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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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.
Being far from the noises of crowds and having some pretty epic scenery are just a tiny slice of the pie. I feel my ideas and aspirations unfolding in a different way and out here there’s no hiding from that. Solitude encourages me to reflect.
As I scrolled through the job postings, I was instantly invigorated by imagining a hundred different futures. Who would the version of me be that lived on an Alaskan island for the summer? What adventures would she go on? What about the me that might man the visitor center…
My friend, don’t have any expectation for how life is “supposed to be.” It is messy. It Is savage. It is ugly. And at times it can be down-right brutal, but it is also glorious, magical, mystical, and if you’re lucky, it is one hell of a ride. So,…
I longed for wilderness, for mountains, for wide open spaces – just to feel the solace and the oneness with nature. I needed to get away from the obstacles that held me back at home. I needed to get back out on my own, and meet new people, people…