Travel Alone to Teaching English in Thailand
I decided to travel alone overseas for the first time to teach English in Thailand. Anyone that has ever traveled anywhere knows the thrill and excitement that comes with it, seeing new places, experiencing new cultures, trying different food, meeting people etc. It is all great and once you start travelling it’s like the travel bug bites and you simply can’t stop. It becomes a way of life. It is however a whole different ball game when you travel alone. It is somewhat scary, entering the unknown all on your own. Airports become this big scary bustling place with people running everywhere and soon you can feel quite overwhelmed.
Saying goodbye to my family and friends at the airport was one of the saddest days of my life, not knowing when I would see them again. I felt very uneasy and I started doubting whether I had made the right decision to go work overseas, but I went along with it and everyday things got a little easier. Thank goodness for social media, it really does make it easier to keep in touch with people on the other side of the world. Thailand was amazing, it truly is the land of smiles and super spicy food! I met some of my best friends to date there.
My next trip was to Laos for a visa run and this was quite interesting as there is simply just a river and a bridge dividing Thailand and Laos. I thought these two countries would be similar but I was in for quite a surprise as things were very different in Laos, the people were not as friendly the bread was amazing though! (Bread in Thailand somehow always needs to be drenched in either condensed milk or some sweet sauce.)
My next adventure took me to Vietnam, we had the absolute best time, sight-seeing tanning on the beach, swimming in the sea, riding scooters without helmets until the cops stop you and realize you are a foreigner then letting you go. Again Vietnam is so different to its neighboring countries but it left me breathless and in awe a couple of times.
A few months later I decided I wanted to go see Angkor Watt in Cambodia which was also a solo trip and this holiday absolutely changed my life, it was the most calming and mind-blowing experience, walking around all those ancient watts and just taking all the natural beauty in at the same time. The people I Cambodia were so helpful and nice that I did not want to leave. I still reminisce about this place.
The fact of the matter is travelling solo is obviously very scary at first and a lot of people would rather go with someone than alone, but I feel like you learn so much more about yourself when you go on your own. You truly get to know yourself and get to reflect on life and all it has to offer. The biggest thing is leaving your comfort zone and once you have done that the world truly is your oyster!
In terms of my time teaching English in Thailand, I had a wonderful time at my school. I found my job through On the Mark Education which was a very pleasant company to work with. They helped me through the whole process, from getting a job interview to accept a job offer. Teaching English in Thailand is relatively easier than other countries I would say as the program I signed up for was only a 4 month contract. This program gave me a glimpse of what teach English in Thailand is like and it turned out amazing for me.
