This week I’m joined by Adrienne Waller of Worldwideeducator.org to discuss how she paid down 20k in debt and used international teaching jobs to see the world. Part of that journey included living in China in 2019. Dive in.

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Guest: Adrienne Waller 

https://worldwideeducator.org 

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All right, so salutations and ship folks. welcome. welcome. Welcome back to another episode of your favorite Chop

podcast Traveling Ship, where your host carry, Have an experiential conversation about the nuance ways that travel

intersects with regular life. And if you are watching on the You tubes, as I mention every week that beautiful faces

get to be seen, I've got a beautiful guest and she is making me miss Hair. Adrian. Welcome. thank you for joining

me. Please go right ahead and introduce yourself

Hi, everyone, my name is Adrian Waller. I also am known as the world Educator and I started

living abroad when I was a kid and it never really left me. I love everything education.

I love everything black. I love natural hair. I love the things that support people who

look like me.

A man. So already one of the first questions I was going to ask you said you lived abroad as a kid. What has been

your experience with living in board abroad? I am a born and bred New Yorker. I have never sadly lived outside of

New York, and I couldn't even tell you where I would want to live honestly if I didn't live in New York, but I never

saw being ready to move, and a few years ago, baby, this time like I'm over The city. I always thought I would be

a city girl. It went from never thinking I would leave the city. and like, live in long. I'll never live in Long Island.

Is Madge Ry out there? Sure enough, spent college, and like five, six years after college in Long Island, and I

do not have that experience of anything but New York, So please tell me what that was like and how did it color your

M. I guess your sense of new spaces and new opportunity opportunities that weren't home for.

So yeah, my mom had this great idea that we would move to Germany after the Berlin Wall

fell and so at five she packed me up now. mind you, my mom is like. I think she's a rock

star. She would never call herself that, but she really is, and she had just got married.

I not too long before I turned five. Next, you know, we're up in Germany, and I didn't

realize how kind of like revolutionary that was. You know

Yeah,

in the late eighties like, Oh, wait, what. Now I know. having done it. And so we lived in

Germany for two years. That conflict with the Berlin will actually went better than

expected. My mom worked for the U S. military, so she ended up coming back really really

soon. but my mom also like we lived. I'm from Michigan, but my mom's from the D C. area.

I was, had just mentioned that to you, so I've always thought of a bit of travel anyway,

so like we were always on a road trip, whether it was driving the D, C. S. and my dad's

family in Texas. I remember, my Parents sponsored us to go to Disney World, but my parents

said we ain't got playing tickets for four people, So we drove from Michigan down

Oh

to or Orlando, You know, made a pit stop, So like travels bein kind of something that

was just kind of ingrained in me very very early. and I didn't realize living abroad had

actually been steeped in there as well, because when I lived abroad as a kid we went.

I went up to Ifeltower with my grandmother. I remember going over rickety bridges with

my granddad to go to a castle and going to see that Two lips in Amsterdam. So these

are things I was exposed to five, six and seven years old and then got dumped back into

America, And that was actually a reality check as a child like, Oh, wait, this. this is different

Yeah.

So that was kind of my initial. So then in college I got a little taste again and

I'm sorry to cause you. When did you come back to the States? Like How old were you during

I

that

was seven.

time?

I was seven when I came

Okay,

back.

okay, you were. You were present. like seven year olds. Kind of get that when you talk to other kids and you realize

like Oh, I'm a little different. That's

Yeah,

not the same Like not everybody has this Okay,

Yeah, and even coming back because at first we came back in the military, put us in like

some temporary housing. In the school I was at was super races. so like

M.

I not only came from like Germany is white, but then

Yeah,

I came back to like white America, which is a different type of white and it was a very

jarring reality of like racial discrimination, And then we moved to the Detroit area

where I could actually live in the suburbs and be around black people. That was like,

like

I

amazing

love Detroit. That's

Detroit,

the one

A whole

state

vive.

that I got to say when I was there and I wasn't even there long. So in fairness to Detroit, I could be just feeling

like the energy, but I loved it and I was just like Oh, I could live here. I can't do that now. I gonna do that.

