The new school is already a quarter of the way over, and I am writing this post from my October school holiday.
I almost didn’t book anything for this school break. I have been a little bit indecisive about where to go or what to do on holidays this year for some reason. (And also, just a little lazy to do research and plan anything, if I’m being honest.) I did go to India last February to visit friends during the lunar new year here in Vietnam, but the last two long weekends we had I haven’t booked anything. This break was shaping up to be the same as I went back and forth with the idea of a city break to Hong Kong but then as the break neared I still hadn’t booked anything. At the last minute, as I was facing a whole week of staying at home and not doing much of anything, I decided to do a two night stay at the An Lam Retreats like I did for our Spring Break back in April. (I am under budget in the travel category for this year due to my indecision. lol)
Lack of inspiration for travel planning does not carry over to summer holidays, however. This past summer I had a VERY full schedule with travels in Ireland, Spain, and of course, Italy which I started booking in back in December. One of the highlights of the summer was introducing two of my best friends and travel partners, Lauren and Sophia, for a girls week in Lago di Garda. I also returned to my beloved Puglia for two weeks of beaches and language study. And of course there was plenty of time in Florence with my aunt, among other side adventures. While I can’t seem to get it together to plan and immediate vacations, I am already dreaming of next summer. (I think I miss Europe!)
While I truly was being indecisive about booking something for this break, in the end something came up that I let be my “excuse” for not doing anything. I got the worst possible news that I could get related to my life in HCMC and that was that I have to move out of my apartment in 60 days. Apparently this is a fairly common occurrence here: my landlord sold the apartment and the new owner wants to move in. This is so devastating for me since I spent so long looking for the right place (my wants and needs are not at all in line with what is available on the market!) and put a ton of effort into setting it up and making it home. And since I fully furnished the place myself, including having custom furniture made for essentially every room in the apartment, now I have a house full of furniture that probably will not fit in any other place that I am likely to find. Just as recently as a month ago I had another new piece of furniture made to add extra storage to the bathroom. My agent has showed me a few places already, but so far I don’t have hope that I’ll find something I like as much as this place, for this price, and in this location.
Another reason that the thought of this move is weighing heavily on me is related to some GOOD news from this year. After years of wanting to get a dog, I finally decided that now was the time to do it. My reasons for not getting a dog have always been that a dog would be so much work for one person, not to mention all of the travel that I do. I didn’t want to commit to that extra responsibility. BUT, since I haven’t been traveling much lately and here in Vietnam it is very easy (and cheap) to get help with things like this, I decided to take a chance and do it. So far I don’t have any regrets at all!
Meet Lulu . . .
It’s been such a joy to have her. I’ve even gotten used to walking her multiple times per day. The lady who cleans my house weekly is such a help. Not only does she walk her on cleaning days, but she stops by on the off days to walk and spend time with Lulu. This week she’s even staying overnight while I’m away on my staycation. Which brings me back to the idea of moving. My cleaner can’t stay over Christmas because she travels back to the Philippines to spend time with her family, so instead I booked a Trusted House Sitter to come stay with her. (You see where this is going.) So, not only do I need to find a new place and move before the Christmas break, I also need to have my place ready for guests.
Another thing that I am reflecting on a little over a year into living in HCMC is that I have been feeling a little bored here lately. The first half of last year was so busy getting settled in, and every weekend was full trying to get my apartment set up, that it made the second half of the year feel like a relief just getting to enjoy some down time on the weekends. I do truly enjoy the peacefulness of my neighborhood–especially now having a dog–but I have to say that I miss Bangkok a little. Looking back on my time there, it seemed like there was always something interesting to do or somewhere new to discover. Each neighborhood (or mall!) in Bangkok seemed unique and worth exploring. Also, the city just feels so magical with all of the temples, golden Buddhas peeking out above the buildings, the river lit up at night, and of course my favorite, the khlong boats. HCMC really doesn’t compare. And really, when I think about what I am missing here, it is not Bangkok that I am longing for as much as it is Europe. When I expressed this to my sister back home a few weeks ago, she got excited and said, “Ooh! So where to next, Linds?” The thing is that I really love my job. I am excited to go to work everyday, I am learning a lot, and doing some really exciting projects. I definitely don’t want to move anytime soon. I guess I will just have to find a way to make life more interesting here. Getting Lulu was part of that but maybe not enough.
Looking ahead to the rest of the school year, I am excited to have my first two visitors to Vietnam after the new year. And as always, I am percolating on some fun plans for the summer holiday when I can go back to Europe and be in my natural habitat.
