Whenever I meet a travel dreamer who doesn’t think they can afford to go on their own journey, I tend to go on overly enthusiastic rants about the kinds of opportunities and unique experiences that travel can present. Sometimes it is simply about being in the right place at the right time. Mostly, I regard these opportunities as a reward for the complete openness with which I journey.

Muchas Gracias @ Casa Guatemala, Rio Dulce, Guatemala – Karina Noriega

Training to be an Elephant Mahout in Northern Thailand – Karina Noriega

Pinata 🙂 Casa Guatemala, Rio Dulce, Guatemala – Karina Noriega

April and kids, First visit to Casa Guatemala, Rio Dulce, Guatemala – Karina Noriega

Turtle habitat, Pangandaran, Java, Indonesia – Karina Noriega

Children spill out of a one room school to pose with this strange wanderer in the hills of Northern Laos – Karina Noriega

Whether it’s teaching at a jungle orphanage, bar-tending on the beach, or playing tourist guide at a hostel, it is all about finding ways to sustain the one thing you are most passionate about: a journey around the world!

The “jobs” may not be glorious; in fact, a lot of them don’t pay at all. And they are definitely not the type of situations you are going to find on a job search from across the ocean. Sometimes I get free room in paradise. Other times, you gain a unique experience. It’s flexible work that reflects my desire to always keep moving forward, exploring. I am free to roam as soon as I’m ready, rest when I am not, and make erratic turns along the way, just because I wanted to see what’s there.

The little voice in the back of my head is currently hollering away with a decent sense of urgency. It’s clearly the theme song from Pocahontas. “Just around the river bend…” Very fitting.

I would like to think of myself with the exhilaration, strength and independence that character shows as she paddles across rapids into the unknown. My canoe is on wheels, but nevertheless, I’m about to launch us off a high waterfall with the following announcement.

We are dashing clear across the entire country to part-take in the filming of a feature length movie in New York City. That’s right. April and Karina – living and breathing New York City’s film industry! In terms of learning opportunities, this is the one that will challenge and elevate us above all else (not a bad looker on the resume either :P).

I imagine life is about to change.

From our wandering ways to the high-strung pace of a real New Yorker!!

We crossed the northbound Golden Gate Bridge and are heading up the Pacific Coast Highway to Oregon before making the first fateful turn back to the Big Apple.

Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, California, USA – Karina Noriega

We have a lot of land to cover between here and the East coast, including one of my most thrilling USA highlights: Yellowstone National Park! Most unfortunately, there are going to be some sacrifices. Northwest USA and all our friends waiting for us in Vancouver Island, sigh, we are going to have to rain check 😦 Please be excited for us anyways. We are wildly happy and grateful to our new friend Jesse for bringing us on board his dream project. We promise to be good little minions Jesse 🙂

Lest one of the US border agents reads this post, please note, we still intend to go back to Canada within the current limitations of our visa. And to our waiting friends and family, I hope you didn’t have a big party ready for our imminent return. At least now you have another month to plan it! 🙂

~ An Extraordinary Story by Karina Noriega ~

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We’re coming back!!! 🙂 Times Square, New York City, New York, USA – Karina Noriega