Gonna play myself, but it felt good. It felt good.

Yeah, Detroit is definitely a vive, particularly for like

Hm.

black professionals, there are a good number of people. It's a vive very similar to D. C

has that same kind of like

Yeah,

young professional vibe and I just love that, but there was this dichotomy when we first

got back. Detroit Area is very segregated sauce in a really segregated area after living

where, like I was learning to make bread by my baby sitter, you know, in

Yeah,

Germany, and then I come back to like some real race in stuff, so that was a bit jarring

Fast for in college I moved to. I got a University of Michigan go blue, actually representing

the colors right now

Yeah,

anyway, and I got this opportunity to do research. so it wasn't like a regular study

abroad Because study abroad normally paying for the course work and you're paying for everything.

No, your sister was like, No, I'm going to have somebody else paid for me to go. They paid

for the ticket, the house, An I got a stip in. I

Nice.

got to be published, as you know, part of some research and that was just a really Good

experience And it was the first time I've been in a country that was ran by people who

looked like me And that

Oh,

was

where

really

was that?

a South Africa.

Oh nice. Now, what did you? What was your course of study in college?

So an undergrad I studied sociology and organizational studies.

Okay, okay, now, Do you mind if I ask how old you or at least when you went to college?

Yeah,

Because I was speaking to one of my past guests, Sojourner, Hey girl, and I graduated from college in two thousand and seven,

and I remember feeling like, Mind you, I will say, personality plays a large role in this, and I am the least amount

of work possible kind of girl. So if I can find a way to do less to make something happen, I promise you I will spend

more time finding an easier way to do it. Then I'll actually spend doing something. It's just the way my brain works.

but I did not feel as if I had listening to her experience in terms of choosing majors and opportunities for trap Ling through

schools. I did not feel like. Um. Those opportunities existed for me. I felt like school was just a right to show up.

This is the course of study I chose. So if I'm not going to change my major, then this is what you commit to. This

is what you do. I just wanted to finish, get my little piece o paper and be done, but listening to all the options.

Then there was this major and this major. I changed to this and I'm like the major's just sounded so nuance in detail

like there was opportunity and choice and it could also just be the school. Also Now this is something that I'm

hyper aware of, so like whenever somebody mentioned opportunities that they experienced in college, I'm wondering.

Was it the time that I went to school? College was just college, Is what it is, or was it just me?

No, I gradsawaited before you. So

Okay?

um, no, I do think To Michigans credit, I do think that the always they are trying to always

push the button. You know what the education look like in things like that. That's one

thing part of why in transparency and I love H. B. C. So there's no just here. My mom went to be

state and she took me to visit and she was like Hey, here's where I went. You want to

consider it, But my mom's biggest thing is that when she was in college, she had to go

to University of Mirror To get anything that was like extra. She's like, You know, I

wanted to take certain courses. I had to go to University of Maryland. I wanted to do

certain programs to go to university F. Maryland. she's like now, I'm really glad they

had that partnership She's like, but I didn't like the idea that I had to leave my campus

to

Yeah,

go somewhere else, So like as I was looking through where I was going to go because I did

apply to bout H. C. And you know, Pew, part of why I picked Michigan beyond the fact

that they sent me a video tape with James R. Jones telling me he went there and how Awesome

it was and I kind of was like This is amazing. Um, it was the ability that I knew that

I was not maybe a hundred per cent short of what I wanted to do and they had so many majors

to pick. From now I was like the second class of people to do organizational study, so

it was a very new. Now it's a very common place thing. You see a lot of it in business

schools and things like that, but for me it was like the perfect intersection, and to

your point there was a lot of choice like we got to do this in called picking A pathway.

