update

*side note* I didn't notice that my nav bar or whatever hanged and so the time stopped at 10:17.. I was like oh I have 15 more minutes before bedtime. Now I have -45 minutes til bedtime.

I just wanted to make a quick update as per my last real blog post. I started to keep a log notebook for all the websites that I went to searching for an organization that does environmental/diversity survey work in the Philippines. Global Volunteer Network is at the top of my list (in fact is the only one on my list but I try to stay optimistic) Coral Cay was a good one but they're based in the UK and Americorps is out of the question since they only take US citizens. I'm also populating a list of contact people, professors and such for when I get a clearer vision of where I really want to take this.

Financially, I wasn't sure at first what to do to back me up for this: either pay off my debts quicker by making substantial monthly payments (but less-to-no savings) or pay the bare minimum, suffer the finance charges but be able to still make payments when I quit my job. In the end I decided that it's worth paying minimum for now (that is to say, accumulate the finance charges) in exchange for an experience that will benefit me in the future. Plus, it would be a great bonus to be making more in return and being able to pay back the accumulation easier. But I'm not after that of course. In this plan, I can afford not to work for 5 months by saving a paycheck each month for nine months! That puts me on hold until February of next year, which is too long a wait. There are options, such as selling my car, lowering the time I spend in the Philippines and less advisably, getting into a grad school already a.ka. get student status. That's it for now.