When I was first looking into traveling full time, I came upon one minor obstacle.
Money.
Oh yeaaaaa, money. I needed some source of income to support myself while I traveled. My savings account was NOT going to cut it for more than a month. The job I was currently working at (as an OBGYN resident), was not something that easily translated into a remote situation. You kind of have to be there, in the flesh, to deliver babies.
I was working to build up my travel blog and life coaching side hustles, but that would take at least 1-2 years before becoming profitable.
I looked into remote freelancing opportunities such as copy writing and web design, but I didn’t exactly have either of those skill sets on lock. Plus, freelancing did not promise income stability, health care or any other benefits. How would I know if I could afford housing or food month to month? Living with such huge financial instability and stressors did not seem like a great way to get started.
How I stumbled upon teaching English
I was first introduced to the concept of teaching english overseas while reading the e-book Conquering Mountains by Kristin Addis of Be My Travel Muse. (As a side note, this e-book was one of the things that helped propel me to quit medicine and follow my heart). She has a whole section in that book about how to make money while traveling. She lays out many different options, and one of them was teaching english abroad.
Initially, the thought of teaching English overseas sounded restrictive to me. I wanted to have more flexibility than a full time teacher’s job could promise. I wanted to be completely location independent, roaming the world on my own whims and working out of coffee shops. That was my dream. That was why I was walking away from medicine and towards a more joy-filled life.
However, the more I mulled it over, the more the idea of teaching started to appeal to me. Teaching English abroad could be the first step on my new adventure. It just might be the perfect bridge job and a way to move to an exotic location while still having the security of a full time salary. My mind began to open to all the possibilities.
Making the decision to teach English overseas is a big one. You are signing a year long contract and taking on significant responsibilities. To that end, I want to walk you through all the reasons I ultimately decided to teach english abroad.
Hopefully my story and rationale can help you determine if this is the right move for you.
Why I chose to teach english overseas:
1. Financial stability:
Teaching English as a second language promises a stable source of income and the peace of mind that comes with that. The gig pays fairly well, especially in comparison to the lower cost of living in many Asian countries. Many people are able to save $10-15,000 / year after living expenses. I can’t really emphasize enough the importance of having a stable income while building up a business on the side.
2. Medical Benefits:
With a full time job, usually comes full time benefits. Many countries will provide you with medical benefits or at least subsidize health care costs substantially. This was absolutely a necessity for me because healthcare is expensive and at the ripe age of 27 I am no longer allowed on my parents plan.
3. Community
Every stage of my life thus far has come with a built-in safety net of friends. In college, I had my sorority sisters. In medical school, my classmates became my roommates and besties. Residency came with a group of 9 co-interns to bond with.
I loved the idea of having a structured group of teacher friends from English speaking countries around the world. Having this community in place during my first year seemed like a great way to test out my sea legs abroad.
4.Time for side hustle:
It is important to know that teaching is technically a full time job requiring 40 hours per week in most countries. However, for me, 40hrs/ week is significantly less than the 60-70hrs/ wk I was regularly putting in during residency. I realize that my perspective is probably skewed in this regard, but cutting down to 40hrs/wk meant that I would have “plenty of time” to work my side hustles. This was a major plus.
5. Gap year between careers:
For me, teaching English overseas represented the perfect bridge job as I transition from my career in medicine to life coaching. This is a fairly common thread among people who apply to teach English overseas. For many people it is a great gap year opportunity directly after college or grad school, or between careers. I think it is also something to think about for the adventurous soul who doesn’t quite know what they want to do with their life yet.
6.Cultural immersion:
IMHO, the biggest perk of teaching English overseas is the opportunity to live and immerse myself in another country and culture. I have never been able to do this before. Previously in my travels, I have just been passing through as a tourist. Actually living in another country is an entirely different way to experience it and something I have been craving to broaden my horizons and cultural understanding.
7. Impacting kiddos:
The more I read and watched videos of guest english teachers in classrooms the more excited I got to be around kids. Teaching and mentoring younger kids was something I always enjoyed in college and med school and I definitely have silly side that would be fun to bring out more often. Additionally, there is such a huge potential for impact. Learning English can significantly improve student’s employment opportunities, future earning potential and can ultimately help lead to a better life.
Hopefully reading this post was helpful in your discerning process. What other questions or concerns do you have that I did not address? Feel free to comment on this blog post or send me an email with any further thoughts or inquires.
