Archaeology in Arizona Project Completed

My work here is done. The archaeology project in the Tonto forest has come to completion. The company that I have been working with for the past 11 weeks has cut its crew loose: “There is no more work for you, go on your merry way.”

The message is clear: I am now joyfully unemployed.

It is about time.

This work season in the USA has been one of the longest that I have ever endured in a single stretch — six months. I worked as a research assistant, a gardener, an organic farmer, and an archaeologist. Six months of formal labor in addition to the full time job of publishing Vagabond Journey.com, and I am now proudly worn out. The archaeology project ended at the perfect time: I was ready to finish working for this season.

It is time again to travel back across the USA

Though I did not make enough money. I cannot now make enough money. My “work a lot, travel more” strategy of working long hours for a few months a year to make up the funds to travel abroad long term is no longer applicable — I am making up the bean money for three now. If I really wanted to make enough money for my family to travel comfortably on, I would need to work the entire year round.

This is not going to happen.

I did not nearly make enough money this year, but I made enough to call it quits. I will probably not search out another job this work season. I made the money that I am going to make, lets see how long it will last us.

Christmas is calling us back east to my family in Western New York State. For the next week or two, I will travel around the Southwest with my wife and baby — take a vacation — then it is back east with us. My mother, father, and little Chinese sister still have not met Petra. It is about time that they do. Christmas is always a good time to be with my family anyway.

Then it is out of the USA with us. This country is too expensive to dwell in.

This year may be the year that I will be able to begin earning enough from Vagabond Journey.com to completely fund our travels.

Though, as my wife clearly points out, I say this every year.

Tonto forest archaeology crew

Vagabond Journey series on archaeology in the Tonto Forest, Arizona
[seriesposts orderby=date name=”archaeology tonto forest” ]