girls just wanna have funds

It’s my birthday today. Turning sixteen has always been depicted in movies as a big deal for a girl, but for me it’s just another road sign on the path to finding a job. I have been looking for places to work for about two months now, but haven’t really seen anything I like yet (I know what you’re thinking: “Silly Bethany! You’re not supposed to like your first job!” but I’m not a fan of pointless experiences, so I want to like it at least a little). Truth is, on the inside I feel about thirty years old, but on the outside I look about thirteen; those two things simultaneously make it difficult for me to find places of employment that will both accept and suit me.

This weekend I’ll be having a proper birthday slumber party in true American fashion, with junk food, a Doctor Who marathon, and about twelve other sixteen-ish girls. Lots of my friends have jobs now (Anna works at Dairy Queen, Krysta is a part-time nanny, etc.), so late on Saturday night I’ll probably get to ask them some questions about the whole “working girl” thing. One thing I do know is that I do not want to babysit. Some girls adore children and like taking care of them for long periods of time on a regular basis (like my friend Ahna-Louise, who wants to be a teacher), but that’s not really my thing. My younger sister is only three years my junior and she’s pretty good at taking care of herself, so I don’t have much experience in this field.

In a perfect world, where ballet classes are free and Niall Horan from One Direction is my boyfriend, I’d be able to do the kind of short-term work I would prefer: waitressing or retail. I can fold clothes, I can smile and carry things; these jobs are ideal for me. But, being as young as I am, it’s a little difficult to secure a steady income anywhere. Krysta and Maddie, the other co-owners of this blog, are both older than me, and as far as I know they didn’t have a hard time getting their jobs. Le sigh.

Long-story-short, it’s my sixteenth birthday (and yes, I always have birthdays in the middle of the week. Leap years screw it up for me), and I need a job so I can write up a well-functioning budget plan. I’m the one who likes to make lists and charts and itineraries. Ask Maddie and Krysta.

I’m one step closer to England today. (:

— Bethany.

Getting Down to Business

Summer is ending very quickly and I’m glad of it. 

Hi, people. I’m Bethany, the youngest owner of this blog, and I’ve been spending my summer either indoors or taking the limited amount of dance classes available at my studio; and as socially-damaging as it sounds, I’m glad the season’s almost over. As soon as school starts back up, I can focus on my dance training and get a job; me and the girls want to save a minimum of $3,500 individually just to cover the cost of getting settled in England.

The Urdang Academy of Dance in London, England

Step one: dance.

My dance training is extremely important to me. I’m taking on more courses this year so that I’ll have  a broader spectrum of capability; so far I’m mostly trained in contemporary/modern. Plus, there’s no way I’ll be able to live in London if I can’t get into any of their dance schools! And as for that, I’m torn between England’s Urdang Academy and Bird College. Both seem like really good schools to train at, but my main issue with choosing between them is that I’ve not yet decided which field of dance I would most like to break into (company or commercial). Once I’ve decided I think it’ll be easier for me to choose a school, but for the time being I’m just trying to have as much experience and technique under my belt as possible: continuing this autumn with four ballet classes (two en pointe) and an advance contemporary class.

Step two: school.

It would also be helpful if I actually graduate high school. Maddie and Krysta are already putting the trip on hold to wait until I’m out of school (2015), so I don’t want to keep them waiting any longer than legally possible. We’re all three home-schooled (Well, Krysta graduated this year, but she was), so we have flexible schedules when it comes to our educations, and I think I’m going to take advantage of that to shape my school schedule around work and dance. And family, of course. My mom, dad, and my little sister Grace are extremely supportive of my aspirations and I just don’t want to let anyone down, really.

Fine dining at Jerry Jack’s.

Step three (the final step): work

This topic has been long-considered in my brain. I’m only fifteen and quite lazy to be honest, which puts a bit of a strain on my options as far as employment. I’d decided that I didn’t want to work in fast food (I can barely make cereal for myself, and you’ll never catch me cleaning a public toilet on this side of the grave) or with children, which are the two main jobs young teenagers tend to have. At first I thought to work in retail, maybe at a store in the mall, but at the current moment I haven’t got a car to drive or a full license, so that seemed pretty pointless as well. Now I’ve resolved to apply for a job at this cute little diner within walking distance from my house, called Jerry Jack’s, that my mom has written a story about in our local newspaper. I think I have waitress potential, if only I could learn to be a little nicer. ;P

This is my plan so far for the beginning of fall 2013. I’ll be back once I get the job to talk about budgeting and spending. For now, I’m trying my hardest to focus because, to be real, Maddie and Krysta are boarding the plane to London without me unless I’ve got all three bullet marks on lock. But don’t worry, I’m going find out how to make it work.

— Bethany.