That Aussie Dream Job Is Mine, All Mine!

You know you're a perfect candidate for a job when not two, but five people send you a link to it within 24 hours. That's what happened this week when several of my friends forwarded me a link to the Best Job in the World, Caretaker of the Islands of the Great Barrier Reef.

I've had an infatuation with Australia since I did a report on the country Down Under in sixth grade. During junior high, I had the Australian flag hanging in my locker and a map of the country on my bedroom wall, which I studied on a regular basis, memorizing the capitals, states and territories as if I would be quizzed.

Somehow, I've made it to every other inhabited continent on the planet but not Australia. This is a situation that needs to be rectified ASAP -- and this gig would be the perfect way to do it. Who else is better qualified to test dive gear, monitor aquatic life, blog about the reef's goings-on, and answer questions to incoming tourists?

I'm sending in my application this month. If anyone knows someone on the selection committee that I can bribe, please let me know.

London, Please Hire Me

For years, I've dreamed of returning to the U.K., particularly London, where I spent my final semester of undergrad. But with the pound still kicking the dollar's butt, despite recent dollar rallies; the difficulty getting a visa; and the Byzantine rules behind the pet immigration scheme, I don't know how I'd manage it.

Luckily, I'm considered worthy enough to obtain a Tier 1 visa, which means I don't have to wait for some company to sponsor me; I can just apply and flit over on my own (and on my own dime, er, pence). So I've begun to put out feelers.

Why the U.K.? I like it, dammit. Sure, it doesn't have the quality of life rating that France does, but I can speak the language far better. I love London, the British sense of humor, and curry. I can flit off to Mallorca or Croatia or Oslo for a weekend, for the same price as going to San Fran from LA.

If I could find a job that didn't require me to speak another language, I'd gladly take off for various other realms, such as France, Spain, or Italy. But a fluent polyglot I'm not, despite my best attempts. So I'm going to aim to get abroad -- even if only for a few months -- by 2010, hopefully sooner. That's my goal.

Care to join me? Here's a link that will help you determine you're eligibility for the U.K.'s Tier 1 work visa:
http://www.1stcontactvisas.com/Uk-Visas/tier-1-visa.aspx