The Economist recently published Envy at 30,000 Feet - Resentment of first-class passengers may be a cause of air rage. In it, the author reports, 

"Passengers in economy class are 3.8 times more likely to become unruly if the plane also contains a first-class section. If those passengers have to walk through first class to get to their seats, their odds of experiencing air rage double again." 

I've written several times about how much fun it is to travel alone (see also: Advantages of Traveling While Female; 8 Super Awesome Ways to Make More Friends While You Travel; and Feeling Alone? The Solution May be to Travel... Alone). But after several years of dating the best travel companion EVER, I spent very little time traveling alone... and I began to wonder, Do I still feel that way?

Well. Here's where I am, RIGHT now, as I write this post: 

Traveling. Sola. In Costa Rica (and possibly Nicaragua and/or Panama, eventually). 

​And I absolutely still love traveling alone. (Even though, technically, I've spent very little time actually being alone.)

​Half of America's top graduates do one of the same six jobs after graduation. Indeed, over half of the nation's best and brightest go to medical school, law school, or graduate school -- or they go into consulting, finance... or Teach for America (~2%), a program I'm not totally on-board with. 

After hearing it come up for the millionth time today in conversation, I finally read your letter. Plenty of people have rushed to defend you. Plenty more have said some ugly things to and about you. 

I'm not here to say you're right or wrong. I know being an adult is super hard -- believe me! I know the Bay Area is extremely, stupidly expensive -- I live here, too, and I'm secretly afraid that someday, I won't be able to afford it anymore. 

Nevertheless, I'm going to go ahead and commit one of the biggest sins known to man: offering my unsolicited advice. Do what you want with it.

Have you read about my Patreon campaign yet? I wrote a little blurb about it last week. In it, I talk about the Old Economy Steve Jobs meme, and how, yeah, the "new economy" does suck in some ways. But wouldn't you rather see the world like this?

Some opportunities of the past have disappeared. You can't necessarily buy a house and get a great job out of school anymore. But the digital age has ushered in some of the most exciting new opportunities ever. 

For the last few years, I've lived a very fun and adventure-filled life -- and I haven't held a full-time job since 2011. It is easier than ever to work remotely -- and the sharing economy has enabled people like me to make and save money in a way that is  social, environmental, or just plain smart. 

In this post, I discuss eight companies I've used (or will use) to make my lifestyle possible.