With each paycheck, they stockpiled money into education funds for all three of their children, promising each a fully paid tuition for a state university or a heavy contribution toward the bill at a private college. Melissa’s education cost the most – about $100,000, even after scholarships and financial aid – and Jack and Shelly paid every cent. An investment, they called it. The return was implied: good grades, a successful career and income to create college funds for children of her own. The straight line.
Maybe, Melissa thinks now. But maybe there is something else, a more wandering path to fulfillment. She is falling in love with Freihofer and indulging whims like searching for Montana’s best beef jerky, writing letters by hand and hiking each morning. When Freihofer, who works as a rafting guide, asks what she will do next, she mentions not career possibilities but possible adventures she has researched online. “Why waste my time continuing to apply for jobs that don’t want me?” she says. Instead, she imagines a future far away. A yoga ashram in Nepal? Trekking through Argentina? Picking grapes at a vineyard in New Zealand? A road trip across Australia?
All she knows for certain is that she wants to save $4,000 for airfare and depart in early 2010, for somewhere. “I don’t want to look back after 30 years in a cubicle and think, ‘I should have …“’ she says.
She got a full ride from her parents. Now she figures she’ll just travel and have fun. Is it any wonder noone wants to hire her with her obvious lack of ‘hunger’ for work?
BTW, who is going to pay for her international travel?
She reminds me of a young girl I overheard as a TA at UCSD discussing her summer plans: “I can’t get a job paying more than $12/hr so I’m just going to travel around Europe all summer.”
