Osaka, Japan
I live in Osaka, Japan, and have done so for nearly two years. And while I love Osaka and always will, I am getting itchy feet. I find myself checking flights to Vientiane. I find myself daydreaming of cafes in Tokyo. I find myself researching music festivals in Melbourne. This wanderlust will get the better of me, I just know it.
“Throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbour. Catch the trade wind in your sails.” -Mark Twain
2 comments
Have you been teaching English this entire time? I’m thinking of giving up stability and career goals for something more wonderful, but I need to know that its possible to survive in countries where you don’t speak the language and your only marketable skill is your ability to speak english.
Yes, I have been teaching English for two years, and I have more stability and a much clearer image of my career goals doing this than I did in any other job I’ve had. All I can really recommend is do your research; each country has different specifications on teaching English. Japan almost always requires a university degree; I had a degree, plus a TESOL certificate, plus years of other teaching experience. That being said, my company hires people who do not have any such experience.
It is definitely possible to survive in countries where you don’t speak the language and your only skill is English. I’ve been doing it for five years and have no regrets.