Eat My Words, Pray, Love or What the Career Counselor Didn´t Tell You

I owe Liz Gilbert an apology. A few years ago, at a book club discussion, I bashed her travel memoir Eat, Pray, Love. It wasn´t that the anecdotes that she wrote about her year-long self-discovery trip through Italy, India, and Indonesia weren´t interesting. At the time, I just found them to be utterly unrealistic. I clearly remember these exact words coming out of my mouth: "Who gets paid to run away from their troubles and go on the trip of their dreams?" Well, me, for one, and a lot of other people, let me tell you. At least half of the people enrolled at the language school are "working from abroad" by telecommuting from across the border, although it´s not always clear to me when they´re squeezing in any work between the sightseeing, siestas, and Pacificos on the plaza. I love my teaching job, don´t get me wrong, but I can´t help but feel that a career counselor at some point was holding out on me. I remember taking those "Interest Inventories" that were supposed to point you in the right direction career-wise, but I never remember there being an option involving strolling around foreign cities by day and sipping cold beverages by night. I´m sure that sooner, rather than later, I´ll feel the need to regain a sense of structure and to contribute once again to society. But right now, I´m liking my job just fine.

Addendum: The results of my father´s "Interest Inventory" when he was young? He should have become a cowboy. How well does that pay?

Stay tuned: Mummies!