I have so much admiration for world travelers. It's my dream and I'll get there one day, but in the meantime, I want to chat with as many people who've done it as possible. Maybe their experience with flow through to me via some type of magic osmosis and I'll be just as proficient at it-- and brave enough, too! Today I'm chatting with Shannon (who also interviewed me here) about her world travelers and her badass location independent work as a romance novel writer and nonprofit helper.
1)
Please tell us a little about yourself Shannon. Well
first of all, thank you so much for having me! In a nutshell, I’m a
writer, a practitioner of Ashtanga yoga, a travel enthusiast, a
blogger, and an analyst for a non-profit in D.C.! Also, I love South
American red wine with a strange ferocity. I think that about sums it
up!
2)
You're a fiction writer, what training or schooling did you receive
to do this? My
training was essentially my childhood. I grew up surrounded by books,
started writing around age 8, and received my first rejection letter
at age 9, from Highlights Magazine. From there, it was a non-stop
writing train, with tons of novels and short stories completed during
my formative years. Technically, I’ve taken one creative writing
course in college, but I study and read and practice voraciously,
which forms the bulk of my ‘schooling’.
Amazing coffee farm and jungle in South America.
3)
For many people, working for a flexible non-profit is a dream job.
How did you land this gig?
It was total luck. I had been hired by them for a little writing
gig—to write an employment ad scouting new talent, actually. I
convinced myself with my own ad, and asked to join the team. They
accepted me, and I’ve been with them ever since.
4)
Your non-profit work affords you the flexibility of world travel.
Where have you been? Since
I’ve been with the non-profit, I’ve traveled mostly South
America. I’ve lived in several places with this job, such as
Valparaiso, Chile and Cusco, Peru. But I also travel for pleasure
while maintaining regular work hours, and some of these destinations
include very extreme distances: the farthest being India (huuuge, and
often difficult, time difference with D.C.) and Easter Island (the
most remote island in the world! Spoiler alert: the internet was
horrible, not surprisingly!).
Van Says: Clinging for dear life in Peruvian mountains...that would be. I AM TERRIFIED OF HEIGHTS. I had nightmares about driving in the mountains of Puerto Rico for a week afterwards.
5)
What are your top three favorite cities/places that you've visited,
if you can narrow that down? Of
all my world travels, Mexico is one of the top three: it was where I
went first, by myself, as a young and naïve 19-year-old traveler
just getting her feet wet. I also love Valparaiso, Chile, another
home base I had. Each time I go back I wonder if this is the time
I’ll stay permanently…the mix of eclectic bohemian art, salty
air, and chaotic, grimy streets has a special enchantment. And
finally: Nuweiba, Egypt, which was one of my stops during a 3-month
backpacking stint through the Middle East and Europe. It was one of
my first encounters with the Middle East, and I will always fondly
recall the haunting echoes of the Call to Prayer through the Sinai
mountain range, and wandering the sandy shorelines of the Aqaba Sea.
6)
What are some of the biggest challenges you've faced during your
travels? I
don’t do very well with excessive attention, and as an introvert,
it can be very draining for me. Being tall, and blonde, and with
dreadlocks, this makes for some uncomfortable situations at times,
especially in areas where physical diversity is low. I also travel
alone often, and in low moments, the feeling of being totally
isolated and
a focal point of attention makes me feel like the spotlight is only
on me.
7)
What tips do you have for someone who wants to work for a nonprofit?
I’ve
worked for other non-profits before, and they can be hard to get
into. Don’t give up the hunt if you’re set on helping an intended
community or have a honed skill set. Flexibility is key, whether that
means relocation, or accepting a different position than you had
imagined, etc.
8)
What does your work as a remote analyst entail? I
mostly hunt down the data that we use to analyze teacher education
programs throughout the USA. So I’m contacting principals and
superintendents, submitting open records requests, and doing a wide
variety of other Google Docs-related tasks. This allows us to obtain
the information that we then analyze in conjunction with set
standards in order to critically assess a large variety of
institutions of higher education (IHE’s) and their teacher
preparation programs.
9)
What would be your tips for anyone who wants to be a fellow vagabond
world traveler? Managing
expectations about what life abroad looks like can be really helpful.
It’s not pure sightseeing and lazy wandering: for example, I work
50-60 hours per week minimum between my day job (the non-profit) and
writing and maintain a fairly strict schedule, but these jobs afford
me the chance to change my location as I wish. There are some people
who do graphic design freelance, or open their own businesses in new
locations, or who have a hefty savings and draw from that while
working odd jobs, like hostels or bartending. There are many ways to
do it, so find the way that works for you!
10) The hard work cannot be escaped as a soloprenuer. I feel like I'm working literally nonstop (for little pay, ha!) How about tips for anyone who wants to be a fiction writer? Keep
reading, and keep writing! Writing is a skill that is honed through
practice; it’s not just an innate gift that you’re born with or
not. Practice makes perfect, in this case, but that practice is
greatly aided by a diverse body of literature replenishing your
creative banks!
11) Good advice, and agreed, that's true in all fields. You put in the hours and get better. What are your biggest challenges, juggling all that you do? Time
management! I constantly swing between delirious optimism—as in,
the “I can do everything I want to, let’s add on a new project no
problem” complex—and despondent realism—the “what the fuck
was I thinking scheduling so many deadlines this week?” effect. I
don’t know how to find the happy balance there—it’s a work in
progress!
Check out Shannon's writing and blog online, thanks so much for sharing your story with us!
Check out Shannon's writing and blog online, thanks so much for sharing your story with us!
THE ASTROMAID CHRONICLES:
http://www.theastromaidchronicles.com
EMBER LEIGH ROMANCE:
http://www.emberleighromance.com
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