How important is $$$$$$$$$$$ to you??

In college, I went through the pretty tippy phase of thinking, "it doesn't matter if I don't end up making money" blah blah blah because I'll be self-fulfilled and all that hippy, happy love noise. Well, my friend, I'm learning very quickly that life costs $$. No frakkin' free lunches involved. Actually, that's a lie. At work, I get free lunch. But it gives me serious IBS, so maybe not so worth the glorification. There are bunches of bills to pay and here in CHilito, you are charged for everything possible. Go pee? $400 pesos. Own a bank account? $4000 pesos/month. Etc, etc. Not to mention that it's not exactly cheap for me to go home every once in a while (once per year?? yikes...). There's a quick $1300+ chalk right down the tube. Chalkity-chalk-chalk.

It's not that money is the most important thing in the world. Trust me, if that were the case I sure as shit would not be living here. The salaries are pesimo and competition rife (it's tricky when a country has 16,000,000 inhabitants and few job positions that are all located, pretty much, in one city in the whole country). But to be fair, the cost of living is lower (for me at least- no car, rockin a pre-paid phone plan, siphoning internet from my amigos in 31, etc) and, at times, I run an advantage for being a foreigner (hmm, rethinking that actually...) in competing for jobs in international companies looking for someone who is a native English speaker, who also manages Español. As always, a plus and a minus.

I always thought that money wasn't going to be important to me- and honestly, living a Polly-Pocket lifestyle really isn't all that hard/demanding/agonizing. I don't go out on shopping sprees- unless it's purchasing a robbery-proof purse, of course... I don't have an oven/functioning stove, therefore, I spend, what, $10 a week (?) on food... little things that are financially manageable while obv leaving room for fun things like Pisco Sours, el cine, and weekend trips to la playaaa. BUT- what I do tend to mull over in my ever-spinning, over-worrisome brain are the multitudes of possible problems that could stem from such a PollyPocket paycheck. What if I have to make an unexpected trip home?? Pow- there goes all my cash. Get sick/fall and get hurt for realz?? Will take forever y más allá to pay back. And what happens when I become a real, non-PP, adult?? With, like, other things (ehhh, kids???) to worry about. Honestly, all I want is for my little niñitos to have the same opportunities that were available to me growing up. No silver-spoons required, but I want them to be able to go to a good school/university, see the world, go on fun-fam-vacays-- you know the tippy... And my dad worked (works) his ass off to provide my family those things. Twelve hour (+) work days- everyday. EVERY. Day. While always finding time to tuck us in and give a back scratch (24 and still love 'em).

//So, is it wrong to make decisions based off of billz?
//If you had an opportunity to work somewhere that you weren't floored about but payed you much better than your current situation, would you?

My boss, el viejito, is always telling me how he thinks our generation is failed and flawed for searching for who we are, looking for opportunities that lead toward self-actualization and personal fulfillment. Are those bad things?? I'd say, hell no. But at the same time, in this world, this economy (as tired as you are of hearing it), should you pass up employment/experience just because it's not your ideal path? Lose out on a job, when they are so few & far between, for such idyllic reasons?

It's these confrontations our generation, in my buzzzziest opinion, are faced with grappling. How do we go about being our best self, doing what we love, carving a path of fulfillment while balancing our bills, our unexpected expenses, unemployment, our life? It's never gonna be a cake-walk, that's fo shizzle. Not gonna be many free lunches (unless ur lucky!) or puro green-lights- but what else can you do than hope for the best, that everything will work out??

//Thoughts?!?
//Advice??
//Anyone feel the same???
// Am I waxing poetic to yo misma???