Coping With a Conventional 9 to 5: How to NOT pull your hair out

As crazy as it may sound, being constantly called “Excuse Me” loses quite a lot of appeal after 2-3 thousand times.

While I may not be able to talk somebody through their career in Corporate Tax, if they do, in fact, have a future in moving abroad or to something a bit more exciting, this post may actually be of some value. I received my student visa after ten very short days (quoted for 3-4 weeks) for my nine-month stint in Spain, and shortly thereafter booked my excruciatingly painful $836 one-way flight from Savannah, GA. For the record, it’s incredibly cheaper to fly from larger airports such as JFK or Washington-Dulles so if you have the opportunity to take a train to one of those for cheap, take it. The countdown stands at 35 days – for 35 days I’ll be making lists and packing bags, for 35 days I’ll be improving my knowledge of English grammar, and for 35 more days I’ll be getting free refills for people who demand their food be cooked quicker and priced cheaper.

I’ve had the tremendous privilege of being able to work at the same pizzeria that i’ve worked in since I was sixteen. I say privilege because not many establishments would willingly re-employ past employees for only 3-4 months per year; but in a resort town, seasonal employees help make local business thrive. Keeping this in mind, there’s still something terribly off-putting about returning to this same job after graduating college. Regardless of one’s great plans of traveling abroad, these harshly ordinary jobs can often times be difficult to bear leading up to departure. Whether your job is in an office, restaurant, store, or elsewhere, I wish you luck as you slowly but surely make your way through one customary day to the next.

Having plans to go to Spain has made each day of this dreadfully long summer as tedious and redundant as possible, aside from living with two of my oldest best friends (shout out). My ability to focus is skewed and blurred due to the immense anxiety and planning I undergo on each of my days off. This, as I’ve learned, is 100% ordinary among individuals participating in the Auxiliare program that I’ve recently accepted. While there’s absolutely no way for me to correct the “burnt out” feeling I have each day of work, it definitely helps to view every shift as an opportunity to pay for something: a trip to Finland to visit my old roommate; an opportunity to backpack on the Camino de Santiago; or perhaps to pay off my electricity bills that will lighten my wallet immensely from December through March. Each dollar adds up and at this point, with 35 days left (should I say that again?) it’s so important that I make each day, and every amount of money count towards my goal of having the best year abroad ever.

Another positive light to view your (or my own) ordinary 9-5 under is the fact that simply working keeps you from spending. I would’ve blown much more money over the past three months had I been given the time to shop around mindlessly for products I probably won’t need. Instead I’ve been working 50+ hours a week making sure people got lemons with their waters and croutons on their salads for a mere $2.13 an hour. With an awesome trip coming up, it’s easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle that pressures you to make purchases “just to be safe.” I’ve definitely learned from experience that preparation is important, but over preparation can be dangerous to the budget.

As your countdown diminishes, and you make your way through the last few days of your job, keep your head up. You’ve got a lot to look forward to in the coming months. And even if you don’t have a trip coming up, perhaps you have something bigger and better. A day you work your hardest is never wasted, and these days will only push you further towards whatever goals you may have ($$, experience, etc). Good luck to everyone participating in the North American Language and Culture Assistants program as you eagerly await your departure, as for me – I’ll be right back with your side of ranch dressing.

Commence the countdown! Have you ever been more excited for a future job than your current one? What advice could you offer to me or anyone in that situation? Drop a line and say hello.