And you know how that ends.
Several months ago, I announced that I’d be going to Vietnam to teach English. After that, I changed my mind and opted to head to Korea instead.
The school offered to pay for my flight, provide me with housing, medical insurance, and several other benefits. The thing is, I didn’t fully understand what it entailed, so after a few interviews, and one particularly helpful interviewer who was level with me about the job, I’ve changed my mind yet again.
I’m going to Vietnam after all, but not to teach — to write.
Here’s the deal. When I decided to head to Korea, it was because I wanted to work for maybe 5 to 8 hours per day teaching, then spend all of my free time traveling around, soaking up the culture, and working on my novels. (Yes, plural — two of them should be done by the 15th of this month, if my progress keeps up at the same rate!)
When I found out I’d be expected to work as much as 10 or even 12 hours per day, I nearly choked. When he went on to tell me that my weekends would be spent creating lesson plans and recuperating from the week, it took everything I had not to bail then and there. I’d have absolutely no time left for writing, much less pursuing the other plans I had!
Admittedly, I bounce from idea to idea very quickly. Someone called me a “bouncing ball” (or maybe it was a “rolling ball”? I don’t remember…) in reference to how quickly I change my mind. There is a reason to the madness, though. Everything I’ve ever done since deciding to travel has been with the intention of achieving the freedom I wanted. I don’t want to be chained to a nine-to-five and a mortgage, at least not right now. Maybe at some point in the future, I’ll be lured in by the appeal of a picket fence. But not yet.
So I’ll take a risk. I’m delaying my departure for about two months; I have it in mind to leave around the beginning of November. That’ll give me enough time to build up a bit of a financial ‘safety’ net, and then I’ll jump on board a plane and head to Vietnam. I’ll probably stay at a budget hotel or Couchsurf for a few days, and then I’ll get the help of some friends to find a cheap apartment to settle into.
Vietnam — and all of southeast Asia, actually — is an extraordinarily cost-effective place to live. It’s possible to travel around for less than $500 per month. No matter what anyone might say, budget travel is entirely possible.
In the end, I have no regrets about not chasing a teaching job. Life’s too short to spend even a moment doing something you hate for no real reason. Time in other countries should be spent making new friends and soaking up the culture, not struggling to keep up with a hectic job.
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