Lifetime Opportunity

[redmarvel]

Someone from one of those organizations that are trying to change the world (Worldvision, Green Peace, Feed the Children, whatever) meets you and says they have an amazing opportunity for you.

They'll arrange visas, passports and all travel expenses if you'll join them. They guarantee you'll visit places most people will never get the chance to see, that you will help to change lives and civilization for the better, that it will be exciting, amazing and wonderful. You would have an unlimited spending allowance while travelling (but you can't save it / keep it when you quit)

However they cannot guarantee your safety or how often you'll be able to see or even talk to your family. You would have to leave your family behind.

Would you do it?

 

[Master Chief]

In a heartbeat.

 

[enterthemadness]

Nope, wouldn't do it. Have less of a chance meeting women and more importantly maybe less working out. And what about movies and my cats? And Friends, oh and family? The World's ****ed as long as we are on it it seems. Now if they offered me some one night stands, then....maybe. I care for cats more than I care for women......so.....but then again, one night stands...Yea, I do it if they said me and a woman once a week in bed. And it be for the 'we can't guarantee your safety' too, so go have some fun.

 

[Majic Walrus]

No way. I can meet plenty of exciting and interesting people in my home town. While I would love to travel and my safety isn't really an issue I couldn't leave my family for any extended periods of time to do it. It just isn't worth it.

People don't realize that the grass is always greener on the other side, you can have just as much excitement and enjoyment out of your life now as you could traveling the world. Might as well make the best of what you actually have.

 

[Eric Brooks]

In a heartbeat.

agreed

 

[The Guard]

With those vague details? Hell no. It sounds for all the world like a massive scam.

What's with all these "Here are some vague details, now make an important decision" polls?

 

[Victor Creed]

It would depend on the organization and exactly what I was doing. I wouldn't want to be a paid assassin for Save the Children or Greenpeace or whatnot. Otherwise I would have no issue with it. Although, I'm recently divorced, so getting away and seeing the world is definitely more suited for someone like me rather than someone who has a family, etc, lol.

 

[Addendum]

Joining organizations like the ones you mentioned has never appealed to me.

 

[Wiseman]

I voted yes, does that mean I'm getting a pm from one of these companies asking for my address

 

[katie_girl09]

No. Mostly the "do not know when I will be in contact with my family" clause that you mention.

 

[knowsbleed]

No way. I can meet plenty of exciting and interesting people in my home town. While I would love to travel and my safety isn't really an issue I couldn't leave my family for any extended periods of time to do it. It just isn't worth it.

People don't realize that the grass is always greener on the other side, you can have just as much excitement and enjoyment out of your life now as you could traveling the world. Might as well make the best of what you actually have.

I've never understood this mentality. Then again, I've never been in one place for more than 4 years in my life. I don't think I'd want to stay in one place for too long... I'd feel too rooted and would want to start acting devious for the sake of acting devious.




I would definitely jump at an opportunity like this if I did not have a family of my own. If I were single and my only family were my parents and siblings... that would be perfectly fine with me. Think of the life experience you'd gain from something like this. As long as it involves helping people and not selling something. That would be a horrible to be a global door to door salesman. I'd remove my intestines with a pair of tweezers before I'd do that.

 

[Master Chief]

I've never understood this mentality.

lol, it's more of an excuse.

Passing up something like this if you were actually able to take the opportunity would be stupid. Sure you could have fun times back in town, but there's time for that s**t if you make it back from something you'll most likely never in your life ever do.

Not only that but you come across as a bit of a narcissist.

Really everyone only gets maybe a good 70 years on this planet, not including youth and seniority. Pack all the things you can into that time.

 

[Majic Walrus]

I've never understood this mentality. Then again, I've never been in one place for more than 4 years in my life. I don't think I'd want to stay in one place for too long... I'd feel too rooted and would want to start acting devious for the sake of acting devious.

I would definitely jump at an opportunity like this if I did not have a family of my own. If I were single and my only family were my parents and siblings... that would be perfectly fine with me. Think of the life experience you'd gain from something like this. As long as it involves helping people and not selling something. That would be a horrible to be a global door to door salesman. I'd remove my intestines with a pair of tweezers before I'd do that.

I've moved around my area a lot as of late but there's something to be said about home. The feeling of familiarity is nice, and I suppose I've always been a homebody.

While I can certainly see that becoming an adventurer would be exciting I always feel bad for people who travel as part of their work. There's no chance for anything close to a lasting relationship because you're always travelling. There's little chance for life beyond adventures. I would rather make my adventures at home than seek out adventure elsewhere.

 

[The Guard]

All of you who would "jump at this" realize that what "this" is has not been spelled out or elaborated on, right?

 

[Majic Walrus]

lol, it's more of an excuse.

Passing up something like this if you were actually able to take the opportunity would be stupid. Sure you could have fun times back in town, but there's time for that s**t if you make it back from something you'll most likely never in your life ever do.

Not only that but you come across as a bit of a narcissist.

