Teach English Abroad - How To Be Happy & Not Go Broke

Deciding to teach English abroad in Thailand was definitely the easiest decision I made last year.   I've been teaching English as a second language (ESL) for about a year, every weekend through a program at my school.  This fall, I decided I wanted to do something different during my college winter break.  All I really knew was that I wanted to travel, be happy, and not go broke.

It seemed simple enough, but I still had no idea what I wanted to do.  I eventually realized I'm most happy on Saturday afternoons when I'm teaching my advanced ESL class.  Seeing how engaged and passionate my students are pushes me as an instructor to make the class beneficial for each student.  After class I made a mental note…

I made a decision to go somewhere and teach English abroad.

Celena visiting The Hutsadin Elephant Foundation in Hua Hin.

After a few Google searches I settled on GeoVisions and got the ball rolling.  I chose Thailand because Asia has remained a mystery to me up until now.  I've been all over the world to nearly every continent, but never to Asia.  I was ready to explore the unknown.

After thinking it over, I finally decided the best program for me was the unpaid, volunteer teaching English to a host family, while living with them.  My host family consists of my “mom and dad” and three host sisters.

I didn't tell my parents about my decision to go to Thailand until I was ready to make my first deposit.  The idea of me living with a host family raised some concerns for them, but I assured them I would be safe.  I think living with a host family offers a unique experience for true cultural immersion, which has definitely proven true for me. Teaching ESL has also been a very personal experience for me thus far, more than just a job, which is why adding a homestay into my volunteer opportunity abroad seemed like more than just the right move.

Along with tutoring my host family, I also teach English at a local school.  On my days off, I also try and explore my new community.  Recently I visited an elephant sanctuary in Hua Hin called The Hutsadin Elephant Foundation.

I highly recommend any type of "immersion" program in another country.

[person name="Celena Dyal" title="" picture="" pic_link="" linktarget="_self" pic_style="none" pic_style_color="" pic_bordersize="0" pic_bordercolor="" social_icon_boxed="" social_icon_boxed_radius="4px" social_icon_colors="" social_icon_boxed_colors="" social_icon_tooltip="" email="" facebook="" twitter="" instagram="" dribbble="" google="" linkedin="" blogger="" tumblr="" reddit="" yahoo="" deviantart="" vimeo="" youtube="" rss="" pinterest="" digg="" flickr="" forrst="" myspace="" skype="" paypal="" dropbox="" soundcloud="" vk="" class="" id=""]Celena is from Brooklyn, NY. She is a chemistry major at Goucher College in Maryland. She also loves playing soccer with her students in Thailand, and is starting up a project to get them some new soccer balls. [/person]