Lifeinthekeyofme

Chilean piggyback for a $20 investment!

I am the king of procrastination when it comes to gift buying for the holidays. I find it appropriate because I always end up being the “favored” Uncle who gives the BEST gifts ever (direct quote from my niece)! So it is true, those who wait…

This year I actually made up my mind early and decided that all my gift giving this year would be done with a new twist; they would all be based on social good. The idea was to teach my nephews and niece about empowering others through ourselves. And what’s the best way to do that? Well…duh, to buy socially conscious gifts that empower, sustain, and invest in others.

I am a person of little time and full of thought, and I’m currently on my sabbatical so I am being extremely selfish of that said time.  Fortunately for me, my gift giving idea was fully solved/executed by MicroPlace. For as little as $20 you could invest in honor of someone and that “someone” can receive an artisan Chilean piggy bank as a gift. Best part…you keep the investment, they get the pig, and someone in Ecuador (my investment location choice) is getting a much needed microloan.

So what do “Pigs In Zen” have to do with this blog post? Well first off, its a great song by Jane’s Addiction. Secondly, when we think of money and investments, we think of the old piggy bank, right? And Zen, that emphasizes “experimental wisdom”…and this was definitely an experiment in gift buying, that could potentially blow up in my face and I could be referred to as “that Uncle” who gave “unwise gifts”.

And honestly, I thought it was a great title for a blog post

It’s not too late to buy a piggybank for someone for this holiday season, and if they’re young (like my nephews), they will have no idea you’re actually benefitting from the gift as well. No one said there was anything wrong with being a “socially good scrooge” in this economy

No, I’m not talking about Christmas nor New Year’s, though I should probably be thinking about those as well. I’m starting to have reality slap me in the face that I’m headed back to South America on January 2nd.

I remember the last time I went I was really nervous, now I seem to have multiplied those feelings. Perhaps because I’m going alone, though I think the end result will be much more positive than the first time. I touch down in Santiago on the 3rd (or late on the 2nd?)

I was really hoping to make friends before I headed out, but wrapping stuff up at work caught up to me and I never had time to proactively do so. Who knows, perhaps I’ll meet some peeps online and feel some “comfort” in knowing someone is expecting me.

Santiago, you’re less than a month away…espero un abrazo