Careers that could support this lifestyle?

Maybe don't sweat a career. Do what you love and find something that pays that you like and figure out how to do that for and by yourself. Make your life, pursuit of happiness and all that.

What about writing? Or journalism?

PatrickV wrote:The job market for new graduate nurses in the Denver area right now sucks. I know because I am a new graduate nurse looking for a job. I am probably going to have to move to Wyoming or New Mexico to get my first job. Also an associates degree in nursing right now is quickly becoming worthless unless you want to live in Kansas City. A bachelor's (what I have) is more work and money but is fast becoming the gold standard for all hospitals.

Experience is what you need. Denver has never had a good market for nursing. I took a huge pay cut coming from East coast 10 years ago. I was already experienced though. All new grads wanna work ER or ICU...why not LTEK ? Hard work tons of sick patients, always need people, lots of skills to practice. Clalifornia needs nurses. New grads ahould not be so picky. Remember its not about glamour but about helping sick people.

PatrickV wrote:The job market for new graduate nurses in the Denver area right now sucks. I know because I am a new graduate nurse looking for a job. I am probably going to have to move to Wyoming or New Mexico to get my first job. Also an associates degree in nursing right now is quickly becoming worthless unless you want to live in Kansas City. A bachelor's (what I have) is more work and money but is fast becoming the gold standard for all hospitals.

Experience is what you need. Denver has never had a good market for nursing. I took a huge pay cut coming from East coast 10 years ago. I was already experienced though. All new grads wanna work ER or ICU...why not LTEK ? Hard work tons of sick patients, always need people, lots of skills to practice. Clalifornia needs nurses. New grads ahould not be so picky. Remember its not about glamour but about helping sick people.

If the medical stuff has any interest to you its def worth looking at. There's a lot of jobs in the medical field that aren't nursing and work the same 36hr/wk schedule. My wife is a nurse and it didn't really appeal to me, so I went to respiratory therapy school. Same length of education, but more focused. Getting your 1-2yrs of experience as a new RT may require you working in a place that is less that ideal, but afterwards you can find lots of job options all over. Other jobs include radiology tech, ultrasound tech, EEG techs, even CNA.
CNAs work their asses off, but most places will pay for the class, its cheap, its a short class, always find a job, and the pay isn't great but its better than fast food/retail and still 3 days a week.

Liberty wrote: Experience is what you need. Denver has never had a good market for nursing. I took a huge pay cut coming from East coast 10 years ago. I was already experienced though. All new grads wanna work ER or ICU...why not LTEK ? Hard work tons of sick patients, always need people, lots of skills to practice. Clalifornia needs nurses. New grads ahould not be so picky. Remember its not about glamour but about helping sick people.

I never wanted to work ER or ICU right out of school. I am open to SNF and LTAC. The problem is the market is saturated with nurses with 10, 20 years of experience willing to take pay cuts to live out here looking for work. Its a popular place to live!

I know nurses here with good experience having a hard time finding work. I went to University of Colorado, one of the most highly regarded schools in the state. People who graduated before me took up to eight months to find a job. It's not impossible, its just not the rosy job outlook everyone says it is. Networking is key.

Everyone loves NPR right?
kunc.org/post/job-market-ca…

Rob Davis wrote:I have less free time now that I'm a teacher than I did while I was a student working another job. Yes you have time off in the summer, but it's hot in the summer, most people would rather take their vacation during the "good climbing months" (fall), you end up working 12 hours a day during the school year so unless you're going to crank plastic all of the time you get out of shape, you can't go out at night during the week. If you like teaching then go for it. If you're doing it just to get vacation time, find another profession.

+1 On this post. I am a teacher also and can attest to everything Rob is saying. Some previous poster mentioned getting done at 3:45 and climbing all the time. Those teachers are generally not very good and are just doing it for the time off and do not really care about the craft. I probably put in well over 65 hours a week on planning, grading, extra duties (coaching), and just looking for new innovative things to include into the classroom. Sometimes I think about how easy a lot of 9 to 5ers have it that when they leave work their day is done. Also depending on the field you want to teach in it may be really hard to find a teaching job. In my state for every social studies opening 200+ apply for it.

You should do what you want. Yeah Nursing is a good profession but if you are only in it for the money and good schedule you won't last, you have to love doing it. Why is everyone trying to steer him to nursing when it really sounds like teaching is what his heart is set on? I guess its just the obligatory "go into nursing" post?

One last note: just like nursing, teaching might not be what you think it is. There are the highly sought-after positions in both careers that are easy to romanticize, and there are the harder,"get-your-hands-dity," more thankless jobs that you will most likely get until you've worked your way up.

My friend has been a teacher for a couple years and, after a highly competitive and lengthy applications process, she works with troubled kids who constantly call her rascist names, are violent, and say stuff such as "why don't you hop on my dick?" when she asks them to quiet down (that's from at 7 or 8 year old)! When you bring these kids to the principal's office, they send 'em back to class because the parents apparently don't care and the principal's office has to be reserved for truly heinous behavior/crimes. Same with nursing--I know a dude who wipes butts professionally, but on the othe hand, I know a really hot girl who instantly became a promotional advertisements model for the nursing outfit and her primary duties involve heart-warming work in the newborns ward.

