Onward Bound

So here I am...I am in my last semester at the UW of Madison. I will soon graduate and be on my merry little way. In other words, I've almost succeeded in climbing out of the boiling pot and into the red-hot fire of El Diablo. Worrying about what to do after we graduate is something that eats at most of us. I, for one, am in dire need of finding a job this summer. Some of us dread leaving what may be the best years of our lives and might try to cling to any semi-advernturous opportunity that comes our way. But we still need to make money, right?

However, I've discovered a sly little loophole in the whole "get a job" thing after college. My answer for those who still don't know what they want but want to do something new? Teach English abroad. And somewhere different than here (i.e. not Western Europe). South America, Asia, etc. Although it's not necessarily or always easy to qualify for such a position, it's certainly obtainable if you put effort towards it...especially in less picky schools in China. In some places you can make a solid income compared to the locals around you. It'll be different than what you're used to but that's the point. Break your confort zone...it'll be healthy for you. Do it for a year, enjoy the local culture, and daddle a little into the local language. Develop your skills well enough and you create resume gold. Successfully surviving this sort of experience builds confidence and a more open mind. Most importantly for me, it forces us to become more independent.

The path (or loophole) that I personally am seeking involves not teaching English abroad but studying a foreign language (Mandarin Chinese) through a scholarship that allows me to enrichen my coffers, not drain them. I'm a sly dog like that. However, that kind of opportunity is not guaranteed so my Plan B is to do as I perscribed above. Spending 1-2 years in China or Taiwan? Yes please.

Until next time,
Michael