¡Hola!
After years of dreaming and months of planning I am FINALLY here in Santiago, Chile, ready to begin my journey of living in another country and teaching ESL! I had big plans to start this blog much further in advance, to share what preparations were necessary for this experience (in case anyone wishes to do something similar one day!) but, alas, time got the better of me. The last month was a whirlwind, and it's hard to believe on Friday I will have been here for a week!
Many of you know I tried to plan a similar experience about a year ago with the Ministry of Education in Spain, but was essentially indefinitely wait-listed. That process alone included expediting a new passport, rush ordering mail to the Spanish consulate in NYC, and begging a professor to write a letter of recommendation at the last minute. When that didn't work out, a friend of a friend introduced me to The Language Company, and with great excitement about finding a new potential plan to teach abroad, I conducted my Skype interview in August. I was given a tentative offer (pending a successful trial class IN Santiago), and then later a permanent one (no trial class!!) after I applied to the program TeachingChile, as these two companies work together. I officially accepted the placement in late September, booked my flight in mid-November, and embarked on my 150-hour online TESOL course after the New Year. I also found temporary full time work through Cayuga Centers from mid-January to the end of February, which was incredible in terms of saving up money but made all my spare time very precious as I had lots of last minute planning and things to do!
To avoid that last minute panic, here are some things I have learned that I think are important when you travel to or temporarily move to a foreign country:
-Let your bank know ASAP! you don't want them freezing your account because you're charging items halfway around the world
-Consult with your doctor ASAP as well. There may be vaccines you need that you don't already have, and many of them need to be given a certain amount of time in advance.
-If you need to bring medications, start the process of requesting an extended amount as early as you can. Your insurance company will likely deny it if you ask for anything more than 3 months. Don't freak out like I did. This is only because their policy is usually to give out only 90 days supply at a time. You can call to request an override, but it may be a matter of talking to several different people, in some cases someone high up in the insurance company, and in some cases the benefits coordinator at the place you work at that provides you insurance. Also let your doctor know your concerns upfront as he or she has likely dealt with this before with other patients and may have some advice.
-Cross reference flights. Search for student or teacher related deals if this applies to you. The website STAtravel.com has some amazing deals, and this is what we (Deirdre and I) used to book our round trip flight (direct both ways!) for a very good price. We even got two checked bags of luggage under 50 lbs free!! We also found it is helpful to book fights in the middle of the week, as people tend to travel on weekends, so prices are often better on a Tuesday than a Saturday.
-Collect and bring as many free samples as possible! They are great for traveling and stuffing into your carry on. You never know when your luggage may get lost or taken! Deirdre is MUCH more of a pro that this than I am, but now when I see those free little bottles of shampoo and conditioner at hotels, I don't hesitate in snatching and storing them.
-Weigh your luggage in advance if possible. After I packed my two suitcases I used Deirdre's handy dandy luggage scale, and one of mine turned out to be 70 pounds instead of the allotted 50!! Packing light is something I struggle with, so I'm not even going to hypocritically tell you to do so. Because it's really hard!!!
-Memorize your passport number. It makes life so much easier. I have the first 5 digits down, I'm getting there! Haha
-Expect the unexpected and go with the flow. While it is always best to be prepared as possible, try not to stress about all the possibilities. ("What if they lose my luggage?" "What if my carry on is too big" "What if my suitcase is too heavy?" "What if my flight gets delayed?") While these are all valid concerns, besides the size and weight of suitcases (my source of stress!!!) many of these are out your control. There is no sense stressing about all the possibilities, because it will just cloud your focus, and that is something you definitely need when you travel internationally.
I realize this all sounds pretty boring, and trust me, I´ll have much more interesting posts soon about previous and future adventures. I will try to post as much as I can and as many pictures as my precarious internet connection will allow. Keep in mind that I am here primarily to teach, so that will be a huge focus of this blog. However, I´ll try to keep it light by offering traveling tips as I come across them (it´s my turn to pay it forward as I read many traveling blogs before leaving), fun facts about Chile, and some common words and phrases. I have no idea the order in which this will come about- so you´ll have to stay tuned!
¡Hasta luego!
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