So like within your major, you had to outline like there are all these courses you could

take as they were like cross disciplinary, So like there are some social classes, some

antro classes, so e con classes. all these classes in like different apartments, where

normally you pick a major in all your classes are in that major organizational studies

didn't have. That same approach is said. Yeah, we have some classes, but you're going

to benefit from being in the liberal arts college. You can pick through all of these,

but they have to sing like a certain song. You need to write. How all of these are connected.

So you wrote like one to two sentences, which was called your pathway to say, Like what

the purpose of all your course work was, And then your advisor looked to make sure that

the courses you pick matched along with that pathway that you were talking about, and some

of them were a little broad like it could be like. Mine was much more of a sociology focus.

but not all of my classes were in the sociology department. A lot were, which is why I

was able to double major, but not all of them were. So that was a really interesting experience

really Early and like adulthood, teaching about agency and you know,

Yes,

picking and vocalizing what you want to need. So

Did you feel like you had to search that out or was it kind of spelled out for you and you just kind of had to make

the decisions

M in terms of the pathway part or finding organizational studies itself.

A little bit of both. just knowing that that was an opportunity for you or that those were options for you. Did you

feel like you had to? Did it feel hidden, or did it feel like if someone didn't know that it was, or how did you

miss this? It was like part of the fresh. What do you call that class when they tell you all what college is like That

orientation? Or is it did you feel like it was something that was made very obvious to you or did you feel like? Because

now I'm thinking in terms of like, Is it a Senality thing? Right? Because then of course it's the school. What does

your school offer? Is it a big school or is a small school? I went to a smaller school. I went to. Adelphi is a private

university up here and I went to smaller schools growing up, And so I know how it always benefited me for my teacher to

know who I was. So that always played in my favor. So I'm like Okay, Well, I'm on a. Just keep that train going

like I'm It's just a thing. it works in my favor and I understood that as a kid, so I went to a smaller university.

so that I did Have like those thousand student classes. and because it never experience that I didn't know what that

was, I knew what it was like to be able to raise my hand be like Miss. I don't get this. Can we got to figure something?

Explain that So I knew small school was for me, but I'm thinking like, Did it now? I don't to say hinder, but did

it not necessarily offer as many opportunities? Or is it that I just didn't look into enough opportunity, Because

now at my age, I'm thinking the whole kids things, and I have my younger cousins and I would love to be able to

say This is where I dropped the ball. Don't do what I did? You have to actually look for these things or is it that?

No, They're actually just handing it to you. How did I miss it? But now you shouldn't miss it.

Yeah, I don't think. I definitely don't think it was a hundred percent handed. But one

thing, another part of like picking my university is during, like when you went up for

like, kind of like figuring stuff out. One of the first things that Michigan said is you

can make a big school small. You can't make a small school big, so that that actually probably

was a pivotal

Yeah,

decision maker for me, and so, hearing that and then my mom, knowing so I was very much

the opposite like I was always that like Im, go go get it. Like are friends who say To

me now, Agent. If you speak something out that you wanted to happen, it's going to happen

like right now. My next big goal is to be like, start doing keynotes speaking and they're

like they're like That's going to happen because you've decided it's going to happen,

You're

and once

going to

you

be great

deidethank

at it because you're easy to talk to. So

you, so, to some degree I do think some of it is just my personality, but I also, because

I knew it was a big school and I do, I thrive off like connections from people, which is

why I actually love doing podcast. Because I love this like Back and forth and I learned

about

Hm,

somebody knew they learned about me. It brought into my audience all of that stuff. But

I do like that people part. So like Michigan had a lot of programs, so I had an advisor who

was like for minorities, and then I had like a regular advisor. I would meet with both

of them and I would meet with them every semester. And the one who was like for people

of color, I would just talk to it. It was very real. The other one I was like, Make

sure I graduate like

Yeah,

I'm not giving you all now Extra money. Makes sure I graduate. The black one was like

Okay, here's a real. Here's where I struggled. Here's where I'm successful. What should I

be doing? What have you heard about these courses? And I believe it was being very transparent

like I'm a very transparent person. Like, very authentic. Like what you're getting is what

my teachers get with me as an assistant Principle is what my friends get with me when

I date somebody. This is what you get. this

Yeah,

is this is it? So I was very transparent and real with her and I think that she was like,

Hey, Because she was in the note right. They know the new majors that are popping up.

