Because I want to experience just about everywhere this planet has to offer, I will keep this page simple by focusing on my immediate future. This can be where I'd like to spend an extended period of time or take a weekend visit, as well as what I intend to do there. Please lend me some sage advice as Internet research only gets you so far...
South Korea, Japan, Vietnam, or Taiwan: I learned a few very valuable lessons about teaching English as a foreign langauge while studying in Costa Rica. First, Latin American countries pay about as well as Catholic schools in the States. They either have no money to share, or they are trying to exploit travelers by offering just enough to get by. Unfortunately I have student loans to contend with, leaving me no choice but to explore other opportunities outside of this region. Fortunately, my instructor just finished a one year contract teaching in South Korea. She spoke about her experience in the highest regard. Not only do some schools pay the equivalent of a teaching salary in the States, but they also offer to pay for your flights and your housing. This, and the low cost of living make this crowded country an extremely enticing adventure in the future. Japan pays similarly, but without the low cost of living, unfortunately those yen tend to add up. And as much as I loathe the idea of living under a communist regime, I heard that I can get a university job in Shanghai paying upwards of $5-6 thousand a week straight cash. This information will most undoubtedly lead me to looking at other positions like it. Convincing Christina to come with me will be the hard part.
Boulder, Colorado: As a snowboarder in the northeast, I dream of any opportunity to carve fresh powder. Rarely however, do we have an opportunity to make it reality. The best chance is to drive up north right after a storm, but those are sparse, not to mention the responsibility of work. Mother Nature just doesn't understand the idea of the "work week". Recently my friend, Dave moved out west to Boulder to escape the monotonous routines of living at home. I hope to plan a long weekend this winter if money allows/he doesn't move back. If not, there's always whitewater rafting, hiking, horseback riding, and sandboarding in the summer.
Pacific Coast Highway: I have been talking for years about embarking on an extended drive across the United States. For those of you from outside the States, this is the only way to see our vast country. Weekend trips and week-long "vacations" just don't do us justice. There is such a diverse collection of beauty in our land, that only a long drive in a car enables you to experience it. Because time is hard to come by, I may need to cut this dream-trip down for now. I have barely seen the west coast, and a drive on the turbulent yet awe-inspiring Pacific Coast Highway would be a fantastic alternative.
