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I've got a restless heart burning up inside my bones.
It is amazing how much faster time seems to travel now. I've been home 3 months now, and it still feels like it can't be over a month. Next month, I'll have been back almost the entire time I was away. Days used to seem to last much longer than they do now.
I have some updates on my current goal of being more of an adult and doing all the super fun awesome stuff adults do, like buy a new car. I still haven't bought one yet, but I'm going to within the next month or so. I would really like to drive my own car to Comic Con and buy tons of nerdy stuff to put on it. I can resist as much as I want, but you know what having a car that I don't feel guilty about putting miles on means? It means beach time in Michigan, day trips to wherever is drive able from here, It may make me feel less trapped, because that option to just drive in one direction and go will be there. I can't exactly do that with my dad's car. Well, I could, but he'd probably come hunt me down. I could drive to California, if I wanted. I could drive into Canada or go to Vegas. I did say I wanted to see more of home, and there the option is.
I also might have what sounds like an awesome option for my student loans. Talking to Aussies on my travels about how awful student loans are was actually a pretty common topic, just because one of the questions everyone you meet asks you after you tell them you quit your job to travel is "What are you going to do when you go home?" and my answer was always "Work a lot and pay off my loans so next time I don't have to leave after a few months." Student loans just didn't seem like as big of a deal to most non-Americans. Which is odd, seeing as most of my friends are in the same sinking boat I am. I will always be grateful for community college because my debts are much lower than most of my friends. I can't even imagine having 80k+ in loans, but I have friends that do.
In Australia (and correct me if I'm wrong, just going off of what people I've met have said), I guess repayment is based off of income. If you don't make enough, you don't have to pay right then and you don't start paying until you are making enough that you can pay them off. How smart is that? I'm sure there are downsides of it too, but that would really help the people that do struggle with finding a job after college. I guess there is something like that now here too. Maybe it has always been there, but I don't remember anyone ever telling me about it and that is pretty important information. There are so many people that struggle right out of college and then to be drowned in student loans makes it even worse.
Right now, I'm in the process of seeing if that would be a good option for me and bring my monthly payments down. I can pay the monthly payment, but ideally, I'd like to get my PLUS loan completely gone by the end of the year. Once that is out of there, I can put that monthly payment into my bigger loan or not have to pay as much on the slow months at work. I think the biggest issue with it is in the long run you do pay more interest, but I still plan on paying it off in less than the 10 years. It would just ease of some of my financial woes if I only had that one student loan to worry about.
k, boring loan stuff gotten out. You know what is in like 20 days? CHICAGO COMIC CON, SO PSYCHED.
I have some updates on my current goal of being more of an adult and doing all the super fun awesome stuff adults do, like buy a new car. I still haven't bought one yet, but I'm going to within the next month or so. I would really like to drive my own car to Comic Con and buy tons of nerdy stuff to put on it. I can resist as much as I want, but you know what having a car that I don't feel guilty about putting miles on means? It means beach time in Michigan, day trips to wherever is drive able from here, It may make me feel less trapped, because that option to just drive in one direction and go will be there. I can't exactly do that with my dad's car. Well, I could, but he'd probably come hunt me down. I could drive to California, if I wanted. I could drive into Canada or go to Vegas. I did say I wanted to see more of home, and there the option is.
I also might have what sounds like an awesome option for my student loans. Talking to Aussies on my travels about how awful student loans are was actually a pretty common topic, just because one of the questions everyone you meet asks you after you tell them you quit your job to travel is "What are you going to do when you go home?" and my answer was always "Work a lot and pay off my loans so next time I don't have to leave after a few months." Student loans just didn't seem like as big of a deal to most non-Americans. Which is odd, seeing as most of my friends are in the same sinking boat I am. I will always be grateful for community college because my debts are much lower than most of my friends. I can't even imagine having 80k+ in loans, but I have friends that do.
