Money Isn’t Everything. Right?

In 2013 I made a decision to go to India and volunteer in a slum school in Faridabad, New Delhi. While the assault of India on my senses was overwhelming and unnerving, it was also thrilling and captivating.

Much to my delight….

I picked up an illness in India. (Nothing too serious! It doesn’t require much taking care of except an aptitude for risk taking.) It is not one that most people really consider an illness. It’s more of a bug really. Those most susceptible, are those of us with a curious mind. The searchers. The seekers. The….emmmmm…. some other ‘S’ word I couldn’t think of! (**hangs head in shame**)

Now don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t be caught dead jumping off buildings or out of airplanes; I’ll barely go into a room if there’s a spider there. However, if there’s a chance for me to experience a new way of life or immerse myself in another culture, I”ll jump right in – head first, feet first, upside down, sideways – I don’t really mind.

My bug was not a transformation from scaredy cat into adrenaline junkie – nah- It was something that required me to evaluate my goals, aspirations and my looming adulthood ( I was ONLY 23 at the time!!)  My bug was….yep…you guessed it….THE TRAVEL BUG! I knew, the moment I experienced getting lost in a monsoon, in the dark, on my first night, and cracking my tailbone when I slipped upon my eventual return to my homestay, that I would never be able to fully live back home ever again.

My experiences in India will be for another time and another post, but the reason I bring it up is because when I arrived back home in Ireland my itchy feet were burning almost instantaneously. Ireland is great craic and there is actually nowhere like it in the world but, I had Christmas and then a New Year (2014) arrived and I was even more determined to get back on a plane and begin my next adventure – except for 1 tiny setback to dealing with my illness – MONEY! That dirty 5 letter word that hinders many a dream and limits the broadening of horizons for most of us.

However, as luck would have it, the universe sent me a sign and within  3 weeks of the beginning of 2014 I was off again. This time to the Middle East. Okay, so not exactly somewhere I could be myself, BUT it was going to be a chance for me to be a more sedate, humble and conservative me. Or so I thought….

For quite some time I was making money like the world was about to end and the Kuwaitis wanted me to keep theirs safe (the internet is not the appropriate place to say what I was doing…it was nothing we as Westerners consider illicit…but in an Islamic country where hypocrisy is rampant…certain industries must be kept underground and certain enjoyments within these industries are not considered in line with the values of a conservative group of men who run the country) Soon though, not all Kuwaitis were happy with giving me their money and it was time for me to leave – this exit journey was way more dramatic than any other of my entire life. I won’t delve into the details but let’s just say it was hasty, scary, expensive and I left Kuwait within may 90minutes of being informed that I was, in fact, not supposed to be there. KWI-DXB-DUB – Jen and Dad minus 2k! AHHHH Fun Times!

Although my exit from Kuwait was hasty, it was brief and I returned. This time in a more professional capacity. Using my back up career, as a teacher, as a way in. I had two reasons to come back to Kuwait. 1 – M-O-N-E-Y (seriously these people have ALL THE MONEY – not even lying- their personal drivers chauffeur children to school in Bentleys) and 2. an easy place to treat my travel bug with it being so close to so many tropical places.

Having been here for almost three years now, it is time for me to reevaluate and it is my illness – my bug- that has inspired me to begin this blog. I met the love of my life here, have raised the most precocious dog  and earned enough money to have my dream wedding and honeymoon. Considering all of these things I wonder if I even have the right to question whether money is everything or not….Would I be where I am without it? Did it create my life or would all of this have happened had I not had it?

I am now on another journey. My bug has brought me face to face with the future. A future that I was not expecting to enter into so soon. One of unanswered questions, trepidation, financial planning and generally having absolutely no clue what is about to happen next. A pipe dream has become an option and a reality and I want to share it with whoever wants to listen. I am also seeking advice and connections.

Sri Lanka, specifically Mirissa Bay has been a future plan since the moment I agreed to marry my husband. We had planned on saving some money and moving there to retire in like 10-15 years, but then suddenly BOOM!! Out of nowhere, we have been offered the chance to be part of a growing school. A socially responsible school. A school where children are taught to grow and earn their rewards. Not somewhere, where children treat teachers like the help and parents bribe teachers for grades. It is a school with integrity, compassion, a sense of community and a desire to be part of the future of one of the most beautiful places on Earth. While the school has all of these things going for it, we are taking a chance on earning less than most part time jobs back in Ireland. The cost of living, of course, is much cheaper and the healthcare is great so what’s my hesitation you ask?

It is not actually a hesitation but an endeavor to find a way to agree with the statement that Money Isn’t Everything.

I will be sharing my experiences of moving to Sri Lanka from contract signings to residency procedures on here and I hope people will join me in my journey. I am hoping to entertain, to create connections with other expats in Sri Lanka and generally get used to this blogging thing…

So again I ask… Money Isn’t Everything. Right?