Hello! It’s been a while! These past three years have been filled with quite a lot--the highlight reel including global pandemic, college graduation, move to a new city, first big girl job, first time living alone, restarting therapy, another half marathon, navigating grief, and trying to squeeze in travel where life allowed. Life was constantly being derailed; plans being thrown into the abyss. After so many years of looking forward to the next thing, the next trip, the next adventure, I was forced to slow down.
Instead of my original plan to move across the world immediately following graduation in May of 2021, I packed up my belongings and moved to DC. Considering this a temporary move, I worked in an acai bowl shop for the summer, went out to country karaoke on Wednesdays, brunched almost every Sunday, and embraced the fun post-grad summer that I never anticipated having.
As the end of this epic summer quickly approached, I was forced to face the realities of the future I had planned for myself, which would mean a move to Thailand in October. Yet, it was now September, and rather than exciting emails with my school placement and visa instructions flooding my inbox, it was constant news about the aggressive state of the pandemic in Southeast Asia. Quite nervous, I started moving full steam ahead with two plans: gathering the documents for my Thai visa application while at the same time sending my resume to every think tank and nonprofit in the DC area. Then, the unthinkable happened. I got a job offer. And I had one day to decide. Was I going to move to Thailand where they were turning the airport into Covid hospital, or was I going to stay in DC for the foreseeable future working a 9-5? I weighed my options, I listened to my gut, and I stayed.
Looking back, I have no regrets about my decision. I grew a lot this past year. I learned what I want out of a career, lived on my own for the first time, was able to be there for a friend during a difficult season of life, and realized that I wasn’t willing to give up a life of travel for a life of comfort. I realized that no matter how much I loved my people and my home, I needed to leave. I needed to see what was waiting for me on the other side of the world.
So that’s how I got here. To this distant land, called Kalasin, Thailand, known for dinosaurs, extremely spicy food, and kind people. This is certainly not the Thailand that is advertised when you google images or plan a vacation. However, I’m really enjoying the slower pace of my region called Isaan and the immersion that I’m forced into due to its remoteness. And of course, in my year here, I also plan to visit all those places you think of when you hear Thailand (think Phuket, Bangkok, Chiang Mai, etc.). That’s the beauty of living somewhere; you get to experience so much more than you would if you just vacationed here for a week.
So, what exactly am I doing here? I’m teaching English at a government secondary school called Anukoolnaree. I teach M6, which is the Thai equivalent of 12th grade (aka 17 and 18 year olds). Before coming here, I was certainly wary and received a lot of concerned questions like, “do you have any teaching experience?” and “do you even like kids?” Which, when you asked me these questions 2 months ago, I probably answered “none” and “honestly, not really.” However, after just one month of teaching, I’ve come to realize that my preconceived notions about teaching high school students were completely wrong. My students are sweet, respectful, witty, entertaining, and extremely willing to learn. I come home every day with at least one funny anecdote and a feeling of fulfillment that I never anticipated a job bringing me. I actually look forward to going to work every day, something most 9-5’ers cannot fathom.
As I’ve adjusted to this new, often slower, way of life, I’ve had a lot of time to reflect and appreciate where I am in this season of life. I’ve found myself coming back to a single word: grateful. Grateful for this opportunity to follow a lifelong dream of living and working abroad. Grateful for the friendships already formed on this side of the world and the way they’ve allowed me to be the purest version of myself. Grateful for my support system back home who supported this leap and with whom I’m able to share parts of my experience with through facetimes and texts. And certainly, grateful for my students: the joy they bring to my days, and the ways they manage to make a regular Tuesday something I look forward to.
I plan to return to posting more regularly on this blog and using this as a space to share the ups and downs of this new chapter. Hope you'll follow along and maybe be inspired to take a leap of your own!
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