This is Work

I've received the bulk of my work offers for 2011. January/February is always an anxious time for those of us who work as self-employed tour managers. The tour companies give out the contracts and we wonder if we will be working this year - a bit like being an actor I suppose.

There are lots of actors working in this industry in between acting jobs as what we do involves performing for our public too, and, like actors, we hope they will love us. There can also be a fair amount of cattiness and backbiting - it's not that far removed from showbiz at times (Why did they give that tour to him when I'm perfect for it! She's got more tours than me and she's useless! That kind of thing).

Assuming all my tours run, I'm going to Costa Rica & Panama next month, Japan (Yesss!), France a couple of times, Central Europe, Western Canada & Alaska Cruise, Route 66, Denver to Phoenix via most of New Mexico, New England & Niagara Falls, Med Cruise with the ECO and South America.

I'm as pleased as punch with most of this stuff, especially the chance to return to Japan. I have no reason to complain but I would love to have done Chile & Vietnam again, maybe Australia. There's no pleasing some people!

Financially, it's not bad, though a couple of more tours would be great. However, in these difficult times I'm glad to be working. There is also a chance that we might be doing the odd trip for Habitat for Humanity, which would be a new challenge but potentially very rewarding.

As the title says, this is work - hard work. A friend of mine is currently in Cairo with a group of British senior citizens and she is earning every cent of her pay. You never know what is going to turn up. Having said that, hardly a day goes by when I don't look out on a fantastic view or wander around a fascinating city and think "I'm getting paid to be here!"

Downsides include M and I almost never being together for our anniversary and our birthdays (This year being no exception), missing important dates with friends and family, being on the wrong side of the world when a loved one is ill or dies. Despite all that the two of us are in this because we can't sit still, we want to see the world and show others what wonders there are to be found on our planet and we have tried staying in one place and we can't do it. We are very lucky to be doing what we do.

I've stuck pins into a map to show where I hope to be and drawn lines between some of the places. The map is small and the pins are big so it's a bit hit & miss.