For the past couple months I've been sort of dreading the question 'So what are you doing next?' Usually my answer is I'm going to _____(insert city in the US) to work on _____(insert reality show). Sometimes, even with this answer, I got surprised looks.
Now the conversation goes something like this:
Friend / Family Member / Acquaintance: What are you doing now?
Joy: Well.....I'm going to China to teach English. (With some people I ease into it - 'I'm going abroad to teach English for a while')
Friend / Family Member / Acquaintance (shocked look): HUH?!
The next reaction is always different.
Friend / Family Member / Acquaintance: That is awesome! I'm so jealous. I always wanted to do something like that. I have a friend that taught there and loved it.
OR
Friend / Family Member / Acquaintance: What?! How did that happen? Why China?? (usually this reaction IS in the most supportive way possible)
Reasons I'm Going Abroad to Teach English:
-When in my life will I be this free? (I'm not committed to a job, apartment, car, significant other, child, debt except for one school loan - even my cell phone commitment is up at the beginning of February) If I don't do it now I don't think I ever will.
-I love to travel and learn about different cultures.
-I have always wanted to live in another country - other than Mexico (which I loved but lived in a hotel so I don't totally count that).
-I need a life changing challenge.
-Why not??
Why China??
Actually Asia was no where in my head when I first thought about doing this. I really thought Europe.
China is old and fascinating. I can imagine that I won't find many similarities to their lives / culture and our lives / culture. To me - that's exciting! I don't expect everyone to understand.
My inspiration and friend Ben - who I worked with in Los Angeles - has been teaching in Vietnam for the past few years and has been keeping a blog of the adventure. By the way - my blog will never live up to his. I won't even pretend that this will be nearly as interesting or written as well as his. He even has a love story. He was the first person I contacted when I thought about embarking on this journey. He explained to me that in Europe it is harder to get a visa, harder to get a job, and much harder to actually make enough money to live on. They really value foreign English teachers in Asia, pay them well, provide housing, etc. He put me in touch with the organization he went through (Language Corps).
After looking over all the programs and different countries I thought China would be a challenge, fascinating, different, rewarding, the ultimate in stepping out of your comfort zone. Language Corps places you at a school before you even start training for your teaching certificate. Already having a job is a big load off! Being 11,054 miles away from home is scary enough. (Remember on Facebook when everyone was posting, 'haha, google Chicago, IL to China. Soooo funny' Well that's what I just did, for real. Do it! Chicago, IL to Xi'an, China. Quite a journey!)
So there you go -- hopefully you're no longer thinking, 'HUH?!'
