Never Give Up, Never Surrender
If you haven't already noticed, that is
very much my mindset.
Not to say that I always follow through
– I wish that I did – but, I believe there is almost always a way
to succeed, if you really want to.
'Wanting to' is the key.
If you don't
want something, you won't fight for it.
I'm now in Belize,
and everything
leading up to my arrival seems like a blur.
I certainly didn't do it on my own,
but
what I did do is start saying that I would come.
A definite - the when and the where
decided, with the desire to do it.
That's what I started with, and little
else.
Certainly very little money.
I started the ball rolling,
and everything has been falling into
place since then.
I did have the advantage of a free
temporary living situation when I first arrived,
but after only a few days I was able to
move in with a young woman engaged in the same volunteer work. She
was looking for a roommate to help out with the rent, as well as for added
safety,
and then I showed up!
After this month she returns to the
States, but I already have a house sitting gig set up – rent free!
Can't beat that.
The next big thing is money.
I have some savings, but that will
eventually run out...
ONLINE WORK OPTIONS
I've been researching different options
for online work,
in the hopes that at least one will work out.
oDESK -
I've looked into online freelancing websites before, and it was
difficult to find one that was reputable, and not overrun with
freelancers who were charging hardly anything at all. I got a bit
disillusioned.
If
you're not familiar with freelancing websites, they allow
you to do almost any job that doesn't require your being there in
person: data entry, social media advertising, e-mail management,
customer service, etc.
On my
second day in Belize, however, I heard about other volunteers like myself that
have been able to make a living using one of these freelancing
websites: oDesk.com.
“If
it works for them...”
The
website has lots of guidelines and safeties in place, to protect both
the freelancer and the client.
I've
since set up my profile, and applied for two job postings.
To
increase your appeal to potential clients, oDesk has a number of
tests you can take on a large variety of subjects. You are scored,
and can then choose to post your test results on your profile. This
allows the client to see if you really have an understanding of a
certain field – Customer Service, for example.
I'll
keep you posted as to my experiences with this website.
CONVERSATIONAL ENGLISH –
I know many that have been able to make a living teaching English,
either online or in person. Personally, I find the thought a bit
daunting. And yet, in talking with these friends, I discovered an
overlooked necessity these students have: practice
partners.
Many
learn English (or any language), but don't really have anyone to
practice their new found skill with, aside from their teacher.
That's
where I come in.
One
website where students go to learn and practice English is
BuddySchool.com. To
have your profile on their site, you can choose to pay $1 per month,
or $10 per year.
I
have yet to set up my profile, but I hope to do so soon.
Once again, I'll keep you posted!
These
are two of the primary methods I have in mind for earning money
online.
Have
you tried either of these?
Let
me know your experiences!
Until
next week ^_^
