Meet the Blogger: Sophie!

Hello! Sawasdee kha! 

My name is Sophie Sietz. I am from Rockland, New York. I am (newly) 23 years old, I just graduated from Florida State University with a bachelor's degree in International Affairs, and I can’t believe I'm saying this, but I just moved to Thailand to teach English for 6 months!

I just wanted to post a little intro before I get into the bigger tips, tricks, stories, advice that I will gather throughout my time here!

I am not a stranger to traveling. I began my first semester of my first year of college studying abroad in Valencia, Spain. This was my first time out of the country, and my parents say that after I came home, they knew they’d lost me to “the world.” So dramatic. 

About Me & My Experience

In addition to travelling, I love to sing, write, go to the beach, go to music festivals, pilates and spin classes (Still looking for some in Thailand) and try new foods. I chose CIEE’s teach in Thailand program because it was the perfect way to balance travel and getting some work experience while also making some money now that I have some free time after graduating. 

I had very little teaching experience before I decided to teach full-time in Thailand. I taught a freshman interest group at my university for 50 minutes once a week, but that was nothing like what I am doing now. I decided to get an online TEFL course over the summer before I arrived, which I highly recommend, as you’ll get a higher salary and it will likely make you feel a bit more prepared. Every placement is different. I am placed at Eastern College of Technology (E. Tech), which is a private vocational college in the province of Chonburi, about an hour and a half from Bangkok. I teach second-year students, who are around 16/17 years old. 

So Far...

So far, I have had a wild ride. My first week was hard, I will admit. Culture shock is real, especially when you are jetlagged and the only American in your town…but it's a journey, and we all start somewhere. Two weeks ago, I had no idea if I’d still be here by now. Today, just two weeks later, I am embracing the journey, bonding with my co-teachers, making friends with people I’ve met on Facebook groups and travel apps, and I just went on my first weekend trip to Pattaya, and I'm starting to plan more trips with some of the other amazing teachers I met at orientation!

In just two weeks, I feel like I’ve grown so much, and I already know that this experience will shape me in ways I can’t even imagine yet. As I continue to settle in, I am so excited to learn new ways of teaching English to non-native speakers, immerse myself in Thai culture, try new foods, and travel to some of the most beautiful places that many people from the U.S. have only seen on Pinterest. If you’d like to follow me along on my journey, I will be posting on the CIEE blog, and feel free to reach out to me via Instagram! @sophiesietz