Erin's Thai Travels

When telling people that I’m leaving America for six months to go teach English in Thailand, people generally seem excited for me, but I have gotten quite a few strange “what, are you nuts?” looks. Nuts for deciding to leave the country for a long period of time, and nuts for choosing a country in Southeast Asia. So, without further adieu, here’s how I chose Thailand.

 

One day last December, I woke up. I’d been really busy in the weeks before. It was finals week and I wanted to do well on my exams, as well as enjoy my last few weeks of freedom before I had to really buckle down and begin student teaching. Everyone in my house was not only busy with finals, but also trying to figure out what their next paths in life were. After all, there were only five months left until graduation! Some of my housemates were applying to grad school and flying all over the country for interviews/visits, while others were persistently applying to real-life, adult jobs. Then there was me.

 

I’ve wanted to teach for as long as I could remember. I used to play school at daycare when I was little (obviously I was the teacher) and have always looked up to my teachers. However, as of December 2014, I’d never really taught before. I’d done plenty of observations, but I never got comfortable in the classroom. I wanted a job following graduation, or to continue to grad school, but felt so unprepared to do either without having really explored the career and deciding if it was my true passion. Why waste the time and money on going to grad school for something I don’t love? I thought to myself. So I began thinking of some alternative for my post grad self. Something where I could combine my passions for learning, teaching, and simply enjoying life. I have always loved to travel, learn about and experience new cultures, and that’s when I decided to Google “teach abroad”. A few Google searches, and I’d decided on Thailand. Ever since I took a religious studies class last year, I’d been very intrigued by the Buddhist culture, and I thought that it would be a great learning experience to immerse myself in it. I also think Thailand is beautiful and there’s lots to do and see. I recently had decided to try to live my life to its maximum potential while young, and knew this would be an excellent way to begin living out my new philosophy.

 

After my initial search, I filled out a form for GeoVisions, and the next day, a representative from the program called my cell. We talked for an hour, and the possibility became real. I learned all about what the program would be like and why Thailand was so great. In the spring, I did my student teaching and had the most amazing experience in the world. I confirmed that teaching is my passion and my calling, but still couldn’t shake the idea of Thailand from my head. I sought out advice from multiple people. My cooperating teacher really helped when she reassured me that it was an amazing opportunity, and one that I might not have again, especially if I settle into a teaching position. After lots of support from my family, friends, and teachers, I made the commitment, and the rest is history.