Cambly Tutor Experience

As a child, there were three types of places that I wanted to work: a theme park, a zoo, and a bookstore. I’ve already checked-off the first two on the list. I spent fifteen years at Universal Studios Hollywood, and during my twenties, I was part of the Behavioral Research Department at the Greater Los Angeles Zoo.

Now, starting tomorrow, I will be the newest employee at The Tattered Cover Book Store here in Littleton. The Tattered Cover is a wonderful Colorado company that has a chain of independent bookstores. I’m thrilled to be around books and book lovers. I imagine it will give me invaluable insight as I work towards my goal of revising my novel and finding an agent.

However, I can’t begin my new job, without reflecting on the past three years that I’ve spent as an independent contractor for the San Francisco based ESL tutoring company, Cambly.

Cambly came into my life when things were uncertain. We lived in a rural mountain community and we were traveling a lot, frequently hitting the road on the spur of the moment. I needed to earn money, but I needed the flexibility. My husband’s best friend suggested it to me and I applied. Two days later, I was hired and starting my first session, which is similar to a zoom meeting, but through Cambly’s site.

The idea behind Cambly is simple enough, you just show up and help people improve their conversational English. Beyond being a native English speaker, no real skills are needed. However, I found this to be somewhat untrue, as my writing background certainly helped me both tutor and retain students. Sometimes students want help with specific grammar issues or they have complicated questions.

I found myself really diving deep and considering why certain things are the way they are in the English language. I learned more about my native language through helping others. I was also in awe of the learning process and dedication that many of my students showed, often waking up before sunrise to learn English, so they would have time before work and kids gobbled up their day. People are out there achieving major goals and it is inspiring.

After a few months, I was established enough to have a roster of regulars and my schedule became fixed, Mon-Fri, 9am-12pm and 2pm-5pm. I found that my schedule filled almost immediately after I released new time slots. I must “not-so-humbly” brag that I was a popular tutor.

The best part about Cambly is the students. I met amazing people from all over the world. I met doctors, engineers, CEO’s, pilots, architects, lawyers, university students….the list goes on. My youngest student was four and my oldest was in their mid-80’s. I met people who needed English for their careers and those who simply had a love for learning. I met people all over the political and ideological spectrum, and was able to engage in productive, respectful conversations, a truly fascinating and fortunate opportunity as we live in such a divided world.

My stats on Cambly state that I met 1787 different students. I’m not sure how many countries I met people from, but the countries I met the most students from were: Brazil, Turkey, Japan, South Korea and Saudi Arabia. My life is certainly enriched from having met these students. I know more about world history, world politics, and geography than I did previous to Cambly. I also have added many places to my travel bucket list. Cambly does not allow tutors to share private information ( I even went by my mom’s middle name- Zora, to protect my identity), but luckily they leave the messaging system active, so when I do travel to these countries, I can contact my former students…my friends.

The worst part of Cambly was the pay. It’s low and per minute of talk, which means when there is a cancelation, there is no pay. There are no other benefits, such as sick pay or medical. The benefits are flexibility and the personal rewards that come from meeting and helping others.

Here is the profile picture I used for Cambly. I was trying to capture the “I’m a fun tutor vibe,” which seemed to work! I’m leaving the site with a 4.97 rating, which is high, and many of my students wrote very kind messages when I told them I was leaving.

I will certainly miss my students and the flexibility, but it was time to move on to the next opportunity. Luckily, my Cambly account will be still be active, so if I decide to return, I can, at any time. I’m not sure what the future holds, especially with pandemic uncertainty, but if I return to Cambly in the future, I know it will be with a happy heart to reconnect with my students from around the world. My life is better because of my time working for Cambly.

Turning Forty

Tomorrow, I turn forty. It boggles my mind that another decade has rushed by and that I'm now solidly middle-aged. (gulp). Luckily, most of my friends are going through the same thing, so I'm in good company!

I've been thinking a lot about my mom. She was diagnosed with cancer shortly after I turned thirty and passed six months after my birthday. Her death kicked off my thirties and dramatically changed my life. I was left shattered. I still miss and think of her every single day. As I approach this milestone birthday, I've been missing her even more.