So much has happened since I left Bangkok and started my new adventure in Vietnam, but I’ll do my best to give a recap. As usual, photos tell the story best.
June Travels
As soon as school finished in June, I hopped on a plane to Milan, and when I landed I rushed off to my first meetup of the summer with my old Flickr pals Kelly and Pete. I spent the next few days exploring Torino on my own, and was then joined in Genova by Sophia. It was a city that both of us had been wanting to return to, and I love being able to revisit a place through her art historian’s eyes. Next up, Lauren joined me for a week in Liguria. I was so excited to be able to show her one of my favorite parts of Italy since she had only seen the Cinque Terre. At the end of the week, Lauren decided to change up her plans and go with me to Florence to visit Aunt Kelly for a week. We had a chill week avoiding the busiest parts of the city and a magical evening at the Società Canottieri with my aunt and some of her Italian friends.
July Travels
After Lauren left, I took a quick detour to attend the wedding of my Bangkok friends Eric and Charlotte in England. I also got to see Manchester for the first time. Back in Italy, Cat flew in from Barcelona and I spent a day trying to convince her of the awesomeness of Naples before taking her to Ischia where she really wanted to go. Kelly met us there with her dog Riley and I got to show them another favorite place of mine in Italy. For my last few days in Italy, I was back in Florence soaking it all in. I ended the trip by chopping off my hair to start my new adventure in Vietnam with a new look.
July and August in Saigon
My first week in Saigon was a lovely orientation week put on by the school. We have an incredible cohort of about 30 new teachers, probably the best incoming group of any school I’ve worked at. From the orientation week to the first week with the full faculty back on campus, I knew that I had found the right place for me. I continued the apartment hunt that I started back in May, and finally found my perfect apartment. Well, almost the perfect apartment; the landlord agreed to a bunch of renovations making it everything I had been hoping for. I was so happy that I held out and didn’t settle. I got a mostly unfurnished place, so I spent most of the month hanging out in my bedroom while waiting for my shipment and looking for furniture to buy. I finally got a patio table so at least I could sit down to eat dinner. In the first month I also got to explore Ho Chi Minh City a bit. Our school (and my apartment) is in District 7, a quieter part of the city, so getting into the downtown area is a weekend adventure. I ended the month with my first holiday in Vietnam traveling to Mũi Né with some other newbie teachers for some much needed R&R.
September
I think I spent most of my free time in September trying to get my apartment put together. This is the biggest apartment I’ve had abroad (3 bedrooms with a full living room and dining room) and the most unfurnished. I had a couch and cabinet coming in my shipment from Bangkok, but I needed to furnish everything else (other than the two beds that came with the apartment). That is what I wanted, though, because I wanted the place to feel like my own and many of the apartments I had seen that came furnished had a very, let’s say, distinct style. I also went plant shopping deciding to have another go at keeping some plants alive (so far, most are still living!). My shipment came on September 25th, the earliest of any move I’ve made so far! On the work side of things, I quickly got acclimated to being back in elementary school. I also love the teams that I work with (EAL team and grade 5 team) and just the school in general. At the end of the month, I did an art adventure exploring some new-to-me areas of the city and learning how to do a live sketch and water color. I had been wanting to try this for a while, and I would really like to get better at it!
October
October was more settling in at home and school. I started cooking more and stocking up my freezer and pantry. My couch arrived damaged in my shipment, but luckily things like furniture making and repair are really cheap in Vietnam. In addition to getting my couch fixed, I ordered custom furniture for nearly every room in my apartment. I went on my second holiday, this time a short flight away to the island of Phú Quốc. I traveled with one friend, but we met up with others from our school who had the same idea for the October break and were also on the island. I ended the month with a little Halloween trick or treating. It was so adorable that my building organized this event for the “Halloween Festival,” so I of course signed up to pass out candy. I even dressed up for the occasion.
November
Christmas starts early in Vietnam. Even though everyone might not celebrate, the decorations start going up around town in early November! The month was also full of celebrations with Teacher’s Day at school, a boat cruise and night out organized by our school’s Sunshine Committee, a friend’s birthday, and of course, our own Thanksgiving dinner with the newbie teacher cohort. My apartment continued to come along with the furniture I had ordered finally arriving, and I started having some cozy evenings on the couch. In November, I also explored the city some more and watched the election results from my desk, much like 8 years ago in Budapest.
