Eight Reasons I Decided to Quit My 9-5 and Teach Abroad

So I’ve decided to quit my 9-5 and teach abroad.  And many of you may be wondering why… I was working a comfortable administrative job at a University and making a decent salary…. But what was it about my lifestyle that needed a change?  Well, here is a list of eight reasons that made me want to commit to such a drastic change and what I expect to get out of it.  Now that I’ve been living and teaching here in Thailand for a few months, I can say that it was a great decision and I’ve been learning and growing on the journey each day. 

Tired of the 9-5 Lifestyle

In American society, we so often live where we have tomust work 40+ hours a week, just to be able to pay your bills, while living just to be and living live in debt…. School loans, car payments, rent, monthly bills…sometimes  Sometimes you feel like you’ll never catch up.  Well, I wanted to change things up and experience a whole different kind of lifestyle, in a different societal structure.  The way of living in the United States doesn’t always make sense to me, so why not try out something different?

I’ve Always Wanted to Live Abroad

I’ve lived in America my entire life, in a couple of different states, and even studied abroad back in undergrad.  But I’ve always wanted to live outside of America and see what that experience is like.  I’ am not getting any younger and there’s no baggage holding me back, so I thought why not?!

Challenge Myself by Getting Out of My Comfort Zone

Living in an entirely different country where you don’t know anyone and you don’t speak the language can be challenging, but also a daily adventure!  It forces you to interact in ways you never thought possible, try out new experiences and do things you’ve never done before.  They say that growth can only occur outside of your comfort zone, and living abroad is a great way to continue one’s journey of growth and getting comfortable with being uncomfortable.

Expand Your Mind and Perspective

A lot of the time we grow up in a society single environment all our lives, giving us one perspective, and a limited one at that.  Traveling and living abroad allows you to expand your mind and your perspective on society and life, broadening your experiences which allows you to be able to relate better to the world, being open to different lifestyles, cultures and world views.

Cultural/Historical Lense Expansion

As one of the few countries in Asia that hasn’t been colonized, Thailand has such a rich culture and lifestyle that is open to exploringopen to see.  Almost every city is filled with history, temples, ruins and all kinds of markets that will help you get to know and understand the Thai and all is a part of their nation. 

Opportunities to Travel

Thailand is such a beautiful country with so much a lot of history, culture and scenic landscaping.  From the festivals in the northern cities, to the history and culture of central Thailand to beaches in the south; there are so many things to see and explore!  There are also numerous neighboring countries that you check out during your vacation time, such as Laos, Cambodia, Bali and Malaysia; just to name a few. 

Challenge Myself by Getting Out of My Comfort Zone

Living in an entirely different country where you don’t know anyone and you don’t speak the language can be challenging, but also a daily adventure!  It forces you to interact in ways you never thought possible, try out new experiences and do things you’ve never done before.  They say that growth can only occur outside of your comfort zone, and living abroad is a great way to continue one’s journey of growth and getting comfortable with being uncomfortable.

Looks Great on a Resume/International Teaching Experience

Whether you work in education or a different sector, teaching experience is always something that will give you important skills in any career or organization.  Being able to teach abroad, engaging and interacting with a foreign culture will stand out on your resume.  It will also give you a boost as you seek additional international and teaching opportunities.

Engaging With Different Kinds of People

I’ve been here for about a month now, and have met all different kinds of people from countries all over the world.  Being able to build new and unique, long lasting friendships with such a diverse range of people is something that I really enjoy.  Here in Thailand, you are able to explore the Thai people, learn the language as well as interacting with all kinds of other foreign teachers from literally every continent.  Engaging with many different kinds of people from many different cultures expands your perspective and minds as you learn from and about the different people.  

I hope that by reading this blog, you will also be excited to take that leap and go abroad to explore, travel and grow while on and journey of your own.  Stay tuned to my next articles that I will be posting to my Facebook, Instagram and on the CIEE website every few weeks.  Also feel free to leave a comment or ask a question.