She always claimed that her forties were the best decade of her life. I've been trying to wrap my mind around this, because if you look at some of the crap that she went through, it just seems like an impossible statement. My mom had me a few months before she turned thirty-eight and by the time she was forty-two, my father was asking her for a divorce. They had been married for almost twenty-five years and he was cheating on her. He was also an alcoholic and was planning on taking his half of the house they mutually purchased, leaving her in a financial bind. By all accounts, she was devastated and didn't want a divorce. It turns out, the divorce never happened, because my father killed himself in a scandalous (front page headline news)- murder/suicide with his new girlfriend. So my mom was in her early forties and now a widow/single mom with a toddler. This is all heavy enough, but a few years later my mom was diagnosed with cancer. The cancer came right as she was promoted at work and she had to step-down from her new role. All of this crap happened, so how could she think her forties were so great?

I never had the chance to ask her, so this is just me giving my best guess. I think her forties were extremely difficult, but I think she chose to reframe it. She chose to look to the positive. With my father, she had a husband that she loved very much and married when she was eighteen, but it was also a drama-filled, stressful relationship. He was a mess. With him gone, her life got lighter. She could raise me the way that she wanted, without having to worry about his input or shared custody. She was able to keep her house. For the first time in her adult life, she could do things her way. With the cancer, she beat it. And with her job, other opportunities came along. Although the decade started out rough, I think ultimately her forties were a time where she felt strong and empowered.

I'm not sure what my forties will hold for me, but if my twenties and thirties are any indication, I'm ready to expect the unexpected. Life is amazing and unpredictable. It's a wild ride.

Here is the rollercoaster that were my thirties....

This picture was taken at our family brunch in Pasadena on my thirtieth birthday (August 12, 2007). I'm wedged between my aunt and uncle, who both died in 2013. My mom is in the brown top in the lower-right. She was definitely sick in this picture, massive weight-loss, but had not been diagnosed. My ex-husband, who I divorced a few months after my mom died, is in the lower-left. The woman in the grey-top is a close-family friend, who I'm still in touch with. It's so strange to think a decade later, four of the people in this family picture are gone from my life.

My mom died on February 4, 2008 and had been a volunteer for the senior patrol with the Glendale Police Department. The police department insisted on organizing her funeral, which was pretty incredible with hundreds of people in attendance, including the police chief and K-9 unit. My mom was active in raising money for the dogs! The police department planted a tree in her honor at a local park. Here is a picture of the tree celebration that my aunt and I attended on the Arbor Day in 2008. We are with one of the police officers and my mom's senior patrol partner.

My thirty-first birthday was a big deal, as it was the first birthday without my mom. I had a few celebrations. My aunt and uncle took me to our favorite restaurant: Niuport 17. I also had a party with two of my childhood best-friends, Julie and Fanny. I felt and continue to feel, very loved.

Speaking of feeling loved, many of my friends had their first babies around the time my mom died and I feel honored to have been included as part of their lives. I come from a very small family (I'm the only person left in my family), but I've always felt included as an extra family member in the lives of my friends. I absolutely love being "Auntie" to their kids.

The summer after my thirty-first birthday, my ex-husband officially moved out of the state and we are not in contact. Thankfully, our divorce was amicable and he even stayed to help me renovate my childhood home and waited until it was ready to move into. Although the divorce was absolutely necessary, I'm grateful that he didn't make it harder than it had to be.

By the end of summer, I was living alone for the first time, back in my childhood home.

It was a very difficult transition for me. I'm not someone who easily embraces change and I felt lonely. Luckily I was surrounded by friends and neighbors who refused to leave me alone. No wallowing allowed! It helped that I had a few roommates.

My elderly cat, Spotless. Spotless lived until 2009, having to be put down the week after my birthday. I also got into a car accident the same week, hitting a parked police motorcycle. Of course, I knew the Glendale police officer involved and it was a mortifying experience. He thought it was hilarious and no one was hurt. This picture was taken when Spotless was a kitten. I hope it's needless to say, but just in case...I didn't keep a single piece of my mom's furniture!

I had Nicolette, who is still alive and is now an elderly cat. Here's a picture from when she was still young.

On Easter Sunday in 2009, I found a blue parakeet sitting on the grass in my aunt and uncle's backyard. We couldn't find its owners, so I named him/her Cadbury and bought a green mate, named Jellybean. I had them until 2012, when Jellybean died and I gave Cadbury to my aunt's housekeeper.

Slinky came into my life in the spring of 2010. He was a rescue from a bad situation and I adore him.