In Australia (and correct me if I'm wrong, just going off of what people I've met have said), I guess repayment is based off of income. If you don't make enough, you don't have to pay right then and you don't start paying until you are making enough that you can pay them off. How smart is that? I'm sure there are downsides of it too, but that would really help the people that do struggle with finding a job after college. I guess there is something like that now here too. Maybe it has always been there, but I don't remember anyone ever telling me about it and that is pretty important information. There are so many people that struggle right out of college and then to be drowned in student loans makes it even worse.
Right now, I'm in the process of seeing if that would be a good option for me and bring my monthly payments down. I can pay the monthly payment, but ideally, I'd like to get my PLUS loan completely gone by the end of the year. Once that is out of there, I can put that monthly payment into my bigger loan or not have to pay as much on the slow months at work. I think the biggest issue with it is in the long run you do pay more interest, but I still plan on paying it off in less than the 10 years. It would just ease of some of my financial woes if I only had that one student loan to worry about.
k, boring loan stuff gotten out. You know what is in like 20 days? CHICAGO COMIC CON, SO PSYCHED.
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That's not a massive deal as it just kind of sits there. It doesn't affect things like credit rating or mortgages or anything like thankfully!
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If I go to grad school, I'm definitely not going to do it here in the US. Ugh, I don't even want to think about the cost.
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That does sound like a good option for you, though.
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The repayment for student loans sounds like a good option to me :)
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I hope it works out. <3
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The student-loan set-up sounds like something the Aussies would do, (although education is free much of Europe, if not most - as you prolly know). However, I heard of this set-up because it was initiated in Oregon, recently! (Last I heard). I think one gets a year or so off, then pays back 3% of annual income.
I hope you get to drive to many far-away places. I loved my car so much, but the repairs just kept coming, and it got too expensive, (esp. aft someone slashed all four tires). So, I went from making big plans to drive places, to trying not to drive as much as possible.
I did drive it from the owner in Cincinnati. And also into Chg, Madison and Milwaukee. And also out to Oklahoma. I guess I got some thrills out of it.
Anyway - good luck, w/ loans, etc. Oh - my student loans were discharged, or whatever's the name for it, due to my disability. But getting to that point was like an additional disability.
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Yeah, my old one was just repair after repair. It was so old that nothing worked, so a new car will be nice in that I don't have to worry about that. Being able to just up and drive somewhere will be awesome.
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I so missing being able to jump in my car and go - I need to correct that - after I move, argh...
Have fun!
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Are yours paid back through your tax like ours, or do you actually have pay it off with money from your paycheck?
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I actually have to pay it with money from my paycheck. :( I do get a little tax break at the end of the year, but since I'm out of school now it's not much.
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I've always wanted to road trip all over. I've only been up and down the west coast but I'd love to go everywhere. Now I've sold my car and bill has a car but he doesn't care / can't afford to travel. Womp womp. If you make it to Seattle you can def stay here!
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Seattle is on my list! I have a really good friend near LA, so I'm hoping to take a trip out to Cali and then travel up the coast. I dunno when it'll happen, but one day!
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A fellow American understands your loan pains, and I sincerely wish you the best of luck sorting yours out. We really get screwed over when it comes to higher education.
ETA. I should probably say that when you apply, they do provide two other repayment options. Even though income based wasn't ideal for me, another was almost attractive enough to change. I know it works for a lot of people. My sister's payment has been $0 on her loans for years and she's going to have a substantial part of her loans forgiven because of it.
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Thanks! Student loans suck. :(
Yeah, my boss's daughter doesn't pay much on her loans now because of consolidating them. I'm looking at all my options and making sure they would work out in my favor. I dunno for sure if they will, but I like having all those options to look in to.
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I'm hoping next year after tax season, I'll have better luck applying since I'll have had the same job for the entire year, and they can't factor in any other irrelevant income - then I might get a better deal on a consolidation. Despite how the odds aren't in our favor regarding education and loans, it's pretty awesome how sometimes it often does work out to our advantage. I really hope it works out for you!
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