Personal Narrative: My Vacation To Hawaii
BOONTON, N.J., -- During Christmastime in 2006, Toniann Ruja took a 10-day dream vacation to Hawaii with her husband and two daughters who were both in elementary school.
“Both my husband at the time and I had a steady income, and we had been waiting for the financial opportunity for a trip like this,” Ruja said as she sat at the kitchen table of her quaint townhouse that she bought four years ago, during her divorce.
Within a year, Ruja’s husband lost both his trucking company and his income.
Nearly 10 years later, Ruja is a 60-year-old single mother who is struggling to support her children on one income of $65,000. Her now ex-husband has not had a job for eight years and does not financially contribute, according to Ruja.
Since Ruja’s ex-husband …show more content…
She is taking 16 credits this semester, in addition to a fulltime internship for a company that has already offered her a job when she graduates next December. She also works at a restaurant on the weekends. “Montclair is cheaper and I can help my mom around the house. I’m also closer to my sister, which is good in case she needs anything.”
Even with help from her kids, Ruja continues to struggle.
“Since I’ve racked up a decent amount of debt, its becoming much harder, almost impossible, for me to get loans,” Ruja said about the tens of thousands of dollars of debt she is in.
As a manager for a small family-run steel business, her salary alone makes it difficult to pay for college loans in addition to the bills she already has. Ruja has considered getting a second job, but Brianna and Erica always object when she mentions it, saying they could contribute more.
This means Erica, a 20-year-old who already works almost fulltime at a restaurant, will have to take on an extra $30,000 of debt than the family originally anticipated, according to Ruja.
Erica said that, while it is a setback, it does not bother her. She knows that her mother and sister are doing what they can to make it easier, and sees this as her way of
“Both my husband at the time and I had a steady income, and we had been waiting for the financial opportunity for a trip like this,” Ruja said as she sat at the kitchen table of her quaint townhouse that she bought four years ago, during her divorce.
Within a year, Ruja’s husband lost both his trucking company and his income.
Nearly 10 years later, Ruja is a 60-year-old single mother who is struggling to support her children on one income of $65,000. Her now ex-husband has not had a job for eight years and does not financially contribute, according to Ruja.
Since Ruja’s ex-husband …show more content…
She is taking 16 credits this semester, in addition to a fulltime internship for a company that has already offered her a job when she graduates next December. She also works at a restaurant on the weekends. “Montclair is cheaper and I can help my mom around the house. I’m also closer to my sister, which is good in case she needs anything.”
Even with help from her kids, Ruja continues to struggle.
“Since I’ve racked up a decent amount of debt, its becoming much harder, almost impossible, for me to get loans,” Ruja said about the tens of thousands of dollars of debt she is in.
As a manager for a small family-run steel business, her salary alone makes it difficult to pay for college loans in addition to the bills she already has. Ruja has considered getting a second job, but Brianna and Erica always object when she mentions it, saying they could contribute more.
This means Erica, a 20-year-old who already works almost fulltime at a restaurant, will have to take on an extra $30,000 of debt than the family originally anticipated, according to Ruja.
Erica said that, while it is a setback, it does not bother her. She knows that her mother and sister are doing what they can to make it easier, and sees this as her way of