Wouldn’t you know? Just as I write a post about (trying to) embrace my stationary life, an opportunity just too good to pass up comes along that would necessitate a return to my life of traveling. So y’all have heard of Groupon right? I’ve been posting it on Facebook a couple months now encouraging people to join.
Groupon is a great concept. Using Collective Buying Power through the tools of social networking they match new deal-hungry customers with patron-seeking businesses. You sign up, select the city(ies) of your choice, and each morning you will be greeted with the Groupon Deal of the Day – restaurants, yoga, skydiving, hotels; you name it, there’s a Groupon for it. Only one per day though. If enough patrons by the Groupon the Deal is On! This allows the business to determine its “tipping point”, i.e. how many deals have to sell to make the discount worthwhile. Get this. A check goes in the mail the next day for their share of the Groupons sold (Groupon keeps a small commission). That means a potential flood of income in say a slow season with the costs of tending those customers spread out over the six months of customers redeeming their Groupons! Pretty nifty for the small business owner. These guys have gotten tons of publicity and I personally love them.
So what does all this have to do with my returning to a life of traveling? Well, Groupon has this amazing marketing concept. They have set up the Live Off Groupon Challenge. They are looking for someone who will give up everything to live on the road for one year with nothing but Groupons! That’s right, no cash, no belongings, nothing except what you can get with your Groupons and from the support of the social network communities out there. If you can survive 365 days without spending a single penny, they will pay their “groupawn” $100,000!
Okay, lets think about this from the Sherry-perspective.
A. What an amazing opportunity to get exposure for my writing. The Groupawn must blog regularly about their experiences – you know, sore yoga muscles, lost voice from screaming while skydiving, scaly skin from too much sushi seaweed – that sort of thing.
B. Okay, a hundred grand would be nice. I could, gee, travel…
C.. I get giddy thinking of the challenge, how to meet all your needs that can’t be traded for a groupon – (I don’t think there are any Groupons for say avocados, a good thriller, or, yikes, toothpaste!) with nothing but the kindness of strangers.
D. Can you think of anything in the world I am better suited to do?? A lot of you reading this have read my writings for years. What do I preach everywhere I go? Couchsurfing, hospitality, the value of social networks, and that the world is filled with good, kind , trusting and trustworthy people. What better way to prove it than this?
This is where the possibility gets really juicy for me.
My long-time readers remember when I lived in that amazing house in Italy while working on the book – remember? I found it by emailing all my couchsurfing contacts in Italy asking if anyone had a summer house they weren’t using. A friend of a friend emailed back that their grandmother was ill that year and the house was just sitting empty. She had been worrying about it untended and would be happy to have someone caring for it. I was there two weeks later – and the family became dear, dear friends.
This is one of the great values of social networks – the chance to match needs with non-use. You know that half-used bottle of shampoo in the back of your bathroom cabinet that you’ll never use because it reminded you of an ex? Bring it to my CS/Meetup/Groupon gathering! I’ll need shampoo! Or a book. Or maybe I could just borrow that Netflix you finished watching and post it for you. These busrides between cities are LONG! (Assuming I even get busrides – can you say Ride share? Or hitchiking? )
The implications and machinations are endless. No cash. For a year. I can’t think of a more thrilling challenge. Nor can I think of a better way to PROVE that despite the fear the media feeds us morning, noon, and night, this country is absolutely filled with kind, caring, generous, wonderful people. I’d put on my blog a column: “I helped Sherry Live off Groupons!” I’ll bet you by the end of the year, more people will have given me support than the total violent crimes committed in the cities I visited during the year.
My honey and I have talked this over a great deal these last days. It would obviously be a challenge on a relationship. Despite the sacrifice it would take, Dan is 100% behind me. He knows what an opportunity this would be for me and how much I would enjoy it. Our hope is that he will be able to meet up with me over the course of the year (so long as he doesn’t spend money on me!) and share some of these experiences (on his OWN groupons of course). Of course we won’t know for sure what all the details of the Challenge are unless they select me for consideration.
Which brings me to you, my reader. Dan says no one in the world could be better suited to do this than me. What do you think? Do me favor. Click on the link to the YouTube Intro Video and enter a comment about why you think I should be their Groupawn. Perhaps the folks at Groupon will consider it when they look at my application. After all, I’ve had over 30,000 visitors to my site just from handing out my silly cards (bet you have one, remember?) with nothing but my own dream to travel and write. Imagine how many readers I could get with a little publicity and backing from a great organization like Groupon. So, come on, help me get my Group-on! (sorry bad pun)
Oh, and if you haven’t signed up yet for Groupon, do so here: Get Sherry’s Groupon! If you sign up through my link, the first time you buy a Groupon they give me ten Groupon bucks for free!
Hi Sherry!
Haha! No, not ironic - I found the contrast between your last 2 posts real fun!
Seems like that tree you wrote about can easily pluck free its roots and wander about :-)
(There IS a walking tree in Costa Rica!)
Anyways I am glad to see (read) you seem to be happy and have not lost your enthusiasm...and I also observe you have not ceased to think a lot about meanings and classification of things. :-)
"Full circle" itself is a phrase (seemingly popular in the US) the concept of which I have never grasped. Or rather, it's application to life or relationships.
But I get carried away - those are things best discussed in some nice "Lokal" with a cup of tea or a glass of wine. :-)
Greetings form Vienna!
-Roman
Posted by: Roman | February 22, 2010 at 06:02 AM
Yes, you get an unlimited supply of Groupons for the year. I do not know yet if it includes Groupons from before the Challenge begins (i.e. they kept some in reserve) or if it is only for Groupons as you go along. My guess/hope is the first. Just go to the cities and check out some of the "Recent Deals"!! Hot air balloon rides, sky diving, horse riding - some REALLY cool stuff.
The trick is there is often some cash needed to use a Groupon i.e. tip in a restaurant, tax on an item, transportation to get there, etc. The Groupawn will have to find people to join him/her who are willing to pick up their cash portion. That's where the hospitality, social networking, and kindness of strangers comes in.
Sounds pretty cool, huh??
Hope you're well! xoxo
Sherry
Posted by: Sherry Huckabee | February 20, 2010 at 01:37 PM
I have only one question: the Groupons cost money, don't they? So are they giving you the Groupons for free? Because if the implication is that you can live off Groupons, there is the issue that one normally pays for the Groupons . . .
Posted by: Bondrov | February 20, 2010 at 01:09 PM