December
December was a busy and festive month before we finished up our first semester on the 18th of December. My building went all out with the Christmas decorations; it took them nearly a month to get everything up. The mall was also very festive with a snowy London scene. I had people over to my place for the first time for a holiday/birthday party. I spent a week cooking and getting ready for the party. It was so fun to have enough space to properly host a get together. There was a Christmas bazaar and tree lighting at school, and then we ended the festive season with our school Christmas party. I don’t know how we did it, but somehow at the end of the night, we managed to gather nearly all of the newbie cohort together for a photo booth picture.
Looking Ahead to 2025
I am so happy that I made the move to Vietnam. The school is a much better fit for me, and I’m just feeling really settled and content overall. I thought that I would miss the hustle and bustle of Bangkok, but I’ve been surprised to find that I really appreciate the slower pace and calm vibe of District 7 in HCMC. I feel like I’m growing so much professionally and like I could stay at my school for a while. With my apartment finally set up and all of the investment I’ve put into it, I definitely don’t feel like I’ll be wanting to move any time soon!
And just like that, the end is here. After all of the weeks and months of backward planning and making lists (what to do two months out, one month out, two weeks out, one week out, final days . . .), there is nothing left to do! All of my household items have been shipped (10.32 cubic meters!), my final responsibilities at work have been completed, and we’ve had aallll of the goodbye parties, dinners, and coffees. For my final day in Bangkok, I ticked off the last and final errands and then headed straight to a fancy hotel pool to relax and kill time before my midnight flight. Let the summer holidays begin!
I haven’t done a “Day in the Life” photo journal since my first year in Budapest! With only three weeks left in the school year, I was running out of time to capture a regular day here in Bangkok.
6:58 a.m. Pulling back the curtains. | My morning always starts with this view that I love! I live so close to school, that I’ve allowed myself to get up later and later. One hour to get ready and get to school.
7:28 a.m. Dressed and ready to go. | I have this full length mirror at the top of my stairs, and I always stop to take an outfit pic before I go downstairs, and always with my pink house shoes! It’s an unbreakable habit at this point.
7:44 a.m. Waiting at the pier. | I recently wrote about my journey to school and how taking the khlong boat to school is absolutely not necessary (it’s a short walk), but it’s a very enjoyable part of my morning! Today I have cold brew coffee that I made at home, but since it’s in my reusable Starbucks cup, it’s guaranteed that at least five people will stop me and say, “Ooh, Starbucks today!”
8:39 a.m. Homeroom. | Every day we have homeroom advisory from 8:30-8:45 to start the day. This isn’t my classroom but a random room that we meet in for advisory. This morning, the students are working on a reflection for their end-of-year report cards.
9:11 a.m. Quick trip to the embassy | This is where my day veers off into the atypical. I had first block free, so I hopped on a motorbike to the Vietnamese embassy to drop off some paperwork for my entrance visa. This task was surprisingly efficient and I made it there and back in under 40 minutes. Plenty of time to make it to my next block.
10:08 a.m. About to start class | The students will be coming in a few minutes and I’m booking a massage at the Onsen for Friday evening.
11:51 a.m. Lunchtime | Lunch starts at 11:35 a.m. If it’s not too hot (all relative!), too rainy, or too polluted, I like to eat my lunch outside at the picnic tables. Passion fruit has become one of my favorite fruits since moving to Bangkok, and I still marvel that I can get them at the school cafeteria.
12:26 p.m. Getting ready for third block | My co-teacher and I have a quick chat about the day’s lesson before the students come in. Today we’re having them prepare for a class discussion on sustainability and fast fashion.
3:45 p.m. Heading home | Forgot to take a picture of the last block of the day which was a team planning meeting. Here, I’m headed out the side gate which is located near the Early Years Center. I don’t take the boat home in the afternoon.
3:50 p.m. | This veggie stand is right outside the school gate on my way home. It’s so convenient because I always need more veggies for dinner. Today, I’m getting some lemons for a cocktail I’m making for a party.
4:15 p.m. Couch | This is probably the most typical picture of this entire day in the life journal. Pretty much every day after school, I come home and plop down on the couch in the a/c and scroll on my phone for a bit (or a while!).
5:51 p.m. Another outfit selfie | Outfit change for a Thursday night party. My friend Amanda has organized a Ladies Wine Club in the last seven countries she’s lived in. We get together about once a month on a Thursday night.
7:58 p.m. Wine Night | This month’s theme is saying goodbye to the leavers (me! and four other friends). Amanda does such a great job of organizing a theme night.
8:57 p.m. Party snaps | I love bringing my Instax Mini to a party to capture little moments from the night. I take one photo at the end of all the pictures and then let people take home the ones they want.