That's what they have to do and I was like Hey, I'm kind of thinking about this, but I

kind of like this. She's like. Well, this all sounds kind of similar to this. How about

you check it out? Now you do have to apply even though you're already in the college. This

is like a separate thing. you have to apply. And these are the courses you need to take.

And there, three courses you needed to take as pre, Rick and I was like. Okay, let's try

it out. She's like, And you know if it doesn't work, you can still do some similar things

to what they're doing, even if it's not within there like Ways that. even with sociology

we can kind of finesse it. so to some degree I'm pretty sure she's the one who kind

of talk to me about it, but it was me taking that initiative to like, Go meet with an

advisor on a regular basis, like literally, before classes, like they would send out the

like. Oh, you're going to be. We're back packing classes. Once I back packed classes,

I back packed myself into her office and was like Okay. So is this the right class? Should

I be taking this? And she was super cool and real. That she would even Say like Hey, Don't

take that class this semester. Take it this messer so you can take it with this person so very

Yes, yes,

very wanting to see us win. So

And I feel like that process that you were describing absolutely can have its benefits to you travel experiences. like

being able to advocate for yourself in that way to make sure that you are getting what is available to you in all

of the ways that it can best serve you. I feel like that was easily going to be something that, or at least a personal

skill or a trait, personality trade. If you will, that will absolutely apply in travel. So I know you had mentioned

before I went down this rabbit hole about choosing majors that you had a research position that was a little bit

different and they had done a lot of the funding and you had mentioned the researching that you were doing. So Okay,

we can go back to that if you don't mind.

Yeah, so essentially now this one was well advertised like. So what I did as I joined

this thing called Undergraduate research opportunity program And there's no way you become a

student at University of Michigan and not hear about Europe, Europe, Europe, Europe, So

it was also like you could do it as like I think, like a course or work study. I needed

money. I did it for work study, And so,

Hm.

but then within Europe, they would advertise other things that you, you know, like other

programs that were kind of in the same Vain. So they started talking about minority international

research training program, which is what ended up sending me there and I was like, Oh, this

is cool. I actually ended up applying twice the first time they contacted me afterwards

and they're like, Hey, we really wanted you to get get this because I was a soft more.

An they're like, but we just had a few strong candidates who are a little bit older and

won't have another

Yeah,

chance

yeah,

at it.

okay,

Applied next year and we'll guarantee that you go.

Oh, nice. come

and I

on,

was like, Okay.

Yeah, that's a good now. I can take that is not right now

Yeah,

easy. I'll take it.

so I applied the next year and got to South Africa. One. I only applied to black ones. There

was a hat one in the South Africa one. They had

I want

Japan

to go to hate so bad.

girl. My mom was just anyway. Well, grab it hole down there. Yes,

Yeah,

me to. those are the only two I applied to. So when I got South Africa, I was like cool,

so that

Hm.

was a very liberating experience for me in terms of like seeing a country of people. Also, it

was so close. I think a part time was only maybe Ten years like out, And so the conversation

you were having with people were very different than how you would talk about race in the

Us. being so many years from. You know the end of segregation and it was a very open

Is like my roommate because you end up with a room mate like we had a three bedroom, But

it was only two of us. You, me and my room mate would go places together and she was

white because it was the first year you know all that affirmative action stuff. Sure,

so she, you know, she

Yeah,

was a part of a great person, great human being. But me and her would do stuff together and

we would

And

get

she

in to

was

taxes.

South African

She was white American from,

From American. Okay,

probably from Michigan to I don't yeh. Anyway, she went to Michigan. She was just a

regular white person, but we would get into cars and like taxes, and they would ask us

like. Oh, why are you two hanging out like, just bluntly like you know. Like how do you

all become friends? Like how

Yeah,

do you all know each other just because she was white and it was black And so that fuel

a lot of open discussion about like their journey with race, Their understanding of it.

