Experience Thailand For the First Time

Nov 27, 2011

I’m flying into Thailand. Who would’ve thought? Six months ago, I would’ve never thought I would be teaching in Thailand. It actually all started with my friend Richard, a teacher in my same teaching program. At the end of the school year, my friend Richard approached me with an idea. Why not travel to another country to teach? Since the teaching industry was the worst for us newbies, it was very alluring alternative. No one was really getting interviews, let alone jobs. It was tough and not many of us had hope. I still had hope though. I was talking to the principal of a pretty good school and he seemed to be an advocate of mine. I thought maybe I had a chance there. I also had alternate plans: move to LA, find a full-time teaching job, part-time teaching job, a job that was somewhat related to teaching, or continue to serve at a restaurant (not one of my top options). 

So when Richard brought this plan up, I told him I doubted I would go. I was intrigued but I couldn’t do it. I had too much here for me. Even without a job in sight, I had a boyfriend, a dog, a home, a volleyball crew, and my wonderful niche of friends. After years of getting acclimated to my new home in Southern California, I finally found comfort and I was happy. But I did have an itch to travel. As time passed, this itch got stronger and stronger. I even started to resent the wonderful things I had at home. Some started to feel more of a restriction than a blessing. I didn’t like this feeling, the feeling of being bitter and resentful. Richard was really into the idea of teaching abroad and kept on asking. I started to imagine where I would want to teach if I didn’t have all these commitments. My mind immediately raced to Thailand. Beautiful, peaceful, and exotic. Friendly people. Elephants. Jungles. Ancient ruins. What a country. What a life. Richard and I only day dreamed about it. 

Towards the end of summer, job openings started to fill up quickly. I just saw myself working as a server for the next year; waiting an extra year for another hectic and disheartening job search. This wasn’t what I wanted. I also did not want to move to Los Angeles. I was becoming very upset towards anything about the city. After some time, significant life events and reflection, I started to think more about traveling. I set my mind on teaching abroad in Thailand. It seemed like an amazing opportunity. I let Richard know of my decision but he was awaiting the outcome of a recent interview he had for a high school teaching position in Los Angeles. And he ended up getting it! Surprisingly, we switched places in a way. He wanted to go teach abroad. I wanted a teaching position in Los Angeles. Now, he is a teacher and I am on my way to Thailand. Funny how things work.

While flying over Thailand, you could tell that the flood did some damage. I could see acres and acres of land disrupted by inundation. Rows and fields of crops and houses were surrounded by dirty water. You could see this clearly. I was bit scared. What happens if this is what it looks like where I’m supposed to be?

I landed and got my ONE bag from baggage claim. Oh yes, one bag I said! After a month of traveling with over 120 pounds of belongings (two check-in luggage and a very heavy backpack), I decided to drop one bag. I couldn’t do it anymore. I actually have calluses on my hands. The luggage was as big as I was, maybe even bigger. And I was so tired and sore lugging my things around. My grandparents in Taiwan were nice enough to take one of my bags. This bag had all the bulky winter clothes. I just needed the clothes that fend well in 90-100 degree Fahrenheit weather. I also figured if I wanted to go traveling after my trip, I wouldn’t want to lug all my stuff around again and have to deal with the extra baggage rule anymore. So I gladly picked up my ONE bag from baggage claim and walked outside the airport, experiencing Thailand for the first time—the air, sounds, lights, car pollution—all of it.