Main point: it's all too easy to idealize or romanticize some lines of work. Know what you're getting into. Elenor sounds like she's elbow-deep in human waste, but apparently she's killing it. You gotta find a way to figure out what's right for you.

Here is the definitive answer on pursuing a nursing career:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tU1emGCPTc8&feature=player_embedded

Lots of different possibilities. Come to Alaska and participate in the fishing season. Generally lasts March-September for the majority of the fisheries. You wouldn't have to spend that entire time here, maybe just fish in a few of the fisheries and then leave. I know many people (including myself at times) who do this work and then lead the gypsy life for the remainder of the year. Only downside is that you are far away from climbing during some of the best months of the year. But, if you play your cards right you could be done in time for Squamish and then continue on from there.

Go to college where the climbing is good. Study something that has the potential to make you lots of money later in life. When you have a job that pays you well you can take time off to go climb anywhere you want.

Eric G. wrote:One last note: just like nursing, teaching might not be what you think it is. There are the highly sought-after positions in both careers that are easy to romanticize, and there are the harder,"get-your-hands-dity," more thankless jobs that you will most likely get until you've worked your way up. My friend has been a teacher for a couple years and, after a highly competitive and lengthy applications process, she works with troubled kids who constantly call her rascist names, are violent, and say stuff such as "why don't you hop on my dick?" when she asks them to quiet down (that's from at 7 or 8 year old)! When you bring these kids to the principal's office, they send 'em back to class because the parents apparently don't care and the principal's office has to be reserved for truly heinous behavior/crimes. Same with nursing--I know a dude who wipes butts professionally, but on the othe hand, I know a really hot girl who instantly became a promotional advertisements model for the nursing outfit and her primary duties involve heart-warming work in the newborns ward. Main point: it's all too easy to idealize or romanticize some lines of work. Know what you're getting into. Elenor sounds like she's elbow-deep in human waste, but apparently she's killing it. You gotta find a way to figure out what's right for you.

agree with this. For the five positions the opened at my school this year, there were almost 1000 applicants (yes, one thousand). You can do that "I mean, I can't figure out what I want to do so I guess I'll just be a teacher" thing and end up in a worst-case-scenario abusive school that takes advantage of teachers, and then get burnt out after a few years and go back to school, or you can find a career you actually are good at and not waste everyone's time.

#1 career choice if climbing is your top priority would of course be climbing... DUH! Alex Honnold makes six figures.

Although related professions work well for cross training - Richard Rossiter is a yoga instructor for example.

Overall, +1 for sugar momma / lotto and I'd maybe suggest seasonal work like doing taxes. That way if you get crippled you have a back up plan to become a 'respected' member of this mercantilist based, gold worshiping, fascist society climbers oh so tenaciously avoid integrating with. Unless you'r an ice climber wearing $700 boots

Holden Caulfield wrote: So you are a mooch? Being a mooch might be a good option for the OP.

Damn, was I the only one who thought your comment was old-person-falls-down funny?

Airline pilot.

You can commute to work from any airport with airline service (though I'm not saying it's always easy). I have a friend who sold his house, bought an Airstream, and rolled out to where ever he wanted to be for the time being. You can get anywhere from 3 to 10 days off in a row (depending on your seniority), but the pay ain't great. Expect to make $19,000 first year at a regional airline, and the really good jobs at major airlines are few and far between.

That being said, the time off can be fantastic once you've got some seniority.

Spatial Sciences.... jobs in GIS pay great, test you on a daily basis, and offer endless opportunities.

City of Bozeman is hiring 2 City Planners if anyone with experience is looking for a change in lifestyle...

bozeman.net/Departments-(1)/Human-Resources/Jobs#.UVzs7I5psW0

John Herreshoff wrote:Airline pilot. You can commute to work from any airport with airline service (though I'm not saying it's always easy). I have a friend who sold his house, bought an Airstream, and rolled out to where ever he wanted to be for the time being. You can get anywhere from 3 to 10 days off in a row (depending on your seniority), but the pay ain't great. Expect to make $19,000 first year at a regional airline, and the really good jobs at major airlines are few and far between. That being said, the time off can be fantastic once you've got some seniority.

Of course you have to work hard to pay off the 60k+ in debt to get all of the ratings :)

Probably not what you're looking for, but I sure did a lot of climbing in the Army. If you get in the right occupational specialty, you'll do a good amount on the job ( the Army has a contract agreement with Metolius for a reason). There's also a good amount of free time, one month vacation, and every conceivable government holiday, plus comp time if you ever have to work overnight in the barracks. I had way more days off than I do currently in the civilian world.

You could also get stationed in places that are close to good climbing. Ft Carson, CO ( Colorado Springs) FT Drum, NY ( home of the 10th Mountain Division near the Gunks) Ft Bliss, TX ( Hueco Tanks) Ft Huachuca, AZ (Cochise Stronghold) Ft Irwin, CA (J Tree, Tahquitz, Red Rock, Yosemite) and several posts in Germany and Italy.

Good pay, good benefits to help with your degree ( GI Bill and Tuition Assistance rules!) and you get paid to do PT every morning to get you into excellent climbing shape. Just a thought.