Raising funds for my education

I don't often post personal things here, because I have other online platforms for that, so people who only follow this blog (if that's anyone at all) don't get to read about the more mundane things going on in my life.

One thing I'm currently doing in addition to writing is studying to teach German as a foreign language. I'm taking a distance learning course through the Goethe Institute, at the end of which I'll get a certificate that says I am capable of teaching German as a foreign language. One of the requirements is either to get 120 hours of teaching experience (which, as you may know, is difficult to do without already having experience to get the job...) or to do a 50-hour practicum in an approved location. Because of various factors, like there not being any schools where I could get a 50-hour practicum anywhere within 200 miles of my house (yes, I emailed the local high schools that offer German, too, and asked about student teaching), I'm doing this practicum at the Goethe Institute Mannheim.

That means buying plane tickets, and paying for housing, public transit, food, and other incidentals. Which is expensive. I found a room in a shared flat for €90/week, which is much cheaper than a hotel (the cheapest of which I found was €32/night), and I procrastinated/was indecisive long enough on buying plane tickets that the price dropped $100+, so I got them for three digits instead of four.

Because I haven't been paid for working in a long time and I used my savings to pay for Viable Paradise, I've gone the route of many other people and started an online fundraising campaign at GoFundMe. I've offered a few reward levels for things like German lessons and translation assistance, because I feel weird just asking for money without anything in return. I may add a level of "digital photograph of something in Mannheim or Stuttgart" (I'm visiting a friend there after the practicum).

So if you have a few spare dollars that you want to toss in my basket because you like reading this blog, please do! Or if you liked reading my story U8: Alexanderplatz (1989), there's a PayPal button at the bottom of that page.

If you donate, I thank you. If you share this link with your friends, I'm grateful.