Since this is the first of three trips in October, I already know I'm going to blow my budget. So it won't come down to a question of whether or not I do, but by how much.

Surely my "energy" and "personality" hadn't been enough to save me? Lord knows my concept mastery, boardwork, and interaction in the teach-backs were abysmal.

To any HBS profs who might have happened across this blog: My goodness. Never, ever, ever let anybody tell you that letting or trying to force a bunch of students do the talking is an easier teaching model than straight-up lecturing.

On Thursday, I had an exernal-facing meeting with a supplier for lunch, and also had a delicious reuben sandwich...for free. AWESOME. Right now, life is all about the big things (career development) and the little things (free lunch).

I basically get a pass on Halloween, and surprisingly enough, that's actually a stress reliever. I don't have to try to outdo myself or keep up with the Joneses on my block because I'm on a debt-paydown mission, and–at least in my mind–I'm allowed to bah-humbug Halloween this year.

You would never catch me putting in over a single hour of work for my day job on a typical weekend, let alone 24, but it's a completely different mentality since I'm working for myself.

Then Nicole told me I'd have to get some pictures taken with a local photographer, Steve, who charges about $400 for a portfolio. Visions of my $500 pedi-cab bike flashed in my head.

I think this is an irresponsible program if it pays off the student loans of people who went to a top-tier school, are single, and make six figures. In other words...me.

Here she was, making sacrifices by renting a room out of a stranger's house in a strange city and driving a very used, high-mileage car so that she pay down her student loans, and this was literally the last thing she needed.

I'm done licking my pedi-cab wounds and I'm onto other ventures. To steal shamelessly:  "It doesn't matter how far you fall, but how high you bounce back."

But quit pedi-cabbing tonight I did, even though I can see so much potential in it. I quit not because I failed to make money at it, but because I couldn't tolerate the boredom and isolation that I experienced while I did it.

The owner convinced me it would be a good idea to ride without my shirt to get more attention and therefore make better money. I was treated like a piece of meat all night long, and while it was  funny, flattering, and novel at first, it quickly grew old.

Pedi-cabbing and I have a funny relationship. I used to be the guy who would tailgate pedi-cabs with my car on my way to the bar, wishing they would go faster than 10 mph and not take up the entire lane so I could park my car and start partying.

I should be safe. The same cannot be said for a lot of people, however, many who have already lost their homes, some who have lost their lives.