Wednesday, June 18, 2014

A New Beginning

Life has been good to me over the last 12 years of my academic career. Each August through May, I've had the pleasure of teaching students from around the globe at my high school in Dalton, Georgia, and each summer, I strapped on my backpack and took my turn exploring the world to indulge my passion for international travel.

Yes, life has been good and life has been quite comfortable, but over the last couple of years, I began thinking that it was time for me to get out of my comfort zone and try teaching abroad.

As soon as the idea surfaced, I often found myself making excuses for why it wasn't the right time. ... My parents are older and might need me ... I should accumulate more years toward my pension in retirement ... It will be so difficult to find a job.

Slowly, I came to the realization that there's never a right time to start anything, and I came to the realization that as a soon to be 49 year old, statistically speaking, I'm past the half-way point in my life. There's no guarantees that if I wait 10 years or five years that I'll be able to teach overseas or that I'll even be alive.

I'm not being morbid. I'm just being honest.

During the winter, I joined a couple of search firms and started casually looking, not necessarily expecting to find something this year, but life has a way of constantly surprising me. In May, I landed a great job teaching in Sngapore.

Next week, I'll fly to the Southeast Asian country to look for an apartment/condo, and toward the end of July, I'll officially start teaching. Singapore is on a South American schedule, meaning that students study from January through June, take a month-long break, and then resume studying until December, when there's another month-long break.

I'll be working at St. Joseph's Institution International School, where I'll be teaching both special education and English as a Second Language, which is what I've taught throughout my career.  I feel lucky to have been hired at such a fine school and look forward to the challenge. I'm also looking forward to delving into the Singaporean culture and discovering, for the first time in life, what it's like to be an immigrant.

Years ago, I read that moving is third on the list of stressful events behind only death and divorce. It's been quite hectic over the last few weeks packing up my life and preparing to undergo my 9,900-mile relocation, but it's also been a thrill knowing that I'm about to launch into the great unknown and begin a new chapter.

Once I get settled into a routine, I'll use this forum to share my reflections about the school and about Singapore. Thank you for your collective support, especially my family and my girlfriend who've done nothing but encourage me. I love you all.

Let the journey begin.

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