How To Use Your Intuition For Work + Travel Opportunities
A few summers ago I was scrolling on Facebook and saw a post about a job opportunity to work + travel through the entire continent of South America. It was for an Academic Coordinator role at a soon-to-launch study abroad company.
I immediately knew I was meant to see that post. I knew that job was meant for me.
It was the same feeling I got when I applied to work in Italy years ago, kind of like anticipation mixed with nerves and excitement.
Not only did the job description fit perfectly with my previous experience in higher education, tour guiding in Europe, and being a faculty member at student conferences all around the world, the timing worked out really well.
Plus, I was doing my online freelance work, which was flexible enough to maintain while traveling for that job.
It was perfect!
The excitement I felt not just emotionally but throughout my body was insane. I saw the post on my phone while walking to a party at a friend's house. When I arrived, I was practically bouncing off the walls telling my friends about this work + travel opportunity I was going to apply for.
"Woah, that's cool, get paid to go to South America?" one of my friends said. "I'm down. I want to apply."
"Sure, but do you have the experience? Do you actually like working in education or do you just want to travel?" I asked, showing them how serious I was about the actual role and that I cared about the student part of it, too.
I started my application later that night.
And...then came the waiting game.
New York City
A month or so later, I received an email inviting me to “a group Skype session for the faculty members.”
WHAT?! I'm IN?! was all I could think.
I kept checking the time the day of. The day dragged on.
I couldn't wait to get on the Skype call, meet my co-workers, and plan the logistics.
I practically had my luggage out, ready to start packing!
However, that Skype call was the pool of faculty members they selected out of the candidates, about 15-20 people.
They said they still had to see how many students would be traveling that semester which would determine the number of staff in the field.
One, maybe two people, would be selected to work in the field for the first 1-2 semesters, but they wanted to prepare us for future semesters and also understood that peoples' availability may change.
My heart sunk...I wasn't "in," at least not yet.
But there was hope.
When they announced my friend Cristina was chosen to lead the first group through South America, I was genuinely happy for her and excited to hear about how it would go.
They said they were definitely considering me for the following semester in Central America, but they wouldn't be able to let me know if they would have the capacity to hire me until a few weeks before the semester began.
#StartupLife, amiright?
Meanwhile, I let this opportunity sit in the back of my mind while I focused on my freelance business, quit that 8-5 travel sales job I randomly had for a few months (is it bad that I forget about that job a lot?!), and planned some trips on my own.
Before I knew it, a full year had passed since I saw that social media post announcing the work + travel opportunity.
It was present in my mind, yet I was still somewhat detached.
If it happened, great, if not, whatever.
San Blas Islands
Summer came and went, and it was about time for the Fall 2018 semester to launch.
I sent a Facebook message to the COO asking for an update and mentioned how eager and excited I was to be considered for the opportunity.
He replied, saying something like, "Hey Ally! We've planned our logistics and have two staff on board: one coordinator and one professor. We want to consider you for Spring 2019 in either South America or Southeast Asia. Make sure to be practicing Spanish if we offer South America. It'll be a blast! Thanks for following up!"
The wind knocked out of my sails, I again put this in the back of my mind, focusing on my freelance marketing clients, my blog, and planning trips on my own.
I pulled out an old language book I had sitting in my closet so I could work on my Spanish in the evenings.
Even though it was a gamble, I still couldn't shake that feeling that this job was meant for me.
Around mid-October of 2018, a travel company reached out to me offering a media/blogger rate for a spot on a group tour in Thailand.
I talked to the owner of the company on the phone and it sounded amazing. It would be in mid-November, around Thanksgiving.
Swimming and snorkeling around the islands, seeing monkeys, drinking coconut water straight out of a coconut, and jungle hikes sounded like a fabulous way to spend a week, not to mention doing what I love - blogging, photography, and content creation - on top of it.
I had already been to Thailand and was itching to return, plus I wanted to see more of Southeast Asia.
I figured I could travel for about a month, come home, and then (hopefully) get ready to work with the study abroad company in South America for the Spring 2019 semester that started in January.
Something held me back, however.
I couldn't commit to Thailand.
Railay Beach, Thailand: From my first trip to Thailand in 2017
My indecision had me going back and forth for days, making pro/con lists, and checking my budget.
Finally, I gave myself one more night to sleep on it and vowed to make a decision in the morning.
I decided that if I still wanted to go, I would book my flight right away so I couldn't back out.
I woke up, opened up Facebook Messenger to tell the guy that I was "in" for Thailand, and...
...a new message was in my inbox from the COO of the study abroad company.
He explained that they needed one more staff member to wrap up the Fall 2018 semester in Central America, and extended the opportunity to have me join them in Costa Rica the first week of November.
They were still building out the Academic Coordinator role and wanted me to lead the way.
Talk about timing, right?
I immediately said YES. There were a lot of things to figure out, but it felt right.
Then I realized why I was so indecisive about the Thailand opportunity.
It was like my intuition knew before I did.
Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica
That indecision bought me a few more days so I wouldn't commit to Thailand when it would overlap with another opportunity I felt incredibly pulled toward.
And while I couldn't figure out the logistics for the Southeast Asia trip post-tour in Thailand, everything fell into place for Costa Rica.
When I mentioned to one of my clients that I was looking for someone to rent out my room, she referred me to her friend. My dates were not typical (I was traveling November 5 - December 12 or something)...
...and her friend's availability matched up to mine perfectly.
Like, what?! How does that even happen?!
Then I found a free flight to Costa Rica using my airline miles and only paid $32 for tax.
Researching a short trip to do on my own after the semester was over, I chose Cartagena, Colombia. When that trip got closer, not only did I find easy flights again, but I also landed one of my first hotel collaborations as a blogger to cover that expense.
When I got to Cartagena, I randomly met a group of people on the street who invited me to dinner with them, and hung out with them during my time there.
Everything fell into place.
Why? Because that job opportunity with the study abroad company was meant for me. I just knew it.
How to follow your intuition when it comes to big opportunities or life changes:
Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica
1. Everything happens for a reason.
If you know something you desire is meant for you, it'll happen.
Trust the path, and - as difficult as it is - try to ditch the timeline.
It was well over a year before that study abroad job manifested for me, and when it finally did work out, the timing was perfect.
Panama City, Panama
2. Focus on that feeling when you suspect something is right for you intuitively.
Don't ignore that lightning bulb moment that goes "ding!" when a new opportunity comes your way.
San Blas Islands, Panama
3. There are two phrases I've read in books that I try to live by: "Say yes and figure it out later" and "Bite off more than you can chew. You can figure out how to chew later."
In this case, I had a lot of things to figure out before going to Costa Rica, but I trusted I would figure it out...and I did.
It was surprisingly easy.
Playa Venao, Panama
Final words:
Life is always happening for you, not to you.
Rejection is redirection, and sometimes the timing just needs to line up better. Other times, something way better is headed your way.
Follow your bliss.
Trust the process.
Never settle for anything less than what you desire.
