If you know me, know my blog or simply stereotype me by the fact I’m male you’ll already know how useless at planning I am!
…my travels are no exception!
I worked at STA Travel for over a year before hitting the road again.
Planning other people’s adventures? No worries!
Planning my own? Completely different story!
So far this year I’ve gone from a 2month jaunt in Asia that extended to nearly 6months.
I was going to become a dive master and work in Phi Phi, but ended up in Cambodia instead.
I was in fact meant to be in NZ by August, now that’s…ummm…on hold and I’m currently in Switzerland!
Anyway to cut a long story short I’ve FINALLY settled on my movements for the rest of 2012 and indeed up until march 2013.
Yup I’ve become organised.
Well actually that’s a massive exaggeration!
I’ve actually signed a 4month contract for a job, so anything short of the company going into liquidation or being sacked I’m locked in!
…plus I’ve already bought all the flights involved so I’m now financially tied in aswell!
Work?!
A job I hear you cry?!
A job?!
But I thought you were meant to be backpacking?!
Don’t worry though, the blog will continue and my life won’t be drawn into a sh*tty 9-5 office job where I spend hours surfing the Internet or mindless checking and rechecking Facebook as a distraction!
I’m going back to work as a surf coach again for the winter season. It’s not Ecuador this time around though (stupid visas restrictions and Julian Assange put an end to that plan!) this time I’m heading to my 4th continent of the year.
Africa.
Or more specifically North Africa.
Or if we’re going all out, Morocco.
It’s been a couple years since I last visited the land of tagine and mint tea on a surf holiday with my buddies but I’m heading back to a life of surf, sun and fun, having been out of the waves since mid August (geez that’s a heaps long time!) so I’m pretty stoked to wake up with a bed full of sand and salt encrusted curls again!
The Job
The guys over at Surf Berbere have taken me on as a bit of a collaboration of skills really and I seem to have taken on 3 job roles packed into 1!
Firstly is the surf coaching side of things. This time around I’m helping run what they’re nicknamed the “Zero to Hero” or “Gap Year” course.
Basically its a 3-4month course where we take people with basic or no surf experience and put them through a pretty epic program with the goal to have them as qualified instructors at the end of it!
I’m stoked for this as everyone involved is basically going in with the aim of living the dream and coaching surfing as part of their travels – pretty much exactly what I’m doing!
The second part of the job is basically being the surf camp rep for the course. I’ll be kicking back in the surf staff villa (complete with rooftop balcony!) but on hand for all the surf clients – making sure they have an awesome time, no what the surf is doing and showing them around Morocco on flat days.
I love hostel life and working for accommodation was one of my highlights during my time in Byron Bay and again in Montanita so it’ll be great to get involved in that again.
The final aspect of the job is getting involved in the social media side of the company. I’m in charge of putting together a video update of the course progress, smashing out some tasty treats on Instagram and I’ll no doubt get involved in their blog and tweets too!
Basically a job that takes in all my random skills and experience – the culmination of my hard work if you will – and I’m sooooooo stoked to get stuck into it all!
And Onward
So from early December until mid March (except for a short return to Switzerland for xmas) I shall be based in Tamraght, Morocco – if any of you guys fancy coming out to learn to surf in the sun then let me know or check out the Surf Berbere website to get envious about where I’ll be based! I can full recommend it as a great place for a few weeks in the sun (surfing or not) and there’s some great accommodation around here.
It’ll be good to finish the year how I began it, on the beach with a board under my arm.
And after that….well I shall FINALLY be landing in New Zealand…just 8 months later than originally planned!
That too is a DEFINITE plan, my parents booked to fly out to see me thinking I would’ve already been there nearly a year, so if I’m not there by then they’ll both kill me!
I’m still debating whether to get stuck straight into my working holiday there though…but that’s another post…!
I’ve got plenty of time to think that decision over though, and until then – BRING ON THE SURF!
The job sounds amazing, good luck with it and Congratulations! xx
Cheers Scarlett – stoked to get back in the ocean again and teach some groms!
Man, you’re becoming impossible to keep up with!! Congrats on the job though, sounds like its exactly up your alley. I’m sure you’ll have a wicked time!!
hahaha you love it Oceana! I like to think of myself as opportunistic rather than plain unorganised – it’s a much nicer spin on how my travels work!