10:49 p.m. Drenched | Took a motorbike home in the rain. Thankfully, the unfortunate weather happened at the end of the night and not the beginning. I took a quick shower before hopping into bed. Goodnight!
In the world of international teaching, joining a new school is often a surprise package – you usually don’t get a chance to see the school you’ll be working at in person before you sign a contract, and sometimes you may not have even visited the country you’re moving to until a week or so before work starts. When I moved to both Beirut and Bangkok, I had visited the cities before as a tourist, but when I accepted the job in Budapest, I had never even visited the country before. I remember the first taxi ride from the airport when I arrived and looking out the window as we drove through the city center thinking, ok, this really is Europe. I had no idea what to expect.
Now, while preparing to go to Vietnam, I actually had the chance to visit the school and the city I’ll be living in before arriving. There were a couple of reasons for my visit. The first one was to bring over two big suitcases of stuff that I’ll need when I first arrive and am waiting for my shipment. Last time when moving to Bangkok I didn’t have to do this because I was able to leave my two suitcases in Budapest and pick them before heading to Bangkok, but this time I planned on coming to my new home straight from my summer holiday in Italy. (Basically, if I didn’t bring the bags early, I’d be living out of my holiday suitcase while starting work!) I also took the opportunity of the visit to do some paperwork at the U.S. consulate in HCMC. I could have waited until orientation week in July, but since I was there, it was worth a trip to get everything sorted in advance. Another thing I wanted to get sorted out was an apartment. I thought it would help me with knowing what to send in my shipment if I knew what my apartment looked like and how big (or small) it was. Finally, making a trip before the end of the school year meant that I was able to visit the school, meet people I’d be working with, and get a better sense of what my work life would be like next year.
The EAL Coordinator for the elementary school planned my visit for me, and I felt so welcomed by everyone at the school. My visit started out (by pure luck of timing with my visit) with a “Showcase Celebration” from the EAL team where each member of the team presented about their work over the year and the collaboration with their grade level teams. I was almost in tears as this is everything I had been hoping for in my new school and missing in my current one. Then I got to visit different parts of the school, chat with the teacher that I am replacing (but who I will still be working with next year!), and have lunch with the whole EAL team. Over the next few days, I came back to the school a few times for a HR visit and a luncheon organized for me to get to know some more colleagues. I even got to catch up with some old friends: Phil who I knew in Beirut and is now the Middle School Associate Principal, and Shawn who I worked with in Budapest and is now one of the ES counselors. It was so good to see familiar faces!
One part of the trip that was not fully successful was the apartment hunting. I looked at a ton of places over four days with a very efficient agent, but none of them was quite right. I don’t think I am asking too much but it’s been hard to find the right place . . . Basically, I am looking for an apartment that has white walls (not some highly designed place with built in cabinets, wall paper, and weird lighting), a living room that’s big enough to not feel claustrophobic, and ideally a decent kitchen (I’d prefer an oven, but know that I can add that later). So in terms of what’s available in the area where I’ll be living, that means and older building (because they are more spacious) that has been well maintained or renovated rather than one of the brand new condos that are nice but too small and too decorated. (It’s generally the same situation as in Bangkok.) I have a few leads, but I also know that if I don’t get one of them in the next few weeks, I still have all summer and orientation week. Since I now have a lay of the land and have seen a bunch of options, I feel like I can see a video tour and be confident in choosing the right one if it comes up over the summer, or I’ll know where to start looking again in July. So, definitely not a waste!
I, of course, did some neighborhood exploration mostly walking around the Midtown area where I hope to find an apartment. There are a lot of cute cafes, WIDE sidewalks, and pretty trees and flowers. This area of HCMC is very peaceful and so quiet compared to Bangkok! Once I’m living here, I’ll venture further to Districts 1 and 2 where there is more action, but I can already tell that living here is going to be very different than where I live now. HCMC isn’t just the Vietnam version of Bangkok.
Finally, I did a little recon at the grocery stores to see what’s available. These two pictures are from the fancy gourmet grocery store, but it’s nice to know I can get a lot of the things I’ll need to stock my cabinets. I also checked out the local mall and was surprised to find a few American stores that we don’t have in Bangkok such as Old Navy and Banana Republic. The layout and design of the mall also seemed to be very American-style to me compared to the many malls we have in Bangkok.
Now I’m back in Bangkok and ready to close out this school year. Summer hols in Italy can’t come soon enough!
Recently, a fellow educator wondered aloud on Twitter if it was too early to decide if she liked her new school or not, being that she’d only been there for a month. I replied, “When you know, you know.”