Holidays were hard. My mom always made the same turkey meal with the same sides for both Christmas and Thanksgiving. We decided that we needed to change that tradition. We went out to dinner at a restaurant for Thanksgiving and my aunt made prime rib for Christmas. My mom always went nuts with decorating for the holiday, but I kept it simple with a miniature tree. Here are a few pictures from our first Christmas without mom. The dog is my aunt and uncle's pup, Molly. It was not my idea to put clothes on her!

In my early thirties, I was still working for Universal Studios Hollywood, where I spent fifteen years. I loved my job, mostly because of the friends that I made working there. In 2011, I had to leave Universal because of nerve damage. I couldn't type as much as I needed for the office work that I was doing. I was offered an alternative position, but declined, because at that point, I was taking care of my aunt and uncle. They both were declining in health and increasingly needed my help. I even moved my cats to their house, with the intention of moving there permanently.

Here is a picture of me at Universal. My office was in the Simpson's attraction!

My early-thirties were fun: traveling, concerts, plays, theme parks, et... My social life was busy with friends and boyfriends. I'm grateful to say that although none of the relationships ultimately worked out, I dated good men, whom I respect. No jerks! I'm also close friends with nearly everyone that I was friends with when I started my thirties and I've picked up a few new ones.

In early 2012, I met a dashing Brit named Dan. It was a whirlwind. An overwhelming, all-consuming, passionate courtship! Despite both being divorced, we didn't hesitate to move in together after the third date. Crazy right? This meant that I didn't permenantly move to my aunt and uncle's house, but I still spent 3-4 days a week in their home.

Since care-taking was my first responsibility, I worked a few odd-jobs. I had a short stint at my favorite department store: Nordstrom. They were a good company to work for, but I'd rather just shop there. I also worked as a dog walker. It's hard to beat getting paid to play with puppies!

I went on my first trip to Europe in the winter of 2013 to visit Dan's family in England. It was amazing and exceeded my expectations. I've been back six times. In my thirties, I also traveled to = Spain, France, Gibraltar, Sweden, Belgium, Netherlands, Wales, Scotland, Canada (both coasts), Mexico, Haiti, Jamaica and the Cayman Islands. I've visited several states for the first time : Alaska, Utah, Washington, Idaho, Oregon, and Rhode Island. In my thirties, I saw Bryce Canyon, Zion National Park, and Glacier Bay National Park. I rode in a hot air balloon and a seaplane. I went white water rafting and swam with sting rays.

A few weeks after we returned from my first trip to England, my uncle passed away from heart and liver failure. Although not unexpected, it was a devastating loss. I had a really special bond with my uncle.

Dan proposed to me in the summer of 2013 at Highclere Castle in England, which is where they filmed Downton Abbey! We eloped at the Aria in Las Vegas on November 2, 2013.

A month after our wedding, my aunt had a major back surgery. Although the surgery seemed to go well, a week later, her kidneys began to fail. She passed away a few days before Christmas in 2013. It was shocking and so unexpected. Aside for distant relatives that I've never met, my aunt was my last blood relative. I feel really blessed to have had the opportunity to take care of my aunt and uncle before they passed away. It gave me the opportunity to get to know them and to develop a very close relationship, that might not have happened if we hadn't had such a small family. I also got to witness how their friends really loved and helped them. It made me treasure my own friends (extended-family) even more!

Luckily, when I married Dan, I also inherited a large family! I never thought that I'd have kids, but I now have a wonderful stepdaughter and stepson who live in Sweden. They make me laugh, drive me crazy, and surprise me with the most unexpected moments. Truly, they enrich my life in ways I never expected. I have nieces, nephews, sister and brother in-laws, who live in England; a huge extended family whom I love to visit. My mother-in-law has a fabulous sense of humor and loves books as much as I do. I was also very close to my father-in-law, Dave, who passed away in 2016. Early in my relationship with Dan, Dave visited from England and I took him to Disneyland. If you want a crash-corse in getting to know someone, spend an entire day at a busy theme park with them. We had a blast!

Here's a picture of a 2015 mediterranean cruise that we went on with my in-laws and kids.

In 2014, we sold my aunt and uncle's house, which had been their home for my whole life. We used part of the money to buy a fixer-upper second home in Big Bear Lake.

