Its detailed pretty well on some of the other threads but to give a short version:
I partied pretty damn hard in Uni, got up a good notch count and still managed to finish with good grades.
Unfortunately the Irish economy had tanked by the time I graduated with very little job opportunities and I was in debt.
2 years ago today I was working in a call centre completely depressed. You answered phones all day, weren't allowed to talk to the people beside you - a complete cubicle drone. I was making so little money and not getting laid. It was the lowest point in my life.
I registered in Feb of '12 after finding the Oilsands thread. I'd already read a lot of 'PUA' material at the stage but had never read any financial datasheets or the other lifestyle info we have here. I was instantly inspired to make the move and started working relentlessly towards making it happen.
With such minimal income it took me 9 months just to save up the $3000 Canadian dollars to fly over.
I worked my ass off to save up that much with as much side hustles as possible for extra cash before I left.
I flew into Alberta in Sept 2013. I knew no one and had a piece of paper in my pocket with handwritten instructions how to find the hostel. They lost my bags at the airport so I slept on a tiny couch overnight because I couldn't afford to sleep anywhere other then the cheap hostel (still a 3 hour bus drive away).
I meet a few guys off the forums ( all cool guys ) and started looking for some work.
I did 6 shitty jobs (living on the worst side of town and sometimes taking 2hr bus trips to get to work) before I got working on the rigs as a leasehand (bottom of the bottom) before getting hired as an MWD a week later.
I spent my last bit of money to buy a $500 dollar truck to get me to the rigs hoping that I would see some of the paycheck before I came back. ( I had $37 dollars in my account).
...
So far this year I have made $22,000 before tax. I'm on track to break 200k this year if it stays busy. I have a pretty sweet apartment back in Edmonton and my newer 2008 truck ( the first truck froze to death) is nearly paid off.
It hasn't been easy - I nearly went broke again last summer when the drilling got quiet, lost about 20 pounds and ran myself down so bad I spent a week in bed. That being said its been a great adventure and am pretty proud of all I have achieved.
The first year here was about getting set up. This year is about getting my fitness up to an elite level and bump my game back up to my Uni levels (20 - 30 notches a year). Once your finances are in order it becomes a lot easier to focus on other goals.
Its not rags to riches quite yet but I am getting there.
Thanks to everyone on the forum for all the help!
I partied pretty damn hard in Uni, got up a good notch count and still managed to finish with good grades.
Unfortunately the Irish economy had tanked by the time I graduated with very little job opportunities and I was in debt.
2 years ago today I was working in a call centre completely depressed. You answered phones all day, weren't allowed to talk to the people beside you - a complete cubicle drone. I was making so little money and not getting laid. It was the lowest point in my life.
I registered in Feb of '12 after finding the Oilsands thread. I'd already read a lot of 'PUA' material at the stage but had never read any financial datasheets or the other lifestyle info we have here. I was instantly inspired to make the move and started working relentlessly towards making it happen.
With such minimal income it took me 9 months just to save up the $3000 Canadian dollars to fly over.
I worked my ass off to save up that much with as much side hustles as possible for extra cash before I left.
I flew into Alberta in Sept 2013. I knew no one and had a piece of paper in my pocket with handwritten instructions how to find the hostel. They lost my bags at the airport so I slept on a tiny couch overnight because I couldn't afford to sleep anywhere other then the cheap hostel (still a 3 hour bus drive away).
I meet a few guys off the forums ( all cool guys ) and started looking for some work.
I did 6 shitty jobs (living on the worst side of town and sometimes taking 2hr bus trips to get to work) before I got working on the rigs as a leasehand (bottom of the bottom) before getting hired as an MWD a week later.
I spent my last bit of money to buy a $500 dollar truck to get me to the rigs hoping that I would see some of the paycheck before I came back. ( I had $37 dollars in my account).
...
So far this year I have made $22,000 before tax. I'm on track to break 200k this year if it stays busy. I have a pretty sweet apartment back in Edmonton and my newer 2008 truck ( the first truck froze to death) is nearly paid off.
It hasn't been easy - I nearly went broke again last summer when the drilling got quiet, lost about 20 pounds and ran myself down so bad I spent a week in bed. That being said its been a great adventure and am pretty proud of all I have achieved.
The first year here was about getting set up. This year is about getting my fitness up to an elite level and bump my game back up to my Uni levels (20 - 30 notches a year). Once your finances are in order it becomes a lot easier to focus on other goals.
Its not rags to riches quite yet but I am getting there.
Thanks to everyone on the forum for all the help!