toynbee forceful: Unexpected Opportunities while Backpacking

After my trip to Bali, Indonesia. I didn?t know where I was headed. I wanted to do something other than work on my laptop as I felt very unhealthy being stuck in front of a computer screen. I was still in Bangkok at the time and I was contemplating on a few things until unexpected opportunities knocked on this backpacker?s life.

Substitute Teacher

There was an opening for a temporary post as an elementary English teacher for a private school in Bangkok where my friend was working. It was a short-term gig which would?ve lasted three weeks. In my mind, I was to handle a class of grade six pupils, but the picture didn?t come out clear enough because I was hesitant.

office soloflighted
back in the old office days

I?ve had some experience training adults and I?ve hosted calibration sessions with different clients in my previous job in a call center; but this was a little different since I?d be teaching to kids.

In the end, this did not push through since somebody more qualified got the position.

Berry-Picker

At the same time, my friends and I met somebody who was off to Sweden who suggested that we join him in his quest to travel to Europe and work as berry-pickers. After some research, I realized that the pay was good and it would?ve really helped add more money to the travel fund; which was running out fast.

photo source: liu.se

The opportunity to work in Europe was something grand. Thinking that we?d travel to a different country that requires a visa (A Schengen visa at that) was unlikely in my mind. My friends and I became so excited at the thought that we were dreaming of travelling to neighboring parts like eating authentic pasta in Italy, experiencing Octoberfest in Germany, learning the language of France, or staying in Loch Lomond cottages in Scotland.

Europe map

Just the notion of living in a wooden cottage with an amazing backdrop of mountains and lakes, we couldn?t help but get our hopes to high. I knew that websites like scottish-cottages.co.uk offer cottages in Scotland so finding a place wouldn?t be that much of a challenge. Also, this was Europe we?re talking about!

However, the plan still did not push through since there were a lot of complications during the visa process.

Waiter

The last opportunity was the one that I experienced. It was an offer to become a waiter for a five-star resort in Malaysia. A perfect time since I was already in Kuala Lumpur after my Bali trip.

tanjong jara resort
delivering fruits to the villas

I used to work in fast food chains when I was 17, so being in the food & beverage department was not something new to me. After a few emails, I received a positive feedback and I spent two months at Tanjong Jara Resort in Dungun, Terengganu.

This job really fit me at the time and now I can say that I?ve lived in a five-star resort for two months.

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All of these were unexpected opportunities during my long-term backpacking adventure. It was a refreshing break from all the online work I?ve been doing and it felt good that offers like these were available especially at the moment when I needed it most.

Tanjong Jara Resort beach

Next time, I plan to share a few tips on how you can raise funds to keep yourself on the road. I?m not an expert as the money that I earn is good enough only to make ends meet; but it would be good to know what other options are available, especially to those who don?t consider blogging as a viable source of funds.

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soloflightEd.com is a travel blog by Edcel Suyo. He enjoys performing headstands and crazy stunts during his trips in the Philippines and the rest of Asia. He just started his backpacking trip across Southeast Asia in order to live as a digital nomad. Read more about the beginning of his delusions of grandeur here.