Why next year will be different.

Hello again.

So I've managed to actually get around to doing this post, finally.

As I've mentioned once or twice, I've been working as a camp/Duke of Ed leader/guide through the course of this year. That has also included undertaking a Certificate III in Outdoor Recreation at TAFE.

Now, I could go over all the ins and outs of it, but I don't think that's what I need to do. It's an awesome job, and I don't want other people to be put off it by my own experiences.

But I'm going to give you the gist of it.

Like I said, I absolutely love doing what I'm doing. I get to see some amazing places, spend time with some great people, and help young guys and girls with this sort of thing. (Have a look at my post on Life Skills/Camp Skills for more on that.) I get to work outside and not get stuck in an office, keep active as part of my job, and keep learning and being challenged. And if people are thinking about having a go at something like this, I'd really encourage them to give it a look.

But.

I've got three passions in life. God, music/creativity, and people. Both people in general, and my friends and family.
Because of the vast amount of time and energy that my job demands, I can't give those three passions the time and energy that I really want to give them.

And for me, that's really hard.
I haven't been able to catch up with friends like I'd like to. I mean, I'm not exactly a social character, but I'd like to be able to keep in touch with people a bit more. And I really don't see my family as much as I'd like, and I live with them. And, being as old as I am (nearly 21), that time is probably diminishing fairly rapidly.
I haven't had a gig this whole year, and I've written a grand total of three songs. There have been times that I've written multiple songs in the space of a week. I haven't done any drama stuff this year either, and I haven't been able to write nearly as much (blog or otherwise) as I'd like.
And I haven't been able to get to Youth Group each week, or Bible study each week, or even church each week. And I haven't been able to help out at church to the degree that I really want to. And to me, even if music and people were OK, God is so vitally important that I can't compromise on that.

As such, I'm finishing up at the end of the year. I might be doing a bit of casual work here and there with them next year - a couple of camps that I've really enjoyed doing - but apart from that, I've started to look for other work. Nothing as yet. Facing the same challenge as last year, really.
Finding a somewhat flexible part-time job that isn't retail or fast food, you don't need experience or qualifications for, isn't heavy lifting/manual labour, isn't ages away, and pays more than peanuts (though I have worked for that before) is pretty tricky.

But yeah, that's where I'm at at present. Just to let you fellows know.