#sol17- Day 12/31 March 12, 2017
For most of my adult life I have lived outside of the US, so it is no surprise that my sons love to travel. I have just got off Skype with my older son. He graduated with a BA in Psychology and then worked as a beer manager at a liquor store in Boston for four years. Although he loved being a beer expert there was not much chance for advancement. Along the way, while working full time, he decided to get a TEFL certificate to open up more opportunities, as he has always wanted to move back overseas. He was all set to go two years ago, but then was offered more responsibility at work, so he hung on.
Last summer it became clear that things were getting more chaotic at work, so he took the plunge and applied to teach in South Korea. He quickly landed a job at an after school tutoring center and August 1 he started.
In talking to him today it is funny to hear his take on teaching. This semester he has lots of younger students with more beginning English. The teaching he does is very workbook based and he has little choice in how or what he teaches. I keep encouraging him to get a degree in education so that he can be an international school teacher with me.
The bottom line is that he works to travel. He has traveled around Korea, been to Vietnam, Hong Kong, and has plans for more of Korea (including the DMZ) Malaysia, Japan, and Thailand (but he wants to do more) before his year is up. He is an outdoor fan, so is excited that spring is starting to make its presence known and can enjoy more local sights. In talking to him today he would like to stay one more year, but I know that the traveling bug will not be out of his system even then (he is already talking about the possibility of graduate school in Korea or Germany).
The travel bug is hard to cure!
Ms. Victor Reads 
The things our kids inherit legitimately! I think it is especially hard for TKCs to imagine, let alone live, without travel.
I love reading and hearing about the foreign places and travel – not in my future yet, but maybe when I retire????
I fon’t want my travel bug cured. I want a bigger bug!
The bug is enlightening. Glad he has it!
I envy his travel. It is wonderful way to see more of the world. I think it stretches us.
I actually knew I wanted to be a full-time international teacher after volunteering as an ESL teacher with the Peace Corps. Before I went to grad school to get my master’s I always thought I would just teach ESL all over SE Asia. Then I talked with an international school teacher and realized how good the benefits were.
Sometimes I still think of taking a year off of elementary teaching to travel and just teach ESL part time so I could earn some pocket change to fund my travels. The freedom that your son has is still very appealing around report card time!!
-Amanda at http://teachingwanderlust.com/
Another thing we have in common – my daughter and your son both got the bug! I’m glad they can use the skills they have to earn enough money to keep traveling. I so enjoy the photos she sends me as I’m sure you do from your son, too!
May he never truly be “cured” ! What an amazing way to take advantage of the opportunities he has sought.
So true! The bite of the travel bug is incurable, and anyone bitten has no desire to cure it. May you and those you love always be blessed by safe travels.
Sounds like a man who knows himself well. Thanks for the reminder that there is a whole world out there.
I am so impressed. I am a total homebody, but completely admire anyone who is driven to move abroad and get a bigger picture of our amazing world. Kudos to both of you. What an amazing opportunity.
The travel bug is hard to extinguish! I am glad he (and you!) have found a way to combine work and pleasure!