I certainly had that same feeling starting out at a new school after eight years of being happy in my old school. Last March I wrote about how those feelings had been creeping in. It had started out as this little nagging thought in my mind, and then as time went on and I talked about it more with others, it became more real. Or was it just feeling more real BECAUSE I was talking about it? I wasn’t so sure at first.
But as it turns out, when you know, you know.
I ended the school year ready for vacation and with a freshly polished resume, but also with high hopes for the fresh start of a new year.
The new year really did start off great. I still had some of them same lingering reservations from the previous year, but in my personal work, everything was exactly what I had hoped for. I had four great co-teachers (two that I had worked with the prior year, and two that were new partnerships this year), and I was building on the work I had started in my first year. I even started getting into more instructional coaching work and school-wide conversations on the topic which is exactly what I want to be doing professionally, so I started to feel better about how things might be different than last year. When HR asked us to submit our initial intentions to stay or leave by the end of September, I marked “undecided” but felt 95% certain that I would stay.
Then something happened in October that just made it really clear that this was not the right place for me. Obviously, I can’t share the details here, but it made me realize that even if I am happy in my personal work, if it is not aligned with the goals and philosophy of my department, my professional life is never going to be fully satisfying. So with that knowledge, combined with the other “big” things that were making me unhappy at work, I decided to officially change my “undecided” to “not returning.”
It was easy to get started on the job search as I had prepared everything at the end of last school year (resume, recruiting profiles, digital portfolio). I applied to 10 schools and had some really great interviews. In an interesting turn of events, one of those schools had been one of my top school choices from the last recruiting round. Back in 2021, when I had to make a decision about which job to take, it was between two schools, and of course, I ended up choosing the school in Bangkok. Last year, when I started to realize that the job wasn’t what I had hoped, I started to get this nagging feeling that I made the wrong choice back then. Now I was being presented with the opportunity to have a second chance to make that decision right. To cut to the chase . . . I was offered that job and accepted it in November. So, I guess this is my official announcement that I will be moving to Vietnam in July!
One big thing I learned from this experience is that it doesn’t matter what the reputation of a school is, or even all of the amazing facilities and programs on offer. The department that you will be working in is the thing that affects your professional life the most, so it’s really important to make sure that it’s a good fit. (To be clear, I did think that there would be alignment between my professional interests and this department, but looking back, I do have to admit that there was nothing about it that REALLY got me excited. It was more the school and the city that I was attracted to.)
As far as my new school goes, there ARE some things that I am really excited about. First of all, they have a great EAL department and an amazing team leader. I can’t wait to be a part of this team. Second, I am moving back into elementary school and working with grade 5! I do love middle school, but I think it will be fun to go back to where it all started with my teaching career and to be able to apply what I know now that I didn’t know as a new teacher back then. I also think that there is so much for me to learn about elementary school, so I am looking forward to that. Third, this school has a big emphasis on middle level leadership which tells me that it’s a place that values teacher voices, developing leaders, and school improvement and growth. Lastly, I know that you can’t know for sure until you are in a place, but this school just seems like a place that has good vibes. From all of the communications from the school from social media posts to personal emails, it just feels like a friendly and warm place. And that feels so important to me right now!
And so . . . here we go again. Six weeks left of school. Organizing. Planning. Packing. Goodbyes. Transitions.
In my last months living and working in Budapest I wrote a post about my morning commute. Back then, I drove thirty minutes to school in my red Mini Cooper while listening to podcasts. Now, that I am almost two years into my life in Bangkok, I thought I’d share how my morning journey to school has changed.
My hope for living in Bangkok was that I would find a place within walking distance of school so that I could avoid the notorious traffic here, and I managed to do just that! I can actually see the school from my balcony, but because I am on the other side of the Khlong (canal), I am actually in a different neighborhood and feel removed enough from the school. My total travel time to school is now under 15 minutes!
The journey starts when I exit my building and step out into the sauna that is Bangkok on most days of the year. My apartment building is a high rise on a really busy street, but usually I don’t notice that because my apartment faces the back of the building.
Most mornings the sidewalk is packed with people on their own morning commute and most of them are stopping at one of the many street vendors to get their breakfast and/or lunch. Depending on how late I’ve left my house, I sometimes have to dodge people just to make it to the corner.
After I turn the corner, I need to cross the Khlong. Last year I used to cross the bridge and then walk along the Khlong to get to school. This year I decided to try taking the Khlong boat. I only have to take it one stop (and I CAN easily walk!), but by hopping on the boat, I can both cross the Khlong and zip right down to Soi 15 where my school is in one easy step. On weekdays, the boat comes so frequently, that I almost never have to wait. And, as a bonus, I arrive at school much drier than I would when it’s rainy or super steamy from humidity. 🙂 The ride costs 12 THB ($0.33).