I just was really really good for me, as like a just joined my sorority. So I was, you

know, like it was a lot of things. I was kind of just deeply thinking about and questioning

and thinking about like myself. Like who I am. Who do I want to be? Who do I want to

be in the world? What else is out there in the world? So that was a really good experience.

So those were the two experiences before I actually moved abroad as an educator. That kind of got

me Really like. Yes, I do think I want to do this and I became a teacher and I was like,

Oh, I can't afford to go nowhere. I can't

Hm,

do think like you know, Um, and then it got to a point where me and my mom actually started

doing cruises. It was after my day passed and it was like I like we're going to spend time

together, so like I would save up all year to go on this one cruise like that

M.

That That was,

yeah,

and then, after doing that once, then I heard about like teachers going and teaching in

other countries. Wait, You can do this somewhere else. Why didn't I think like? Yeah,

Yeah,

everybody needs like I

a

didn't.

teacher,

but it didn't click. And so I started looking into it and I was like, Oh, okay, like,

And the girl

Hm,

I knew she was like Well, I did it and she was like, and I was able to save a lot of money

and travel, and like you know, become a better teacher, Like, and she's like I had a better

work life balance. I was like. So where's the negative in this?

Right,

Like? I'm kind of confused, Um, and kind of on a whim, just like, just started applying like

and just started telling people. Oh, I'm going to move to the Middle East. They're like.

What? Who are you? and they're like And then all my friends are. Yeah, That sounds about

right. That sounded like something would do,

Hm,

and they're like where I was. I don't know. on't have a job yet. They're like Okay,

And then

Right,

I just kept with it and then next thing you know, I was like Okay, You know how I said

I was going to move to the Iddle East. It really is happening. Now. I know where Going.

you know. I'm going to guitar and it just happened And then I was like I kind of did

it. If I'm very honest, I was fed up with teaching in the United States. like fed up

in the sense, like I was questioning whether I was meant to be a educator any more, like

I had been part of the Chicago teachers Union strike, And that was like very training,

and really had me seeing how people viewed teachers in a negative way Where I was like

okay, and then moved back home and was at a charter school. I was like this is the same

nonsense I was dealing. The public school is like. This is just what education is. I

was like. Maybe this isn't for me and I was like, Well, let me go try it for years somewhere

else. If it works then maybe I am supposed to be a teacher. That was kind of my thing,

Like and everybody's like. What if you don't like it? I was like. If if they can buy me

a ticket there, I can buy myself a ticket back Like that

Right,

was always. My theory is like there's got to be a plane that comes this way to like

Okay,

you know, So I was like, I'll try it out. I had a whole boy friend had just met him and

I was like, Look if we are working And I'll just come back after a year. I said, Let

me just try this for a year that didn't work out. But that's

Everything

okay.

else seems to, So

Yes,

that's what works. That's what matters

so that's kind of like how I started being abroad. Next thing you know, like I was,

I was able to get out of the class room and not in a way like. Oh, I hated being in the

class room, but I knew I wanted a new challenge. You know, some career development and

so got out of the classroom started doing professional development and then it just kind

of Kept growing in. every year there's something new that I've experienced in the education

sphere that I don't know if I would have experienced or even thought to do had I stayed

in the United States, and the biggest one is that first year I got to twelve country, so

I was like yeh, so almost every month I was like

Right. I'm gonna use this time that I actually have off and go

Right

to some place.

right.

So what was that initial process like for you? So did you? because I remember when I dabbled with the idea of it. I

initially, because in my mind there were the two pathways to teaching abroad right there was the teach on line to the Chinese

kids. And then the other one was You move abroad and teach the Chinese kids like it's generally, China is the first

place that comes to to mind, But then There's also other places. because like you said, everybody need a No. I can

teach her, But it was always the two, and the only one that I actually applied for was the teaching on line. I did

applied to one of those classes and I remember was during the pandemic, because I was like what else I had to do,

so I ended up doing it and I was trying to do my little practice like one of my home girls was making banks. She was

already a teacher here in the States, but since they were virtual, she was just like. Why do I need a side job here?