Really everyone only gets maybe a good 70 years on this planet, not including youth and seniority. Pack all the things you can into that time.

Tell that to the freelance reporter who just spent a few months in an Iranian prison.

 

[knowsbleed]

All of you who would "jump at this" realize that what "this" is has not been spelled out or elaborated on, right?

That's why I specified what I would and would not do.

Tell that to the freelance reporter who just spent a few months in an Iranian prison.

Of all the people who travel around the world doing various jobs, the few unfortunates that make the headlines because of the notoriety of their deaths/captures/imprisonments/etc are the only ones that people notice. They are very much in the minority.

 

[Colossal Spoons]

Heck no. Not b/c of the family thing, but I'm not cool with being in unsafe places. I'd hate to get caught in the middle of a civil war, coup, etc.

 

[Majic Walrus]

That's why I specified what I would and would not do.



Of all the people who travel around the world doing various jobs, the few unfortunates that make the headlines because of the notoriety of their deaths/captures/imprisonments/etc are the only ones that people notice. They are very much in the minority.

Travel abroad to dangerous places increases the chance of being in a dangerous situation. I don't see that the cost - benefit analysis leans towards travel. To me life experiences are worth while no matter where you have them. Raising a child is probably just as fulfilling (maybe moreso) as traveling around the world globetrotting.

 

[knowsbleed]

Travel abroad to dangerous places increases the chance of being in a dangerous situation. I don't see that the cost - benefit analysis leans towards travel. To me life experiences are worth while no matter where you have them. Raising a child is probably just as fulfilling (maybe moreso) as traveling around the world globetrotting.

This sounds truly paranoid. What cost benefit analysis are you talking about? Nobody is bringing out any risk analysis tables here, I'm just saying that if you are in the same town in the same state your entire life and you like it... fine. But that is definitely not the life for me. It sounds extremely boring and stagnant. I feel very fortunate to have been raised in different parts of the world, it helps me adjust to different situations very easily. I am the fly on the wall in one situation but I can also be the person whom people rely on to get things done due to my adaptability. I credit that to my globetrotting. Meeting different people, being in different situations... culturally, mentally, physically, etc.

The benefits immeasurably outweigh the costs for me.

 

[Master Chief]

lol, you can be sitting at home and still get shot by stray bullets yo. Danger is everywhere, wrong place wrong time is general.

 

[Metamorpho1977]

Nope, wouldn't do it. Have less of a chance meeting women and more importantly maybe less working out. And what about movies and my cats? And Friends, oh and family? The World's ****ed as long as we are on it it seems. Now if they offered me some one night stands, then....maybe. I care for cats more than I care for women......so.....but then again, one night stands...Yea, I do it if they said me and a woman once a week in bed. And it be for the 'we can't guarantee your safety' too, so go have some fun.

Hey, some of those hippie Greenpeace chicks are hot and hairy.

 

[Majic Walrus]

This sounds truly paranoid.

Paranoid? That the world outside of home is (especially in areas where "World Changing" organizations work) is dangerous. We're not talking about exploring Venice and London and seeing Greece. We're talking about Africa and Sudan and the poorest places in the world.

That's what I think of at least when I think about world changing organizations. Maybe I'm off base but that's the assumption I'm working under.

What cost benefit analysis are you talking about? Nobody is bringing out any risk analysis tables here, I'm just saying that if you are in the same town in the same state your entire life and you like it... fine. But that is definitely not the life for me. It sounds extremely boring and stagnant. I feel very fortunate to have been raised in different parts of the world, it helps me adjust to different situations very easily. I am the fly on the wall in one situation but I can also be the person whom people rely on to get things done due to my adaptability. I credit that to my globetrotting. Meeting different people, being in different situations... culturally, mentally, physically, etc.

The benefits immeasurably outweigh the costs for me.

Of course there is a cost benefit analysis. The cost of globetrotting versus the benefit thereof. In my mind the cost of globetrotting outweighs the benefits. Seperation from loved ones. Possible danger. Being an effin' Nomad. Those far outweigh the chance to explore the world.

I'm not saying that it wouldn't be great to travel the world. It just wouldn't be something that I would want to make a life of. Constant travel would be irritating. Hell I can't stand airport security travelling once in a while. I'd be damned if I did it all the time.

As for meeting people I feel like there's a horrible trend of people failing to recognize cultures at home and instead attempting only to recognize the cultures abroad. The myriad of people that live in any given area (especially of the US) should be explored and enjoyed. What I mean is simply, "there's plenty at home too."

 

[Colossal Spoons]

lol, you can be sitting at home and still get shot by stray bullets yo. Danger is everywhere, wrong place wrong time is general.

True, but I'm not gonna go on a cruise to Cuba b/c of that lol

 

[Master Chief]

True, but I'm not gonna go on a cruise to Cuba b/c of that lol

But think of all the cocaine, LOL! Unlimited funds, I'd buy bricks.

 

[Colossal Spoons]

And die trying to leave with it