“…are not necessarily lost.” I really like this saying. A friend of mine told me about it today.
It got me thinking: I am (currently) in the EFL industry (English as a Foreign Language). For those of you who’ve read my profile, you’ll see that I have been to various countries, both as a tourist and also spending significant amounts of time there, teaching English/integrating into society and trying to gleen a better understanding of the world around me.
There are those that meet me, hear about what I do and you can see something cross over in their eyes. A sort of “Oh here we go: another one who is on the run from something.”
It’s interesting how people automatically jump to the conclusion that just because you travel, spend time in other cultures and don’t ‘settle down’ with a wife/husband/kids that you must have some deep, dark hidden secret or childhood angst that you’re running away from. And TEFL seems to be the obvious choice – it allows you to travel to all sorts of places.
Sure – I am sure there are people out there who MIGHT be running, but who are we to judge them?
But remember, there are equally people out there who actively ENJOY being in new cultures, learning about what makes and shapes a culture/country. Greece is going through SUCH interesting & difficult times at present and I feel privalaged that I have the opportunity to be here, learning and still able to earn a wage in the process. Oh, and I happen to really like the kids/adults I teach. I also learn from THEM, they teach me things about the country, and about myself, all the time.
I hope, one day, I manage to get my book on the shelves. It will make interesting reading I think (if I can tear myself away from the day job!).