Once I hop off the boat (and you do have to move quickly as the boat waits for no one!), I just have to walk down this little stretch of road before I arrive on campus. On the left you can see a white building which is our newest building on campus and opened a year ago.
And then I’m at school! I take the escalator up one floor (hello, new building) and tap in through the gates. Today I arrived at the exact time that the King’s Anthem was playing (7:50 a.m.), so I had to stand still with everyone else until it was over. Luckily, it’s just a shortened version, so it only lasts a few seconds!
Love a short commute!
I met Katie recently at the EARCOS conference in Bangkok. We both attended the pre-conference session on Building a Culture of Coaching in international schools and then ended up in many of the same sessions over the weekend. Through our chats throughout the conference, we learned (as is very common in the international school world) that we have many mutual friends. It wasn’t until later when I got home, that I realized that I had interviewed most of them for the blog! (Kelly in Guatemala, Elizabeth in Latvia, and Stephanie in Hong Kong). I knew I needed to interview Katie for the blog too. Katie started out teaching in Guatemala and has quite literally been working her way east across the world with her family by teaching in international schools.
Where are you now and what are you currently teaching? How long have you been at your current school? How long have you been teaching in general?
I am currently at Daegu International School in Daegu, South Korea. This is our first year here. I am teaching 5th grade math and science now and will move into a new role as Teaching & Learning Director next year. in Daegu!
Is this your first international post or is this one in a string of many international posts for you?
This is my fifth international school post. Over the past 15 years, I have worked at schools in Latvia, Madagascar, and Guatemala.
What made you decide to teach internationally?
When I finished graduate school, the US economy was in the middle of a recession. Education budgets were being slashed, and I found myself competing for jobs with teachers who were much more experienced than myself. I learned about international teaching from someone else, and it sounded like a great opportunity to see the world and learn more about other places. I applied for some jobs and ended up in Guatemala. It was the best decision I ever made.
What is it like being part of a teaching couple? What was recruitment like?
I met my husband while working in Guatemala. He was also an American teaching at an international school. He had been working in schools overseas for about ten years already. We eloped in New Zealand while we were working in Guatemala. For us, it’s been great working and traveling together. We both agree that this is the best lifestyle for us and our family (we now have two daughters). Recruitment has shifted in recent years as he became an administrator. Generally, schools talk to him first to see if he is a fit for the administrator position and then talk to me. One thing that stood out about Daegu was it was the ONLY international school we talked to that involved me in the conversation and interviews from the very first call. That was not an insignificant gesture, and it made me feel seen and valued as an individual professional, and not just the “trailing spouse.”
What’s challenging about teaching at a new school in a new country?
It’s always important to enter a new place as a learner, to listen to others and ask questions. There are different routines and expectations everywhere you go, and people don’t want to hear, “At my old school….” It’s important to honor the path the school has been on, where they are going, and what value you have to add to that process.
How is teaching internationally different from teaching in your home country?
I never even had the chance to teach in my home country, aside from a year as a student teacher in Atlanta. But generally speaking, it seems like we have more resources, opportunities for professional development, better benefits, and a more professionally fulfilling environment that many parts of the United States. But I also know many teachers in the US who are doing great things. Just like there are not-so-great schools overseas, there are some great places to teach in the States, too. It all depends on where you land.
What’s it like living in Daegu? What’s your favorite thing about being an expat there? What is challenging?
The language barrier has been the biggest challenge in Daegu. There is very little English spoken here. Thankfully, technology has evolved to a point that it makes it easier to get around and communicate without being fluent in the language. But we really like it here! It’s very walkable. We live in a nice neighborhood with a beautiful lake, great playgrounds and sidewalks, and just a few minutes from our school. We have access to so much here! We have greater access to the “comforts of home” here in Korea than we have had in any other place we’ve lived. Having access to Costco and Amazon has been a very nice perk here.
How easy/difficult is it to meet locals and integrate into the local culture in Daegu?
I think learning the language is the key with this one. We have wonderful Korean faculty members who have been so welcoming and helpful as we’ve moved here. But of course, they all speak English. Playgrounds have been a great place to meet other locals, actually. We’ve met some very nice Korean families at the playground and have arranged playdates for our kids. Our Korean neighbors also were so welcoming. While we waited for our shipment to arrive, they brought us toys for our youngest daughter.
Do you still get culture shock? How do you experience re-entry?
