Gyros, gyros, gyros

I have been anxiously awaiting news about a possible job opportunity with a bicycle touring company for the past few weeks. Well, yesterday I recieved news that they do, in fact, want to "hire" me. Notice those quotes around the word hire in the last sentence? Those quotes mean that they do want me to work for them, but don't really want to "pay" me. I would be able to ride and work for them, but they would only pay for my food and lodging and travel expenses, nothing more. Now, if I had, say, 1,000 dollars in my pocket right now, I could swing that. All I would have to cover outside of the tour would be my student loans. But I do not, in fact, have 1,000 dollars. Or any money to speak of, really, that would allow me to work without being paid and then come back to this rather low-paying job. So, it will be back to Ames, IA and the Gyro stand for me.

Part of me is excited to go back to Ames, see old friends, and work at the stand again. I'll also be moving back into my old apartment as well, which is handy. It was never a choice between a good job that I enjoy and a "fallback" one. I had seriously considered not even applying for other things and just working at the stand in the first place. But it would have been nice to do something different, meet new challenges and learn new skills, as well as get paid to ride my bike. Ah, well, maybe next summer. I look forward to busting my ass again at late, late hours and drinking the acrid nectar that is Pabst Blue Ribbon at 6am while the sun comes up. I might also be able to deliver burritos on my bike for another company, which would kick not a little ass, and help me get a few more kilometers under my belt this year.