From Texas to Thailand

Today is the day - I am going to teach English in Thailand! What started as a farfetched daydream last summer is finally turning into a reality. My passion for travel started in the fall of 2014 when I studied abroad in Cape Town, South Africa. If I learned anything from living in South Africa (and I'd like to think I learned a lot!) it's that people will react in the most unusual ways when they hear I am going overseas. Since I've revealed I will be teaching in Thailand, I have been asked everything under the sun, such as...

"Do you know Spanish?" Nope. Luckily in Thailand most people don't speak Spanish either.
"Will you eat pad Thai?" I certainly plan on it!
"Are you crazy?!" Well... that's for another blog post entirely.

So here I am: a post-grad Texan moving to Thailand (who is only fluent in English and American Sign Language). The most popular question I get is:

"How in the world did you choose to do THAT after graduation?"

When I got back from studying abroad in the spring of my junior year, I started thinking about careers that would let me go overseas again. At first this was something I only dreamed about because I thought it was impossible. Yet, by the summer of 2015 I was almost positive I wanted to go back abroad post-grad. I began reading about teaching overseas as an English as a Second Language teacher and quickly realized this career path would be the best fit for me. It made sense both economically and in terms of practicality. I am very fortunate to have parents who won't stop me from living my dreams. (Although it did take a few weeks for them to realize I am going to Thailand not Taiwan!) My family understands that this is something I feel the need to do for myself and that it won't be detrimental to any other career I want in the future.

A little bit more about me! Seen above is a teaching aid I created for my future classroom. Click photo to enlarge.

When I tell people I am teaching English in Thailand, they often reply saying that I am brave or strong for choosing such an unorthodox path. Bashful as I may sound, I completely disagree! I have no idea what is in store for me and have no clue what to expect. I'm simply committed to having an open-mind and learning from new experiences. I was blessed (or cursed) with this type of personality, so when I get an idea I will do anything in my power to make it happen. I'm also my toughest critic and definitely struggled with self-doubt during this process. However, once I convinced myself that teaching abroad was a viable career choice, I never looked back!

I will also admit this is a selfish decision. Selfishness has a negative connotation, but honestly I chose to teach abroad just as much for my own benefit as for the students I will be teaching. I value that I am at a point in my life where I can put myself first. I know this will be invaluable in shaping me as a young adult.

I am excited to get to Bangkok for orientation, though 3 airports and 2 layovers stand in between my final destination and me. I will be blogging regularly while abroad and would love to hear feedback! I am eager to report back on my success, missteps and lessons learned. People often say, "You only get one life so live it!"

This is the Life of Bryna.