Oh, for sure. Everywhere you go, there will be things that are different, both things you like and things that you don’t love so much. Honestly, I think some of my biggest culture shock moments come when I return to the States. I never cease to be amazed at the cereal aisle in a grocery store – LOL.
How do you spend your holidays? How often do you visit home?
We travel! We typically go back to the States every summer, although we didn’t last year because we were relocating to Korea.
When you are looking for a new job, what do you personally look for in a school and country? Has that changed from your first international job search?
Now that we have kids, it has completely changed what we look for. We prioritize safety, access to quality medical care, school community, and extra-curricular opportunities for our kids.
How do you go about making both your new accommodations and your new country your own?
We ship all of our belongings. Those items that we have collected over the years go a long way to making our new house feel like home.
How do you know when it’s time to leave?
This depends. We left Latvia after five years because the tax law changes after that point for foreigners making it much harder to stay, financially. Other times, we’ve realized it was time to go because we felt too far away or we were just ready for a change.
What has been your favorite teaching position/location thus far? Is there anywhere you are hoping to land a position in the future?
Every place I’ve lived has had different things to offer that I have appreciated at that age and stage of life. In terms of daily life, I really loved living in Latvia. Riga is a beautiful town, and we had wonderful friends and colleagues there. Madagascar was the greatest adventure! What an incredible place to travel. And Guatemala was another beautiful country that gifted us with each other and many lifelong friendships. So far, Korea has gifted us an incredible school community, unbelievably good daycare for our youngest daughter, and amazing professional opportunities.
What tips or advice would you give to others thinking about making the leap to a career in international teaching?
Be ready to be adaptable. And keep an open mind! There are parts of the world that you may end up loving that you might not have had on your radar.
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Find the full series of Interviews with International Educators here.
If you are an international educator and you would like to be featured on The Present Perfect, contact me at thepresentperfectblog {at} gmail {dot} com.
This year my October break aligned with my friend Lauren’s. With her in Abu Dhabi and me in Bangkok, we wanted to find someplace to meet in the middle that was an easy flight for both of us and quickly settled on Sri Lanka which neither of us had been to. Lauren’s break was actually “fake fall break” as she called it because she actually had to do parent-teacher conferences on Zoom for the first few days. Because of that, we decided on going to a nice beach resort for the first part where she could have a spacious room and good wifi for conferences. Part two would be in the highlands to visit tea plantations, and the final part would be some city life in one of Sri Lanka’s biggest cities.
Part One: Beach and Relaxation
We stayed at the beautiful Anantara Peace Haven in Tangalle, and following our desire to fully immerse ourselves in holiday mode, we didn’t emerge from the resort for the three days we were there. Our room had an incredible view of the ocean, but unfortunately the water was too turbulent for swimming. However, we were able to dip our feet into the warm water, marking my first time touching the Indian Ocean.
One thing I discovered at this resort is that there is such a thing as “too much service” (at least for me!). While their kindness and assistance were genuinely appreciated, the concept of a “personal concierge” constantly checking on us was a bit extravagant for my taste. It seemed that everywhere we turned, there was our concierge calling to ask if we had made reservations for lunch, popping up at the pool to see if everything was good, following me to the bike rental to help me pick a bike. That said, a few days of relaxation was the perfect way to start the holiday and unwind from the busy start of the school year.
Part Two: Highlands and Tea Plantation
After three days of rest and relaxation, we headed north up into the highlands. We had a driver (recommended to us by a school friend) that also turned out to be somewhat of a private tour guide for us. We just needed to tell him the city we wanted to visit, and he knew exactly where to take us and what were the popular sites to visit.
Upon arriving in Ella, we were greeted by refreshing rain and a slight chill in the air— a delightful change for two girls accustomed to hot climates! Our hotel was perched on a steep hill, engulfed in fog that made us feel like we were floating among the clouds. The best part was the captivating pool engulfed by fog and forest. We indulged in a quick dip before warming up in the jacuzzi. It was the perfect way to embrace the gloomy day.
The next day, the sun was back and we headed to see the main attraction of Ella – the iconic Nine Arch Bridge. Once again, our driver knew right where to take us and even did the short hike to the bridge with us in his jeans and loafers despite the muddy terrain. It was definitely a memorable sight, though we weren’t there at the right time to see the train pass by.
The main strip of Ella had a bunch of touristy and souvenir shops, a variety of restaurants and bars aimed at travelers, and an amazing gelateria that I went to twice.
