The time has come! I’m off to Thailand for 7 months to teach…

The time has come! I’m off to Thailand for 7 months to teach English and can’t wait to see where this adventure leads!

I’ve had a lot of mixed reactions when I’ve told people this was what I wanted to do after college. Some people are so excited for me and support my decision (“You are going to have the time of your life!” “That’s so awesome- this is the time to do it!” “You’re going to come back a new person!”). Others don’t really understand why I want to go and don’t see much benefit in it (“You’re going to THAILAND?! Why would you want to go there?” “But you don’t have a degree in teaching?” “Shouldn’t you start your career and get a “real” job?”). I thought I’d start this blog by explaining why I wanted to embark on this journey. Below is a snippet from my application essay that I had written:

I chose to apply for this program for various reasons. Teaching English (in Thailand specifically) has been a dream of mine for quite some time now. I love traveling, trying new foods, experiencing new cultures, meeting new people, and creating exciting life experiences. I believe travel gives people a different type of education that cannot be taught in school. Travel enables you to learn from people that have a completely different way of life. Sometimes your own world can seem so small, but travel opens your eyes to just how big the world truly is. I chose this program for my own personal growth. I’m ready to leave behind everything that is familiar to me and everything that makes me who I am. I believe that with the absence of constant reminders of who you are, you are given the opportunity to redefine yourself and establish confidence in who exactly you want that to be. I also chose this program to enhance my perspective on life. Living in a different country for an extended period of time will allow me to see my own country and my life from a different point of view. This experience will show me what I value too much and what I value too little. Although I am very grateful for what I have, I am sure there are many things I take for granted living in America. On the other hand, there are probably a lot of negatives I’m unaware of or I ignore. This experience will shine a light on which aspects of life I should take more time to appreciate and which ones I should improve. Another reason I chose this program is to make a difference in the world. With this experience, I am seeking knowledge to grow myself and to share with others. It’s a beautiful thought to know that as I teach these children, they will also teach me. I want to bring English to life to these kids, rather than it being a language they only see in a textbook or on a test. Learning English could open up so many opportunities for these children and I would love to be able to help them along their journey. As a teacher, I want to make a positive impact on each child’s life. Learning English can give these children professional and educational opportunities they might not have had otherwise. These opportunities will allow them to not only improve their own futures, but also the futures of their families and communities. I chose this program to see the world with a purpose. I want to return home with a new outlook on life and satisfaction of contributing to a foreign community.  This program will allow me to further my independence, increase my language skills, and completely immerse myself in another culture. I will learn things about the world- and myself- that I may have never learned otherwise. I know when I return to my home country, I will be more flexible, more humble, more open, more knowledgeable, more understanding, and an overall better person. I believe you cannot truly find yourself unless you are pushed out of your comfort zone. I want to know whole-heartedly who I am and what I want in life, and I cannot think of a better way to get these answers than spending time in a country I have never been to with people I have never met. I want to be a part of an eye-opening experience where I can meet new people with new ways of thinking and values, see the aesthetic beauty the world has to offer, and be presented an entirely different way of life. I also chose this program to further my career. As the world gets more and more interconnected, international professional experience will be increasingly valuable. Working in a foreign country can prove your initiative, your willingness to go beyond your comfort level, and your ability to adapt to a new environment and new challenges. Abroad experience enables you to respect and understand other cultures, realize just how global the world is becoming, and improve your communication skills.

(P.S. I haven’t had much time to blog until now, so sorry for the delay! However, as most of you probably know, I’m not the best with keeping up with phones/social media/etc….so I will try to blog as often as possible!)