It’s true. I’ve lived in South Dakota my entire life. For years I’ve dreamt of leaving this place and going to happy land where snow doesn’t exist. Ahhh… just need to let that sentence soak in for a second. My own personal bliss.

The parents say, “eh, you’ll go there and find out that it isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be.” Ah yes, I see the bucolic countryside with Julie Andrews skipping down a field singing that these beautiful hills are alive. OK, I’ll give them that. The digital photography I’ve shot here is stunning, and if you’re an artist, it’s the most peaceful place to just sketch or paint outside without city noises or constant chatter. Well, besides the family. They’re a loud bunch. But I digress. Living the peaceful life full of tumbleweeds and pine trees can dull life to a bittersweet nothingness.

I started to believe that quixotic idea over the course of a few years. But my mindset is beginning to change. If I don’t leave now, then when will I leave? The problem is that I don’t have the cash to survive on my own. I’ve gathered enough from freelance jobs, but despite that income, I still don’t have enough to maintain a life in warmer city, let alone another country.

But now, I’m hoping to change that. I’ve applied for The Best Job in the World where, if I win, I will be able to work for Tourism Queensland, promoting the Islands of the Great Barrier Reef. Now, I know I’m not a world traveler or a marine biologist like some of the folks that have already applied, but I am skilled in Web design and marketing. That has to count for something, right? Also, I’ve never been outside the country, so you can certainly get a fresh point-of-view by someone who has never seen such a glorious place.

Plus, you get to watch an entertaining video of me getting doused with snow in negative degree weather while in my swimsuit. Not to mention the big kitty tracks that were going right through where I filmed. And no, that’s not an exaggeration of a regular cat. I’m talking about mountain lions, which have been spotted all over my town. Sorry, you don’t get a dramatic mountain lion standoff. But hey, there’s still the dousing snow thing.

Would you please support my endeavor to get out of South Dakota and see the world? Please vote for me by clicking here and highlighting some stars—preferably all five of them—and clicking.

You can also watch my video in all its ukulele glory below:

This entry was posted on Friday, February 13th, 2009 at 6:17 pm and is filed under general, news. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.