It's the end of the year and this is always my favorite time of year because of the holiday festivities, vacation time from work/school, and the time spent with my family. But this time of year in 2018 was also great because I had just graduated from college and was excitedly waiting to start my teach abroad program. I started college in August 2015 so based on the typical timeline, I should have been graduating in May 2019. But because I had taken AP classes and completed a few dual enrollment credits in high school, I was able to graduate a semester early. Instead of going straight into full-time work, I decided why not take advantage of the extra time I had by traveling abroad. I continuously saw people take spring break trips, family holiday vacations, and study abroad throughout college but I never had the opportunity to do any of those things myself. So when I came across CIEE's volunteer teach abroad programs, I figured this was the perfect time to participate!
Because most college students graduate after the spring semester, corporate companies often do the bulk of their college hiring in June or July. So when I let my company know my plans, they were more than willing to accommodate my request to start later on. So even though I graduated from college in December 2018, I did not start working until June 2019. I got to enjoy almost 6 months of freedom before I had to become an adultier-adult and it was the best decision ever! Through CIEE's Short Term Volunteer Teach Abroad program, I got to live in Spain for almost 3 months while working as an assistant English teacher. And because it is extremely easy to travel within the European Union, I also got to visit Belgium, Portugal, and France while out there. I got to live my best life for a few months before returning home to prepare for work.
So for any December grads (or anyone else honestly) who have a little bit of flexibility, I highly recommend taking some time after graduation to enjoy yourself before you begin your career. After all, unless you are planning to retire early or attempt the entrepreneurship route, you'll likely be working for the next 40 years. So no need to rush into it! It's quite literally not going anywhere. And if you are looking for an inexpensive (or potentially profitable) option to travel to another country, immerse yourself in another culture, have fun with some students, learn a new language, and/or learn something new about yourself, definitely consider teaching English abroad!
Save $200 With These Referral Links!
Hope this served as your sign to step outside of your comfort zone and teach abroad! I thoroughly enjoyed my experience! And if that wasn't enough, I also have a referral link that will save you an extra $200! (I wish I would've had one of these before my trip, $700 to cover housing, meals, placement assistance, etc. while living abroad for 3 months is honestly a steal! That would normally only cover 1 week in a hotel lol.)
And of course, there's no hiding that there is a benefit for me too if you use my referral link because if you get $200, I also get $200. Win-win lol. However, I'm not in it for the money. I genuinely did enjoy my experience and would recommend it a thousand times!
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