On a Greyhound to Billings, Montana

At my wife's excellent suggestion, I have created this BLOG to chronicle the adventures I am embarking on in the coming weeks and months. 

Following the severe downturn in the economy over the past two years, it has become painfully obvious that the housing market cannot offer the sustainable income that it did in my glory years (2005-2007).  Additionally, I have lost more money through my real estate portfolio's death in the past three years than I ever anticipated I'd see in my 20s.  Late last year, I decided to diversify my skill set and pick up work to supplement my real estate income.  Ultimately, the goals were threefold:
(1) Find a W-2 job so I can start qualifying for real esate financing again (realtors are self employed, and self employed loans are extremely difficult to find after the mortgage meltdown and subsequent changes in underwriting that happened in 2008).
(2) Ensure that the new W-2 income didn't take ALL of my time... I have no intention of abandoning my real estate business (did that once... easily one of the biggest mistakes of my life).
(3) Provide income to supplement my real estate commissions and provide some level of financial security.  Pam and I are trying to get pregnant again, and once we have #2 we want her to stay home.  So the goal is to finish paying off the credit cards and other debts to get to a place where my income will sufficiently cover our cost of living. 

These objectives led me to the Divers Insitute of Technology in Seattle.  I enrolled in their seven month course in October of 2010 and graduated on April 28th of 2011.  My adventures at DIT are chronicled at http://www.dit110-10.com/. 

On graduation day, I was the only guy in my class of 22 to have a confirmed job.  The week before graduation, I interviewed with and was offered a position with Liquid Engineering in Billings, Montana.  Liquid is the #1 potable water tank cleaning, inspection and repair company in the U.S.  They deploy crews all over the lower 48 states have an exceptional reputation.  I was excited at the opportunity to work for them because I would get immediate in-water experience (most "baby divers" end up tending real divers for the first year or two of their careers - Liquid Engineering will have me in the water immediately).  I should also be able to remain in constant contact with everyone back home via cell and internet - not something I could have guaranteed if I had gone to Louisiana (where most of the new divers go to find work in the Gulf of Mexico). 

So, while most of my classmates are now in the Gulf either looking for or starting work, I'm on a Greyhound headed to Billings with the plan of deploying on Tuesday at noon.  I'll arrive in Billings around 6:00 this evening (14 hours to go), and the adventure will begin.