. After that 2 week course it goes to 30. After a year you get a raise to 40. I believe the job is 6 days a week. I am going to get more info like how many hrs they are actually looking at a week and some other details. But I don’t know if this is going to be the right job for me. I do plan on working more then 80hrs a week (sadly I hear that no one pays double time but EVERYONE has a ton of overtime to give). I kinda like the idea of 3wks on and 1wk off. At least that way I can take my week off to fly home and see my family or maybe some friends. I think I can handle that life a little easier. I am planning on being out here for awhile but not really expecting to have a life while I am here. If I don’t get that 1wk off then I may feel it a bit more.
Tomorrow night (sat) I am going to have diner with some new friends (friends of friends that hooked me up with this room I am renting). They have been asking around about some work and going to help point me in the right direction as where to look for jobs that are hiring. Also what to watch out for cause some companies will pay you for your commute to the job site and others wont. Going to learn what I need to lookout for.
Yes the Pipe Inspector is a good job don’t get me wrong but I would like to get some certifications and learn some things that I can take with me. I don’t plan on doing this work for the rest of my life. Not that it isn’t bad but I really just want to get back out to third world countries and working out there. I don’t see the point in getting a good job and just stay doing this work to make money and buy things. Yes I could work this Job for five or ten years and then retire with some non profits. But who says that I will be around long enough to do that. I could get deathly sick, have an accident or who knows what. I would rather just get done what I need to get done and then take what I know to go help others. I will end up making ends meet I am not worried about that. I have been living my life happily for awhile doing that. The Lord has always provided and will continue to do so I believe. As long as get something to eat and a place to sleep I am happy. So if I can get some certifications out here and use that in other countries to help people that would be awesome. I may have to put in a little more time but it would be well worth it in the long run. I guess it just comes down to the point I don’t see the purpose to make money to one day do something. I would much rather be out there with nothing, putting bandages on people, building someone a house, handing someone a sandwich, wiping away a tear. Basically I want to make a difference with my hands and with the people that want help, otherwise I would just make the money and pay others to do it for me.
For those of you who pray here are a few things for you.
- No problems with the car.
- I will get the right job without too much hassle.
- It doesn’t get to lonely out here
- That I will at least enjoy my time here, it will be easier at first while it is all new.
Maybe next time I will post about the lifestyles that I am seeing out here. Mainly all males and no females. Rough work environment for sure.
My Return Home
Returning Home. No I am not going back to Seattle, I have returned to living in the Walmart parking lots. Tonight I pulled up to the one in Bozeman, MT to realize that I have slept in this parking lot before. Because of that I knew I could steal the wifi from the hotel next door. J
My drive so far has been going smoothly which of course is a blessing. I did get a later start then I wanted to. That of course is due to not getting everything packed the night before cause I was busy being an uncle and then of course putting together mouse trap so the kids could play. No regrets. J
I showed up in Spokane around diner and kinda just hungout for a bit. Waited for my friend to finish some meetings and then got to play a little catch up before I went on my way. Today I made a stop in Missoula for lunch to see how another friend was doing. Sadly I have no more friends to visit until my final destination. My goal is to be there around mid day sat so I am trying to figure out if I am going to hang out around here for a bit or just make the full 8hr drive tomorrow. I will probably just take my time in the morning and then start driving. If it isn’t too windy then I can make some good time. But I have had some rough head and side winds. If I make it great if I don’t great. No plans till sat so it won’t really matter.
The drive so far has been beautiful. It is funny to think that it is spring when you are drive through the snow cap mountains. Must say that I love watching the sunsets over the snow cap mountains. As I am writing this I am remembering that it was the end of fall last time I was here and it was so cold that the water on the ground froze over night.
I guess that is all I really have to say about my trip so far. Glad to say that there aren’t really any crazy stories about this drive. Can’t believe that I am actually finally making this journey. I have talked about his for so long. Lord willing the next post will be to inform you all that I am now living in North Dakota and got there without a problem.
The North Dakota Saga
Here we are yet again. I am about to start my next journey. Am I excited, scared, anxious, and nervous? Well of course I am. For those of you who don’t know I am leaving for North Dakota. Some of you may have heard of what is being called the Black Gold Rush and others have not. So yes I am going out there hunting for that gold like those miners did back in the day.
Back in the fall I decided that when the weather would warm up and I could survive living in my van. That time has now come except I will not have to actually live in my van like I thought. Through some friends of friends I have been offered a room to rent in a house out there. Now this is a miracle all in itself. For those of you who don’t know there are people making over 100k and living in their car cause they can’t find a place to sleep at night. Yes there are that many more people then places to live right now.
Some of you have been asking me if I have a job already lined up and the answer is of course not, that wouldn’t be my style right. J I have been talking to a few people out there and have been told that there isn’t really anything I can do to get a job before I come out. There are so many people looking that they won’t actually take you seriously until you are out there. I am told that finding a job won’t be a problem but it may take me a couple weeks to actually get the job that I am looking for. I have also been told by a couple people that it is going to be much easier for me to land a job now that I have a place to stay. Because I am living somewhere they know that I am there to stick it out and that I am not going to just come and go.
So what kind of job am I looking for out there? Well I want to just work on the oil rigs themselves. I know there are many other kinds of jobs out there but that isn’t what I am looking for. I will be looking for the actual drilling or working of the wells themselves.
What am I trying to get out of all of this? First I have decided that I don’t want to have my student loans hanging over my head anymore. My goal is to make as much money as fast as I can to pay of this debt. Once this is paid off I will be able to freely go back in to the world of non profits and work for no or little money. Life is much more fulfilling and happier that way. I am also looking at getting some certifications and knowledge of how the wells operate. Some of the certifications that I may actually be getting would be heavy machinery, haz mat and some fire evacuation. I would like to use these certifications to help me do more disaster relief work. Now the knowledge on the wells will hopefully allow me to work on some water wells in the future.
Now the question is how long will I be out there for. That is a very good question. I plan on staying long enough to pay off my debt and make a little extra money to pay for my dream trip (Antarctica). After all of that is done I will be leaving that one up to the Lord. If I feel like I am to move on to another project I will go. If I can handle the work and am learning things that I can believe will help me with some non profit work else where then I will stick around for awhile.
Yes I am excited about this new journey of mine. I am scared about my drive out there cause I haven’t yet driven my house up a mountain pass. I pray that there won’t be any problems on the drive out there. Also a bit scared on how hard it may take me to find the job that is the right fit for me. Nervous cause well this is all new and it wouldn’t be an adventure if I wasn’t. I pray that my drive is smooth, the job hunt wont be to rough, I don’t get to lonely out there. I believe I can handle the hours and manual work but until I know what it is I will be doing I do not know. So here is to the new adventure.
