Assignment 1: Introduction

Hello, my name is Camilla and I’m from Ft. Worth, Texas. At age 59 I’m probably one of the older than most, if not all of the participants in the Xplore Asia Teach and Travel program. I graduated from Texas Christian University in 1985 with a degree in German and French. I quickly landed a job as a language qualified flight attendant at Delta Air Lines Inc. where I completed 35 years of service. I loved my job, but when the pandemic hit, I was offered the chance of early retirements with great benefits so I jumped at it. I completed my first online 150 hr. TEFL course in 2021, but never seriously pursued it because of family obligations (caring for aging parents). I came across the Xplore Asia program by chance, and was curious and excited at the prospect of being able to teach and travel. I completed the I-to-I 120 hr. TEFL course this month and will hopefully be joining the Thailand Internship in a few weeks. I am excited and a little nervous about starting this new chapter in my life. I look forward to meeting new colleagues and staff, and the opportunity to gain teaching experience while gaining new cultural insights.

Hi, my name is Rubylyn, I am from the UK and I am 24 years old. I recently graduated from the University of Leicester with a Bachelors in Law and I have been studying for my TEFL for the past 2 years. I was originally planning to teach abroad in 2020 when I graduated, but I had to change my plans due to the pandemic. Since then I have been working as a teaching assistant to prepare for the move and I have been surprised by how much I liked teaching. I have never lived in a foreign country before, I have never been to Asia, and I don’t speak Thai, so those are the main challenges I will face. I studied English Literature at A level, as well as German and French at GCSE level, so I think that my passion for languages will help to carry me through this experience. I love travelling, and experiencing different cultures, so I think that this will be a great opportunity to get out of my comfort zone and meet new people whilst doing something I enjoy!

Hey everyone,

My name is Milena! I am 27 years old from Canada. I am a certified Ontario Teacher in the Elementary division back at home. I’ve taught grade Kindergarten, grade 2, 3 and 6. I have a true passion for working with children as their energy, zest for life and creativity give me join and fulfillment. Although I was recently offered a permanent position with my school board, I had an urge to teach abroad that I couldn’t ignore. I’ve taken a leave of absence to purse my desire to travel and immerse myself in a completely different culture. There has always been something about Thailand that I’ve been drawn to which is why I chose this is my destination to teach and live. I’ve heard from friends and other travellers that Thailand is full of breathtaking beauty, it is rich in culture and filled with kind locals. I can’t wait to experience it for myself.

One of the challenges I expect to face is missing home and my family. I know that this feeling will be normal and I will have to opportunity to meet so many amazing people that will become my home away from home. I plan to enjoy each present moment as it comes and be grateful that I’ve been given the chance to step out of my comfort zone and try something new.

By the end of this experience, I hope to gain everlasting insights, experiences and relationships that I can carry with my for the rest of my life. Through sharing my stories with families and friends when I return, I hope to inspire, empower, and transform those around me by sharing the impact that travel/ teaching abroad has had on my life. I also hope to learn more about myself. Over the past year and a half I have been in tune with my spiritual essence. I hope to deepen this realization while venturing around the world on my own.

I’m looking forward to meeting everyone in the program and finally arriving in Thailand!

Hey everyone! I’m Mima, 24, from a little town in the UK called Shrewsbury. I’m inspired by all things creative (especially art, fashion and music), am an avid reader and writer, love nature, adore the weird and wonderful, and am always seeking out new things to try, places to see and people to meet!

After school I completed an Art Foundation Course in Leeds, before moving to Edinburgh to do my degree. Since graduating I’ve worked as a Co-teacher at a school in London and I teach with a company called Role Models who deliver mental health content for children aged 5-13. As someone who is obsessed with discovering new things, I adore teaching not only because I understand more about myself and the world through communicating with others, but also because I get to share my passion for learning.

I’ve always wanted to travel and experience living in different cultures and places, and Thailand has consistently been described to me as a place of incredible beauty and culture. I am particularly interested in mindfulness practises and am looking forward to exploring and learning more, particularly around yoga and meditation. Whether it be in a quiet and tranquil rural town or large urban area like Bangkok, I am so excited to immerse myself in Thai culture.

Leaving your comfort zone is guaranteed to sometimes feel uncomfortable, and so I expect to face many challenges: I will miss my friends and family, get lost uncountable times, and feel nervous to teach. Challenges are where we learn the most in life, however, so I’m excited to tackle things head on!

I hope to get as much as possible out of this experience: to have as many new experiences as possible (be them culinary, cultural, geographical and more), to discover more about the world and myself, to impart a love of learning onto others, and hopefully to inject more enthusiasm, compassion and energy into the world!

Hi everyone!

My name is Angela and I’m 23 years old and from Boston, Massachusetts. I studied strategic communications, psychology and entrepreneurship at Elon University in North Carolina. This past year I’ve been working in the corporate world as a public relations associate for an agency serving a wide variety of healthcare clients.

Two philosophies I live by are “We are a part of all that we have met” and “There’s no growth in the comfort zone.” These principles, combined with the wonderful people I met this summer while solo traveling around the world inspired me to change careers and move to Thailand.

I anticipate challenges along the way, primarily stemming from cultural differences and language barriers. Additionally, adapting to the role of a teacher and fulfilling my students’ needs will be a significant learning curve. My strategy for overcoming these challenges involves being patient, remaining open-minded, embracing failure as a part of the learning process, building a supportive community, and living like a local.

My aspirations for this experience are to unlock personal growth, immerse myself in Thai culture, make memories that will last a lifetime and leave a positive impact.

I’m so excited about this new journey and can’t wait to meet everyone 🙂

Hi everyone, I’m Catharine from the west coast of Scotland. I’m an early years and Montessori teacher. I’ve decided to embark on a new TEFL career and return to Thailand, a much loved and previously visited country. My experience in Thailand before was so positive and I absolutely loved the culture and the people. I worked with children then in a Montessori school in the North. I love the idea of TEFL….the flexibility it affords, the adventure and the possibility of meeting new and widely travelled people. I’ve chosen the i-to-i Internship programme to get me started on this journey and feel that it will be good to start my new TEFL career with other new teachers, where we can share our learning and experiences. I’m also hoping to bring my kids yoga and Relax Kids training to my teaching experience.
I anticipate there may be some challenges around banking, payment and IT logistics and am hoping that I’m supported with these through my induction and time with Xplore Asia.
So far in life I know that the one thing I really celebrate in life is travel and to bring my passion for teaching to this is hopefully a win-win! Looking forward to meeting you all.

Hi everyone,
My name is Jarett Malouf and I’m 23 from Los Angeles, California. I’ve just graduated Yale University in New Haven, CT with a degree in Cognitive Science. I’ve been a tennis coach and tutor for many years and so am excited to get going as an English teacher in Thailand.
I’m moving to Thailand because I’m passionate about teaching, particularly teaching children, and have heard only great things about the experience of living in Thailand. I have spent much time traveling throughout Europe but never in Asia and so I was excited about the prospect of Thailand because it feels like something completely foreign to me.
I expect to undergo the typical challenges a young American faces living in a new place, culture shock, etc. But historically I have enjoyed living abroad for decent chunks of time, because I like sinking into an environment of new people. My goal is to adopt the ‘no worries’ attitude as I make my way through the learning curve of living in Thailand!
I hope to get out of the experience a deeper understanding of Thai culture and some meaningful relationships with other people I meet along the way, particularly with my students.
Excited for the course!
Jarett