Oregon
The six of us that make up team CoolWorks have all had our lives changed by taking a chance on the road less traveled. Since 1995, legions of adventurers have used our site to find their new path. And as a part of that journey, they often discover new courage, new passion, new love, new family, a new home – a fork in the road to a future that they never expected as the result of a seasonal job.
We’ve created these journals with the belief that storytelling cheers, emboldens and encourages us to tell and create our own stories. We built this venue in the hopes that learning about other people’s experiences might help some dreamers work up the courage to take the plunge themselves. Has a seasonal job changed your life? We would love to hear about it!
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Welcome to another edition of the CoolWorks Journal! This week, we hear about Alaska and seasonal jobs from an Alaskan! Laura spent a good portion of her youth exploring the Last Frontier after relocating there from her birthplace in Vermont. She shares some of her favorite memories of summers…
We live in such a beautiful and diverse country and so many people only end up seeing just a fraction of what is out there. On my 40th birthday last year I was still single, had no kids and had been doing the corporate grind for the majority of…
Thank you for being a source of inspiration, excitement, and life-changing possibility. I truly believe this experience not only saved my life, but gave me life.
Seasonal work has truly changed my life, and I am forever grateful. I like to think back on when I felt trapped and then look at how far I have come. I am finally able to honestly say that I love what I do.
Up until that point, I thought college was the only option that would grant me a life with more options than what was offered in my hometown. With their stories and lifestyles sitting right in front of me, it felt like hundreds of doors had opened up all around…
The jokes of leaving our lives behind have been replaced with jokes about going back to what we had before discovering seasonal work. On top of getting paid to vacation, seasonal work has helped us get control of our finances, as most places offer free/inexpensive housing with utilities included,…
How can I not do it? How can I not explore, live, work, and play in this diverse country of ours? How can I not meet some of the best people I have ever met in my life? How can I not escape the comfort bubble and challenge myself?…
Over the course of four months in Alaska, I had more in-depth conversations than I’d ever had. I got to know people, I made genuine connections, and I developed an unrelenting love affair with life. I left Alaska with memories, friends, and money, which I used to begin a…
I often stumble when people ask me where I’ve lived because I’ve lived too many places to count on my fingers – and I’ve forgotten a few while reciting my adventures. But I can say, I’ve never been bored.