The house is mostly finished now, but we took it down to the studs and spent several years on the renovation project. I also used money from my relatives to go back to school. I completed a three-year fiction writing certificate course through UCLA Extension. I'm proud to say that I finished in two years with taking more classes than required and I finished with honors. I also had my work-in-progress manuscript nominated for the Kirkwood Prize. I'm still working on my manuscript, but I know it will get done in my forties!

Last summer, Dan got offered an amazing job opportunity in Portland, OR. We've spent the last year living in downtown Portland in a high-rise apartment. It has been a huge adjustment and a big adventure. I've spent most of the year working on my manuscript and staying out of the rain.

We had to sell my childhood home when we moved to Oregon. This was really tough for me. Luckily, one of my closest friends was our agent. She helped ease the transition. It also helped that we got a ton of offers that were well-above our asking price and I had a good feeling about the couple we sold to. They even had a cat named Penny!

We are celebrating my birthday in Big Bear Lake with my mother-in-law. At the end of August, we are moving back to Big Bear, as Dan's company is allowing him to try working from home. I don't think Big Bear is likely going to be our home for long, but it will be nice to actually use the home that we spent so much time and energy having renovated. I look forward to starting the next decade of my life back in California!

Europe 2014-Thorpe Park

To me, nothing quite says vacation like a trip to a theme park. I was really excited when we managed to squeeze in a visit to Thorpe Park in Chertsey during our last trip to England. We joined a million other tourists and visited on a hot weekend day in mid-August.

We arrived just before park opening and saved time/money by purchasing our tickets online.

When I worked for Universal Studios Hollywood, I always thought it was funny that their tagline was "The Entertainment Capital of LA". It's bit lackluster. I mean Disneyland claims to be "The Happiest Place on Earth". Disney's competition should try to aim higher in its lofty claims. Thorpe Park had a slightly upgraded version of Universal's claim.

I've seen several signs warning about "anti-social behavior" all over England. I know this is serious, but being American, I've never heard it phrased like that. When I think of the term anti-social, it seems more mild... like I prefer my cats to most people and I like staying at home to parties.

We entered the park and walked over an enormous bridge with signs advertising the coasters. Getting amped up for the day!

We spotted a very cool, shark shaped hotel that looked like it was made from corrugated metal.

The shark theme continues with a section of the park called Amity Cove. I thought that Thorpe Park might have some connection to Universal Studios, but I couldn't find any actual evidence. It was suspiciously similar to Amity Island and all of the Jaws stuff at Universal.

Dan and Zoe went on the first ride of the day, a rapids ride called Storm Surge. I didn't want to get wet and Felix was scared, so we watched them go on the ride.

One of the best themed areas in the park is the Angry Birds Land. The signature attraction is a 4-D movie experience. Although well conceived, it was a bit intense for younger children. We all liked the Angry Birds bumper cars attraction.

The kids were too short for the big coasters, so we spent a majority of the day around the smaller rides and carnival games. The kids really liked the Rumba Rapids, a gentle rapids ride with a tropical theme and Mr. Monkey's Banana Ride. There was a Tetley Tea themed spinning cups ride and a carousel with unusual creatures.

We may have not ridden any coasters, but we certainly took pictures of them. Here are some shots from around the park.

One problem that plague the theme parks in Europe are wasps. Tip = Reminding the kids that wasps are attracted to sweets and soda, is a good way to get them to make better food choices!

Several times we crossed paths with a group of teenagers dressed in superhero costumes.

Thorpe Park even had a mini-water park area stuck in the middle of all of the rides. It seemed out of place, but plenty of people had their swim-suits on.

If I could have ridden on one coaster, it would have been Saw. I'm a huge fan of the LionsGate horror franchise. Thorpe Park has a whole themed section dedicated to Saw, which includes a coaster and a permanent walk-through maze with live actors. The maze is open during their Halloween events and as it's a permanent structure, I think that it is likely open during other peak times or as requested.

I split from Dan and the kids to get some pictures of the Saw area. I'm too chicken to go through the maze, but hopefully we can do the coaster on a future trip. I also thought that there might be a Universal Studios connection as many of the mazes advertised for the Halloween event have the same themes.

We had a fun day out at Thorpe Park and headed home in the late afternoon, when the crowds started to become overwhelming. I'm looking forward to future visits and hopefully a ride on Saw. As a consolation prize, Dan surprised me with a Saw The Ride mug. It's enormous and painted to look like it's covered in splattered blood, perfect for my morning cup of coffee.