potentially life-changing phone call

Alright guys so hears the scoop...

Last night I'm watching some T.V. when I get a call from my older half-brother(hes 27). So hes in Washington State right now and he's about to leave his job now to take a hospital job in Oregon. For the past few years hes been doing white-water raft guiding, and when I visited him a few years back it was a blast and he let me guide it down a portion of the river.

Ok so he said that if I wanted he could arrange for me to go through the guide training and I would work for this guy he knows with a raft-guiding business. The cost of me getting out there would be taken care of by my mother but as for the training that runs around 700-900 dollars and I would be able to work that off. My brother said I'd even have a place to stay at so I wouldnt have to worry about rent when working and paying the owner back off. He said I'd be mostly on the McKenzie River and just outside of Eugene.

Now this sounds like my oppourtunity i've been waiting for but it seems like it came so early, I'm still only 18. And I'm having trouble deciding whether or not to pick up and leave everything I know behind to move clear across the country. I always talk about getting out of New York and I would love to live out there its just the leaving everything I know behind part.

So has anyone gone through something like this, I mean if this call came in like a year and a half I'd be there already but If I pass this up then when will I get my next chance of guaranteed work and shelter on the west coast!

SO I guess i'm ehre to ask y'all for advice or something because I'm having trouble figuring out whether or not to just go out there and start up new or stay here with my friends, family, and everything I know and ahve grwon comfortable with these last 18 years.

any advice or comments or anything on this will be appreciated...


thanks for listening,
Justin

 

sounds like a great opportunity. i'd jump at it, you only live once right? if you don't take it, you may regret it in a few years, and you won't have the chance to do that sort of thing again. though if you do take it, you can always head on back to new york if things don't work out.
sure you've grown comfortable to whats around you, but you're now 18, an adult, time for a change right?
i know if i get an offer to teach snowboarding out west, i'd take it in a second.
but in the end its up to you

 

Sounds cool I will admit but if your looking at your "future" a white water rafting career.....errr not sounding mean either it would be a blast for the time it lasted. But with how America's job market is ever so declining you might want to look at something with a more um whats the word im looking for, career based? Maybe try it out for awhile but dude you gotta go to college or something man.
wow I sound like my dad

 

i compeltely understand what ya mean...I went to college here for a semester but then took this semester off to work ...

hmmm this is still tuff, I know its not a career but I have a feeling I'd try to go to college in Oregon somewhere next semester...


still confused

 

you can always go to college though man.
if you really love this rafting stuff, do it for a year or two, have the bomb memories, and head off to college.
however, if your not THAT into it... take another route

 

I'd say take it. If you dig it, why not? You can always save up money and come back if you need too.

 

east coast nigga's aint shit to me

 

fuck you dig! east coast for life

 

Do what you love, everything else will work itself out.

 

Ya man just take a year off from school.

 

go for it! dont let the fears of jobs and college get to ya, we as humans tend to exaggerate and over-worry about that shit, I guess its kinda hard not to with what we are always told.
go for your passion. take this opportunity. dude, if you dont like it, its not like anyone is forcing you to stay there, you could head back to NY if you want. but dont pass this off man.

 

I say go for it. You might not have that chance again. And you're young, you might as well do it while you're young, and while the opportunity is here!

 

ok guys the only real problem im having about deciding to go is that in order to guide down the rivers I need to take guide training which is about 750 dollars and my brother knows the owner of the guide business and he would put the money forward and i would be able to work it off... also id have a place to stay free of charge while working for the guides..... so my problem is what if I get out there and go into the training and fuck up so completely It was a waste of 760 dollars and id have no way of repaying the guy or getting money to fly home.


ahhh I just try to overthink everything I guess

 

I think everyone here thinks this is some sweet job, but dude reality is gonna hit home when you realize you took a friggin rafting job over and education....geez

 

its not the education thing, that has nothing to do with it, i went for a semester here but it wasnt what i was looking for so i took this one off to work..

now its not like im saying" holy shit i can go be a raft guide cool yeah thats why im leaving", the job is just something secured since work out there can be shaky, also it would provide free housing.

i mean you can even take classes later in life as an adult but im only 18 so whats a year or two unless I find a nice job.

 

this is more so a chance out that ive been waiting for its just it came earlier than i expected