Trials, tribulations & general inconvenience...

Q:  How hard can it be to get a gap year job as a food  beverage pleb at a resort in the fabulous Whitsundays?

A: Very.

So far I've applied for Heron, Lady Elliot, Hayman, Hamilton, Lindeman, Brampton & Lizard Islands-the last two after spending hours hunting down contact emails to send off my details. As well as applications, I've had one definite rejection from Hayman & one 'we-want-to-know-more-about-you-so-here's-the-form' from Club Med Lindeman.  And have hear nothing from all the rest.

This wasn't my original plan. Last year, when I got home from the MCC Central Australia Trip, I'd fallen in love with the desert. We spent 3 days at the resort overlooking Uluru and it was magical. So Mum came up with the idea that I apply for a job at the resort, and so it all started. Uluru were crap, they totally screwed me around, and I googled Club Med. And my ideas totally changed and l got my heart set on spending my year on the beach. Beach + money (even if i have to work for it) + people = my idea of heaven :)

However, my resort plans got slightly derailed when I applied for defence force gap year-I was to be an Artillery Air Defender, based at the 16th Air Defence Regiment in Woodside, Adelaide. I had a really good chance, I kept getting through all the interviews-in the main interview a big scary navy bloke recommended me. It was awesome. Anyway, my only problem was that a few years ago, my body crapped itself and fell apart slightly, especially my shoulder. (back story: when l was 13, l dislocated my shoulder in a water fight. Since then, it's been fully dislocated 4 times to the point that the joint is so loose that it just slides out and doesn't hurt. When it sits out of the joint it's called 'subluxing', and this happens alot. Anyway, back to my point...) Defence Force Recruiting (DFR) wanted a report from and orthopaedic surgeon to say that l'd be ok carrying weight etc, so off l trotted to my surgeon, who said "sure, l'll write your report" &after l had scans, did just that. However, he neglected to mention that the stupid report would cost me $440. So l ditched that idea. And so started the resort apps...

So it's not the applications l mind doing (l have a secret form-filling-out fetish. It's fuuuuuun!). It's the dumb, stupid freaking questions!!!! I've got my basic details down pat (after 18 & 1/2 years, one tend to learn essentials like name, birthday, schools etc..), but they all ask dumb arse things like "describe your personality", "describe yourself in five words" & "what would you consider your best achievement?". Not that l mind answering these coz l LOVE talking, and my fave subject is myself. But l do mind writing the same answer over and over, it gets kinda boring. And there are only so many ways one can describe oneself. But trying to put my cornucopia of awesomeness into words wasn't the hardest thing. Oh no....

...they asked for a picture.

No, it's not like l don't have any pics of myself. Noooooo...they asked for a pic that describes my personality.  So, what a dilemma: do l send in a pic of me smiling nicely, looking pretty. Bit upon exploration of my extensive photo collection, we found better options that shower my personality better. Should l go the orange peel smile? cross-eyed loon? two-rolls-of-tape-as-glasses? lil Miss piggy? My sister suggested l  just put them all on a page & send them all in, but l thought that might send the wrong message. ln the end l fiiiiinally settled on a pic taken in Switzerland of me laughing when we were out at dinner the day before my 18th.

So that's where l'm at gap-year wise. Fingers crossed ONE of the resorts will let me chill on their beach and maybe do some work.