Not to Bali. That is the answer!

I've decided not to take the housesitting job in Bali: the risk does not outweigh the reward. Between the cost of visas, flights, and utilities, there's a minimum of $1500 investment just to get there and remain there (not including monthly cost-of-living expenses). The risk is caused by the pandemic: a business visa is only valid for 60 days, with a monthly renewal available--but not guaranteed. This means I could end up spending almost two grand to be in Bali for 60 days.  That's not in my unemployed person's budget.  Common natural disasters (earthquakes and such), high pollution due to monsoon season (flooding), and my intuition made the "cons" portion of my "Pros vs. Cons List" weigh heavy. I had a gut instinct not to go, and that was the biggest factor. 

When I returned to the USA from Australia, for the Pandemic Spring season, I toyed with the idea of teaching on a Tribal Reservation. Being out of the States, I forgot how bad the social and cultural situation is here. Not to delve into it, but combined with income inequality, unemployment, rampant racism, lack of social justice, and a broken political system, I can't wait to get out and forget about it all again. The feeling of cultural despair cuts me  deeply. I do not want to be part of the broken and ineffective public school system in the US, but I don't want to try to survive on the poverty wages earned progressive, private schools--schools where I would be most happy as an holistic educator. But I've got to work, too. The virtual scenario is unappealing, but online tutoring is a good option, when I can get that business up and running. 

There are several options in which I am interested--a couple really pull at my heart strings. I want to be of service while I'm in the States, where possible.  Therefore, I've decided to apply to teach in the prison system or at a First Nations Tribal school.  I may also try to receive grants or scholarships to continue my Master's so that I can teach at the college level.  A friend recommended the prison path and applying for a Fulbright Fellowship to teach and study abroad.  Alongside the above options is trying to get sponsorship for a motorcycle trip from Texas to Tierra del Fuego to raise money for  hungry US kids, prison education programs, or the school I want to start in Tibet. This means I will research starting an NGO or joining one.  

And I still have to take my upper level English and Chemistry tests to add to my Teaching License.

I'm really drawn to teaching for the Cherokee Nation in North Carolina; the school is hiring an Elementary Educator. Their tribal lands are only a half hour from where I lived in NC back in 2013; I know the area and would be happy there again.  Bringing quality education to our First Nations' peoples is a great service.

I am also really drawn to teaching literacy and ESL in prisons to help undo the discrimination and racial injustices caused by the pipeline from birth to prison so many people of color experience due to institutional racism in the USA. 

When I achieve my Master's, it will open many new opportunities for me, including teaching at the Uni level abroad.  Ultimately, I really want to GTFO of the US as soon as possible, but more and more borders close, especially to US citizens (I can't blame them with this country's lack of leadership, unity, and pandemic control measures.  A motorcycle trip to raise money for a good cause would not only be a way of escape, but will help me fulfill several personal desires: taking another motorcycle trip (this time across multiple countries and continents!), getting the hell out of the USA, and raising money for something--hopefully a school in an underserved area abroad (Nepal, Tibet, India). 

I plan to spend the next month applying for the Tribal and prison jobs, as well as researching grants and scholarships to continue my Master's. At some point, I'll start studying for the state exams, too. 

I am really grateful to my friend, M., who has advised me with her experience teaching abroad for NGOs and the Peace Corps, as well as having taught in the prison system. She has inspired me and sent me in an intriguing, new direction! 

This housesit ends at the end of the month; I'll either be employed and move to the job, or take another housesit assignment ... somewhere! Unfortunately, due to the pandemic, there are fewer and fewer housesits available.* 

So much for a good-night's sleep! 

Ouch, woke me up... Ouch! WTF! had me jump out of bed, flailing and brushing off my 
my body desperately as I realize something had stung the F*** out of me on the back of my arm and my side!  I couldn't find anything initially, as I threw my pillows off the bed and tossed blankets to the floor.  Then, I finally had the presence of mind to pull the top sheet off, and voila! A damn little brown scorpion!  

Although it still stung, and I was still half asleep, it didn't seem like it was venomous. It too, me another few minutes to garner courage to smash the damn thing, in addition to finding something with which to flatten the little bastard!  And then it totally gushed on my sheet like it was full of poison! 

There was no way I was going back to sleep in that bed, so I threw my comfortor and pillows over the banister and headed for the very lumpy, hard, uncomfortable IKEA couch downstairs.  Speaking of downstairs, WHY THE F would that damn critter scuttle up all those stairs to crawl between my sheets!  Yeah, I want a companion between in my bed that gives me an affectionate nip or two now and then, but certainly not a damn scorpion that bit me twice!  Ouch, Mofo! Those little suckers give a sting like a bee, but the bite only swells to the size of a much-scratched mosquito bite. The pain receded within 15 minutes and there was no residual mark or redness this morning; just some left over pissed-off-ness and freaked-out-ness abiding in yours truly.

There was no way I could sleep on that spring-filled convertible couch; my back hurt from the springs within 20 minutes! Around 1AM, I had done a little research and discovered what type had rudely awakened me: a bastard Striped Bark Scorpion. https://www.mugabugpestcontrol.com/colorados-scorpions-2/ Non-venomous, and commonly found indoors, just like a little bastard would be! It scared me out of deep slumber more than hurt me, so I figured I would go back to upstairs and at least lie down in comfort despite the risk of other little bastards lying in wait. I drug myself back up the stairs for the 4th or 5th time since midnight and started lifting up mattresses and pulling back the fitted sheet to look for an "infestation" of bastard scorpions. I ended up ensconsing myself in the comforter so that --hopefully-- nothing could crawl up from the floor or from between the mattresses to attack me again at 3am! Needless to say, I did not sleep well! 

I'll be tearing my bed apart each night for a few weeks!  

Being wary of bastard scorpions is nothing new to me; we have them in Texas. Spending summers on the lake in Fort Worth when I was a kid, as soon as you can walk and sleep in your own bed at Mee-Maw's lakehouse, you learn to watch for scorpions and can easily recognize poison ivy! You are taught to shake out your shoes before you put them on, and always pull back the sheets and check for bastard scorpions!  Here in Colorado, I was also warned about scorpions so I have been careful to check my hiking boots, which I leave outdoors.  Yet I forgot the Sheet Rule. In all my time outdoors or living in remote areas, I have NEVER, EVER been bitten by a scorpion or gotten poison ivy!  Damnit, my record's blown! 

I'm gonna go take a nap. And yeah, it's only 930AM. Aargh!

A Hummingbird hovered six inches from my face this morning, vibrating air and my heart for nearly 5 seconds before buzzing off! This minute flutterer was so close to my nose,I had to cross my eyes to see it! After creating waves in the dimensions of time, this brown and grey bird, zoomed off.  There are at least two or three different Hummers that bid me "Good Morno!" each dawn. One has the color of a fuschia sunrise banding its neck.  They only visit a short few seconds; never enough for me to get a photo! If I move, they zoom off! That's okay; I freeze and enjoy  their swift visits, smiling.  Then I look up at the Llamas, hooting their odd gutteral burrs and barks. Beulah Valley is a great place to be!

His name is Mickey, but I gave him an appellation attributed to Jean-Pierre Juenet, the French DIrector, after his hilarious film: Micmacs.