I leave my home. I could do a side job where I'm up before my kids. are. I do the little lesson that's like three

o'clock in the morning, and then boom, we go on with the day And you know I've already done my extra work and I don't

have to go anywhere else, so I'm like Okay girl. I could be up at three again. Middle of pandemic. I'm not going

anywhere, so I tried. I did the M. I think in person interview like the little virtual interview and it ain't hired

me, So I was just like Okay.

So there are actually quite a few routes to kind of doing the teacher abroad. A lot of it

really depends on your experience, and your qualifications with Out is going to be best

for you. I was at that point in my ninth year teaching when I started applying, so I

had experience. I had t teaching certificates in Chicago and in Michigan, You only really

need one. but I had both of those active just because the time and so I went the route

that qualified teachers would go. Now There

Got

are

it

routes if you're not a qualified teacher, If you're not a qualified teacher, but want

to become a qualified teacher. There's like all these different ways when I talk to clients.

How kind of those are? Some of the things I learned about them is like, what are their

long term goals in war are their current credentials, And what? what money are they

willing to spend towards that as well, so as a qualified teacher, you have probably the

most options because you can do any of the things that no qualified teachers could do,

plus all the things that you could do with Credentials. So as a qualified teacher that

there's still even a couple of routes you can apply directly to school. so just start researching

schools and apply directly to them, or go through like a recruiting agency And there's quite

a few. I have. I think I've sent this to you as a link. But where you can find, like

all the different recruiters and all of that like, there's like probably twenty or so recruiters

that you can use. Some have specialties and stertain regions of the world, So if you

know You want to go to a very particular area, one recruiter might be better than the

other. If you're like, I just want to go. Then there's other recruiters that I have

like a much more global presence, so they're going to be able to get you. Basically any

country you know, have schools that are in those areas, so those are kind of the two

main ways as a qualified teacher and then you go through your traditional interview process,

Some type of virtual interview. You know, it used to be scaped when I first started doing it,

but you know now Zoom, and Google meets and teams and that type, Then you have your

resume, your profile, All of that stuff, and then one misnomers that most people think

that you have to take care of your visas yourself If a school is asking you to take care

of your visa. Run like that's like the biggest lie. Like that school is not either established.

There's some. now. There are probably a few exceptions by country, but I've never heard

of a country in a school where as an educator you have to work on your visa. So that's

like A big one that people get worried about that Here about you need a visa. What you do?

But your school to take care of most of that, you'll just have to get paper work to them

around, like your degree in your teaching qualification. So

Okay? So when you got a brook you're there, you said you ended up in guitar. Okay, So what was that work life balance?

Like? What was that experience that made you decide? You know what this feels good? I'm going to now travel with it.

What was that travel experience like once you got there? And how did that look different than what it was like for you

here in the States?

So one big difference was just a work day. So we started at seven a M. I'm a morning person,

so that was great and we were done at two

Okay,

right. so by two thirty I at home with a whole day, you know in front of me, so that

was one part, another part was every day we had what teachers called praps. we had about

two a day plus like recess, so it was a lot of time where kids weren't. I think there were

some days I had three as well. I know, for sure, I had at least two, so there was just

a The time that I had to actually think and get like my mind around things before the

day started, and I think we might have started at. the teachers might have started at

seven in the kids at seven thirty, but then on the other end is end your work day that one

to two, because kids got off at one from one to two is when we did meetings. so instead

of trying to cram it during your day, like you could leave your prep untouched and then just

meet in the hour you required to be at school anyway, so you could parent meetings, Time meetings

with your team, and anything that you needed really could get Don, because you had a whole

hour to get it done, And so I didn't really have to take much home if I used my time at

school wisely. You know, when I first got there, I was in the teacher's loud, hanging

out to chat, and then I was taking work home, but I was like, Yeah, I didn't come here

to take work on like

Nope,

I came here to have a balance, so I just started like, kind of like. I'm not saying. I never

talked in the teacher's lounge, but I was like Look, I'm going to grind this stuff out

and less I headed the game. I'm not really chit chatting because when I go home, I can chit

chat with you there like, but I can also do whatever else I want. I can

We

go

could

to

chit

the ball

chat over a burgher or

right

over a

A

nice

drink.

flap or something.

