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I'm Doing This!

For months, I went back and forth, back and forth:   should I do this? Should I go teach English in another country?  Can I afford it?  Can I bear to leave my kitties for awhile?  What if I love it and never want to come back?

I finally decided that since it's something I've wanted to do for years, and since all my stuff is in storage and my cats are getting settled at my mom's, now is the time.  So I'm doing it!

Six months ago I was all set on Spain (too expensive). Four months ago I was going to Vietnam (too hot). Two months ago I settled on Ecuador because the low cost of living allows me to stay long enough to really experience the culture in a meaningful way. And because of this display I saw in Nordstom's:


I think this was a sign from the Universe telling me to go for it. So I'm going for it! I leave Tuesday, August 5 and I'll be gone for 6 months.

I will be going to a school in Montanita, Ecuador, to learn how to teach english as a foreign language. After 5 weeks, I will receive a CELTA certification which allows me to teach english as a foreign language anywhere in the world.

Montanita is a surfer dude town on the beach, and I'm super excited to get there. I'll be staying at the school, which has a residential program.  Students each get their own cabana and all meals are included.  It's a 10 minute walk from the beach.

After the first 5 weeks, I'll probably end up in Quito or Cuenca, which is where most of the teaching jobs are. Both of these towns are high in the Andes, around 9,000 feet in elevation.

 I would also like to explore Chile and Argentina at some point in my trip. Hopefully this experience will help me get an entirely new perspective. I can't wait for what's to come!
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  1. Tracy, the California Dream CrafterAugust 4, 2015 at 8:36 AM

    Hi! I read about your excursion because I'm a SF Giants Fan. Enjoy the journey and I'll check in regularly.

    Tracy Lynn

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. TravelgirlAugust 7, 2015 at 6:49 AM

      Cool! I'm really hoping to find a bar with the Giants on down here. I've had a rough start actually. All travels were fine but I think I have altitude sickness. I was really sick all last night. Hoping the decrease in altitude today will help.

      Delete

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