What job could santiago always fall back on

(the alchemist part 4)

Being a shepherd

Explanation:

When Santiago is in Africa, he works for a glass merchant in order to save money. His original plan was to travel to the pyramids. However, he changes his mind along the way and decides that it is better to save money and move back to Spain.

After a year, Santiago has saved enough money, but as he is ready to go back, he changes his mind again. He realizes that he can always go back to Spain later, as he can always fall back on his job as a shepherd. However, this might be his only chance to see the pyramids.