The internet marketing lifestyle is amazing.

I know that many people who are just getting started with this may find it hard to believe that things will get better, but, believe me, if you are following the basic tried and true methods, and you are giving it your all, you can’t help but succeed eventually.

And let’s be honest: success means different things to different people. While one person may define success as getting to the point where their basic needs are covered, others may not feel successful until they have filled their lives with all the latest consumer junk. Hey, to each his own.

I belong to that first group. In fact, my income is nothing to brag about. If it weren’t for the fact that my expenses are so low, I wouldn’t be able to pull this off at all. Now, there is no doubt that some of the more successful internet marketers might consider my monthly income as nothing; but the fact of the matter is that it is providing everything I need at the moment. It pays all my bills, it has completely wiped out my debt, I have plenty of spending money, and most importantly, it gives me freedom that most people in the working world could never imagine or experience unless they won the lottery.

Here is an example of what I’m talking about:

I returned home last night after spending 2 amazing weeks skiing in Jackson Hole. It was an incredible experience and one that I won’t soon forget. I don’t take many vacations and I certainly don’t take skiing vacations (this was my first), because I am careful with my money. It is a habit that I’ve picked up over the past few years of living on next to nothing. The fact that I now have a little more money to spend is a notion that I’m still not used to.

Besides, I thought it was about time to reward myself for all those 12 hour days.

The group that I went with are all long time friends from my previous job. They have been doing this for years and are very familiar with Jackson Hole. I was the least experienced person, but I can ski well enough to utilize most of the runs there (though there are some steeps that are way out of my league).

When I booked, I decided to go for 2 weeks. The second week was less money and since I was already there, I reasoned that it wouldn’t break the bank.

The only thing was that everyone else was booked for a week. That would mean that I’d be on my own for half the trip. That didn’t bother me because I am used to being on my own and I meet people fairly easy. My friends thought it was very strange, however.

It seemed that they couldn’t get their head around the fact that I chose to ski by myself for a week. In fact, one person even tried talking me out of it – citing the fact that it was dangerous to ski alone and all that. If I didn’t know better, I could have sworn that a few of them were jealous. Granted, you can get in trouble if you ski alone in some of the more remote and expert sections there, but I always stick to the more average runs and there is always a ton of people using them

To make a long story short, I had a blast for the 2 weeks I was there. Even though I was “on my own” for the latter half, I got to know people and even hung out with a few after hours.

But I digress…

The point I am trying to make is how I had complete freedom to choose to take that extra week. This is the essence of what I am trying to establish for myself. The complete freedom to come and go as I please without being influenced by the corporate ball and chain.

Case in point:

When we first arrived in Jackson Hole, everyone was pumped for a great week ahead. You could not have found a happier group in the whole resort. But as the week wore on, things changed a little. They all seemed a little less enthusiastic. Though it would be hard to maintain that level of joy, I also noticed something that brought back horrible memories of my life as a wage slave. They were all going through the typical vacation cycle I used to dread. It goes something like this:

  • Last day of work before vacation – Giddy anticipation. Almost a euphoric feeling.
  • Day 1-3 – Elation. No thoughts about work. Living in the moment. Looking forward to the rest of the week.
  • Day 4-6 – Reality check and the realization that the corporate world is beckoning. Mood is somber. Start checking voice-mail and Blackberry.
  • Day 7 – A feeling of dread as you worry away your last day of freedom.

By the end of the week, they were, indeed, checking emails and voice mail. The party was slowly coming to an end. It was scary to see how much life was sucked out of them as the week drew to a close.

It was at this point that I noticed a certain amount of cynicism and jealousy towards me. I was suddenly on the receiving end of snide comments and little digs. I let it go, however, because I understood what they were going through. The one thing in the world each of them wanted by day 6 was to spend another week doing what they loved. And the one thing I wanted most was for them to be able to stay. The problem was that, even if I paid to have them stay an extra week, the rat-race was beckoning – and it wasn’t taking no for an answer.

I would have been in exactly the same situation, but instead, I was able to log in to my netbook at the end of the day, check my stats, and see how much money I was making while on the slopes.

I tried to hide my good mood as I said bye to my friends.

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Filed under: Leisure Activities • The corporate world

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