Month: February 2015

My first Chinese New Year (Lunar New Year) in Taiwan has been exciting and confusing to say the least. From being gifted new exotic fruits by my landlord to being handed red envelopes at every bank I pop into, there’s a whirlwind of new customs and traditions I’m being exposed to daily.

Teaching abroad can be one of the most rewarding experiences in your life. But it’s easy to get caught up in the moment and forget to step back, take a look at the bigger picture, and make sure that you are getting the most out of your time abroad.

While not every aspect of our lives on social media is true to a tee, I think there is something to be said for the type of content we actually upload. Much like the clothes we choose to put on our backs every morning, what we choose to put on Instagram sends to the world a message about us. What do your photos say about you and your travel habits?

After a year of learning a new set of work and office rules in South Korea, I was expecting to come across something similar in the schools of Taiwan. What I was met with, however, was completely on the opposite end of the spectrum.

Our latest teacher to agree to interview with us is Amy Harper. She left her life behind in the UK to pursue a teaching position in South Korea. Not satisfied with just one location in Asia she set her goals to make the move to teaching in Taiwan where she currently teaches young learners.

Some teachers hate them and rant about nightmare experiences. Some teachers love teaching at a chain school and have nothing but good things to say about them. Still others are more or less indifferent. There’s no doubt that teaching at this type of school has its benefits and drawbacks. Let’s take a more objective look at the pros and cons of teaching at a chain school.

I’ve come a long way from those first few weeks, and looking back on the things I wrote down in my journals that confused me now make me laugh. A few of them are a bit embarrassing to share since it’s so obvious what a naïve traveler I can be at times, but this is all in good fun and you promise not to judge me right?

I knew from the beginning that it wasn’t going to be an easy year living abroad and one of the biggest challenges was going to be homesickness. But it was something that I just knew that I not only wanted, but needed to do for myself.