Student becomes own boss

Jacqueline Boss gets a lesson from a master boxer in Thailand. Courtesy Jacqueline Boss
Jacqueline Boss gets a lesson from a master boxer in Thailand. Courtesy Jacqueline Boss

With graduation just a few weeks away, seniors at UM are preparing for the next chapter of their lives. Law school applications have been filled out, apartment leases have been signed and resumes have been submitted. Senior, Jacqueline Boss, however, has not done any of these three things.
Unlike many of her fellow classmates, Boss has focused on what she does not want to do after graduation – become employed.
In February, she created a blog to promote the idea of escaping the boundaries of a nine to five workday.
“I want nothing to do with a corporate lifestyle,” she said. “I have never liked the idea of working in an office.”
Boss came to this realization after working at a law firm one summer and then interning in Germany and disliking the experience.
She then decided to spend at least two years traveling after graduation.
This summer, she will return home to Long Island to vacation with her family and then start her adventures with a volunteer retreat in Hawaii. The trip will be a graduation gift from her parents.
“Hawaii is where I’ll begin, but I only have ideas of where I want to go from there,” said Boss. “I’ve always wanted to go to the Amazon, New Zealand and go on an African safari.”
The first time Boss left the country was for a visit to her old au pairs in Norway. She then went on a summer study abroad trip that took her around Europe. Last December, she spent winter break in Thailand, teaching kids how to speak English.
“Thailand was the best experience I’ve ever had. I stayed with a family friend there and it was like I was a resident, just part of their culture. We got to see exactly how people live and the kids were so cute,” she said. “They would run around and show us all of the temples and teach us the traditions.”
While her friends are jealous, Boss believes that they too can travel.
“My friends say, ‘Oh, I wish I were doing that,’ but the thing is, they can,” Boss said. “I could have gone to grad school if I wanted and they could travel if they wanted. It’s part of stepping out of what people normally do.”
While Boss is adamant about not holding a secure job, she intends to cover her own expenses abroad. As an entrepreneurship major, she came up with the idea of turning her blog escapenormal.com into a business that provides readers with travel information that is supported by her own research and experience. Current posts include, “Why Traveling is Less Expensive Than You Think it is,” “3 Ways to Live Rent Free,” and “How to Deal with People who Laugh at Your Dreams.”
The blog is only two months old, but Boss hopes that it will become an outlet for advertisers, where she can gather a large readership and sell her own products. She is confident that Escape Normal will be one income source she can count on.

Hannah Romig may be contacted at hromig@themiamiurricane.com.