Part Three: City and Culture
We debated about how to approach the final leg of our trip. We had read all about the scenic train ride through the tea plantations where you could actually lean out of the train to take pictures. We didn’t want to miss the photo ops, but we had also read that the train ride from Ella to Kandy could take anywhere from 6 to 8 hours! We were a bit limited by time, and driving would be half that. We discussed our dilemma with our driver and he arranged to drop us off at the train station, let us have a two-hour train ride, and then meet us (with our bags still conveniently in the trunk) further down the line to continue our journey. When we boarded the train, we realized that our driver had bought us first-class tickets assuming that’s what we wanted, but in this case, the air-conditioned car wasn’t the draw. A few minutes after departure, we walked up a few cars to where the windows were open and we could lean out to take photos. The experience was definitely worth it and we had enough time to enjoy the views. I’m not sure if we got lucky with timing, but the train wasn’t crowded at all and we could move around a lot to get different windows to look out. If we had a longer trip, I think the full train ride would have been nice too.
After we reunited with our driver, we continued the drive to Kandy. We booked our last night at the Villa Rosa which was up a STEEP road. (Lauren and I were both thankful to not be driving at that moment.) The hill was worth it though when we were greeted with a drink and a spectacular view. The prices were also cheap enough that Lauren and I each got our own room this time, so that felt very luxurious. Since we arrived in the evening (and didn’t want to brave the hill again), we opted for a Sri Lankan dinner in the hotel. We sat in the dining room and they brought out a big spread of food. It felt like being invited for dinner at someone’s house. Our only regret was that we were only staying one night!
Our final day, we explored the city of Kandy. Explored really isn’t the right word though as we had our trusty driver-turned-tour-guide. We parked the car in a parking garage in the center of Kandy and then our driver took us for a walk around Lake Kandy, to visit the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic (which was insanely busy!), up and down a few streets in the city, and then to a viewpoint before asking, “anything else?” Normally Lauren and I are more inclined to just wander around, take photos, and see where the day leads us, but on this trip our driver really led us everywhere! It wasn’t bad, just a different kind of trip.
With that, we concluded our trip. Lauren headed to the airport, and I had one more night in a hotel near Colombo. We saw a good variety of places from beach, to highlands, to city, but still only saw a small loop in the bottom third of the country. I would love to go back and see more!
November of last year brought a first for me, not only in Bangkok but in life. At a six-month follow up from last year’s annual medical check (mandated for my work visa), I got the news that I was going to need surgery. I had completely forgotten about the appointment until I got an email reminder the day before. I almost rescheduled since I was caught off guard and needed to prepare a sub plan last minute, but I figured it would also be a hassle to reschedule the appointment.
The news that I needed surgery was surprising to me, though it shouldn’t have been. My doctor in Budapest had told me a few times that I had fibroids on my uterus that were growing and may need to be removed, but I had forgotten about that (even though I wrote it down in a little notebook I have to remember important stuff like this). I was also surprised to hear that I would need to stay in the hospital for three days following the surgery and then another seven days at home. The doctor was ready to do the surgery the very next week but then said that I may want some time to “prepare.” (Prepare how? Mentally prepare, he said.)
We looked at the calendar and considering that it was getting close to the December break and his recommendation to not travel right after, we settled on the last week of November for the surgery. This happened to coincide with our school “Action Week” where we take the students off campus for a week of camping an other outdoorsy activities. I did feel guilty for having to miss the trip, but in the end, it worked out to be the perfect timing because I didn’t have to prepare any sub plans, my students didn’t miss any lessons, and there were no work emails I needed to worry about while I was recovering.
Everyone always says that Bangkok has great healthcare, but now I got to really experience it for the first time. Also, the private hospital that is covered with our insurance is really nice. I had a huge private room all to myself, and it almost felt like a hotel room rather than a hospital room.
My friends in Bangkok were also amazing. My friend Carly insisted on taking the day off of work to come with me. I wouldn’t have thought I needed that, but it was so comforting to have her there every step of the way, especially when I came back to my room for the first time after the surgery. It was around midnight and she was sleeping on the couch in my room waiting for me. Also, she and several other colleagues visited me during the three days I was at the hospital to keep me company and bring me food and magazines, or send me treats. Another friend insisted on coming to take me home from the hospital. It was really nice to feel so much support from my friends when I was far from family and having my first surgery.
And, just to not leave this post with any kind of cliff hanger, everything was perfect at the follow up appointments after the surgery.
Now that I am familiar with the hospital and feel so comfortable there, I’ve been making appointments for any little thing that ails me. lol. Gotta make good use of this insurance and healthcare while I can.
The Present Perfect 
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