Yes,

You know what I mean like we ain't got to do it here.

right. So I just started working like that and so now I had hours of time, you know, Like,

let's say, it took me even a while to get home. I got home at three o'clock. I'm home at

three

Yeah,

in the United States. Kids are still looking at me at three o'clock. You know, So I'm

Hm,

At home and able to like. Oh, go run errands, Go do this. I could

White

go

man's

run

everything.

errands and still be done by five with all my

Yeah,

rrands, right. and still then go do something else if I wanted to. And so that was just

opening to me. So there was a balance. There was also an appreciation for my intelligence

and my like, what I knew and who I was as an educator, which for my soul was really good.

Like it was

M.

very affirm. because I was really questioning out. I started. I was like, I must not

be a good tea Because this is not working for me. What I knew. What I know now is what I

needed as a teacher was time to reflect, time to think and time to plan. and when given

that, I actually do a really good job, but when I don't have that, Yeah, I am actually a bad

teacher. I'll say that you know like

Okay,

that's not where I thrive. I need that time to kind of sit in, organize things and put it

together so that I can create a great experience for my students. But when given that

I do some awesome, I do some pretty hot ship. you know,

Yeah,

like, like You're like, That's a class room you want to be in And then I also had a teaching

assistant who came and

Wow,

helped me and I was like, Wait, So I have a teaching assistant. Have all these crops. I

have this time after school, this time before school. A class of sixteen, seventeen kids.

so I'm not overwhelmed

Wow,

with too many kids like there were so many things about it. Now the school I was at was

a hot mess Like who, but where I saw they were a mess. I'm very organized. They weren't

organized. so I just started stepping up and saying. Well, let me organize This. Let me do

this. You know. Oh, here's what I put together for that in that position, me to be competitive

for like leadership positions because they're like. Oh, this girl is good. She's really investing

Hm.

in us. This makes us look better. You know, I started a p to, and you know I ran the book.

What's that book thing? when

Like

they

the school,

come in

the book,

Book

Drive

fair?

far,

Book? there we go. Oh girl. I know that

Special heart, I love. That used to be my favorite time of the year When I tell you that's one of my own personal

goals is to be able to sponsor a book for Er, so the babies don't have to ask for no money Because my mom worked at

my school. My mom was a teacher and my mom was the kinder garden teacher at my elementary school. And yeah, horrible

Kinder.

experience. it was terrible. but I have a special place in my heart for teachers and I thought I wanted to be a teacher

for the longest because my grandma was also a teacher. so it was like this. Is it like Grandma? My mama? Like Okay,

I know where it is to a dance class, So I loved working with kids. So it was like this is for me. My mother was like.

Maybe not,

Yeah,

You're not likely to be able to do it the way you want to do it, Because she knew that I'm great with kids, But it's

like the lesson plans to showing up for this meeting doing this and Phil, so I appreciate my mom for like, put me

on game because I don't know that I would have been very happy in the The way that I know it happens here, But it

was so clutched because the book fair for us that my elementary school was on the first floor and it ended at her

door, so I got right up to that little desk and was like Hey Miss Church or Hey Miss Mela, Whoever was at the desk,

How much? hold on one second knock, my little hand on that door, Mama, I need forty two dollars and seventeen sent

should be like here's this. twenty. Then I'd

Yeah,

have to scale it back, but I definitely want to be. It's the sponsor of a book for little babies can walk away with

what they want or something and not have to you know, Worry about whether not somebody has the funds to give them.

It's a book like a child should never be denied a book. You know what I mean. I just really really want to be able to

do that at some point, but you ran the To and the book fair. please continue.

