Senioritis v3.0

In 2001, I remember sitting through my last semester of high school, longing to be done with full school days and dress codes. Senioritis had hit.

Four years later, it was wave two. Just one more semester and I'll be free of school and making a paycheck! The first round paled in comparison. It sounded so glamorous to be in the big-kid world--I got business cards, a laptop, a phone... The honeymoon was shortlived.

Now, just a bit more than two years after that, I feel as though I'm having senioritis all over again. This time, it's big and it's bad. I'm down to 54 days now, and it cannot come soon enough. I've all but checked out at work. There are several things I have to get done before I leave so I don't look like a schmuck. I'll get them done, but I can't promise I'll have fun doing them. I can almost smell the jet fuel and taste the airplane food aboard my Air New Zealand B-777. At least I don't have any final exams to cram for.

In a winning kind of mood

Lucky week for me! On Tuesday, I won $250 toward hostel stays through BootsnAll's Treasure Hunt. Totally awesome. (Definitely gunning for the grand prize--$2000 toward a round-the-world ticket.)

Then, through Gadling, I won a copy of Susan Griffith's Work Your Way Around the World. ANOTHER great prize, as that's a topic I'm quite interested in. I probably would have bought the book regardless.

Maybe I should go buy a lottery ticket or something.

Blog name, explained

So here's the story about my blog's name. For my 24th birthday, a good friend of mine gave me a rubber bracelet that says "corporate whore" on it, exactly like the one in the header. At first, it was just a silly gift. But now I have made it more. I wear this thing constantly, taking it off only on rare occasions. It's a reminder to push forward until I can break the bond of the 8 to 5. And when I get to New Zealand, the first thing I'm going to do is throw it into the sea. I can't wait!

My name is Justin and I am a corporate whore

...for now.

I graduated from college in 2005, and since then I have spent somewhere around 500 days in a 6' by 6' box from 8 to 5.

I'm sick of it.

So this fall, I'm going to quit my job and head out into the world. I have moved into my parents' house for a few months, sold nearly all of my possessions and took up a second job. I have a one-way ticket to Auckland, New Zealand on Sept. 9 and I cannot wait.

Until then, I'll use this place to document some of my research for my trip and post some of my inspiration.


And in the meantime, you can also check out my blog from my trip to Taiwain and Thailand in January: http://blogs.bootsnall.com/justin7199.