Ou know. just like created a duty schedule Was like. I just kept doing

Yeah,

things like I was like. Oh, we need this temple here you go like. And then that afforded

me with, like, Really opened the door for me to get into leadership. And so you know, I never

looked back. I love. leadership. Leadership was really what I think I was missing. Like when I

was an undergrad, Like I was a speaker of the black student union, I was in my sorority.

I was a minority peer adviser, So like in high school, I was president of the medical Aca, I

mean, and I was, you know, in the black awareness club and national ones decided So that's

always been me like that, leading like I remember when I walked out because I was like

a slow reader. I walked out of like reading. support like this is for stupid kids. I'm

not doing this and walked out like so very very early. I

Yeah,

was one to like, fight for what I wanted. what I needed to lead others, and I think

it was a piece I was missing in education of what I was actually getting burned out, as I

was actually mentally getting bored with that thing King and I needed. I needed the problem

solving of like dealing with people figuring out like, Oh, here, the organizational constraints.

What do we do now? How can we make this go? But we have all of these things or get this

like. I love that aspect, but doing it paring with like what I believe is good pedagogy

for students. What I know about special education To be in a train, special education teacher

Like that, Those things just really get me excited. So

Special. My grandma was a special at and my boy friends, Mom is, also, she was a special at Paris. She just retired. We're

done.

Okangrats.

But so living abroad you were able to travel abroad. What were those travel opportunities? Like Where you? Where did

you go? What was that experience?

My first trip was to the U. E, which wasn't far. So that was another thing like just moving.

You already got one country you know under your belt and then all the countries that are

near you. You can now go at an affordable rate. The amount that I spent to get to Srilanca

is what I would spend from Detroit to so like that. That was like a. like. How are these

the same? and so like, I went to the U. E Ty land. Then my mom came to visit me. We

went back to the U. because she wanted to go. We went to Greece and to Italy, and then I

went with some girl friends to Srilanca. Then I went to By rain to go see a friend's friend

performing, and by rain, Um, I went to. Where else did I go? I went to the. Oh, Then I

did some solo trips, which was really empowering and it's something I really encourage particularly

black women. But women in general, to do is to like, feel the empowerment and I do slow

traveling different than most people do. So like I am like a. I will stay in a hostile,

not because I'm cheap, but actually I feel safer in that space because there are people

who are kind of naturally looking at you and I am cheap. Let me not say that I am, but

that That's why I do hostiles, But then they also give you really cheap things to do like they

know

Yeah,

that most people who were saying a hospital don't want to spend a lot of money, but want

to have good experiences. So the things that they recommend at the front desk

Yeah,

are really budget friendly and good experiences. So I solo travel to England and then went

to did this. I went on a group on. I got a group on because girl I didn't know group.

I was in so many countries, so I got

Right

like England in a day for like half the price, and it was like a real half the price Because

when I was on the bus, Girl who said next to me was like, Is that a group was like proud.

She's

Right,

like, Oh man I was. he's like she's like.

right,

Can I ask you how

your

much

little

you pay?

eight forty sis, like

Yes, and that's

I went,

exactly. I paid

were

a hundred.

on the

She

same

paid

bush

two hundred, Eh,

wolf.

and she's like she said that. That was exactly what she said to me. We're on the same,

but I was like.

Yes,

So I did England and got to go to Stone Hedge, And that was just really

Nice,

like amazing. Like

wow,

things, kind of see you on T. V,

yeah,

and cartoons replicate

hm,

to see it Person. Um, I did Madrid, and then from Madrid, I went to a city called Toledo,

Because like I like to do like these, like offshoot day trip to, I really get the real

culture and not just do the tourist things. So I went there and that was really good,

And then I also went to Amsterdam, but then when I was in Amsterdam, I took a train over

Hm,

and went to Brussels, like,

nice,

literally, like a day trip. first train in one of the last trains out. You know,

Hm.

So I had like the time. I didn't even need to get a hotel. I just stayed at

Yeah,

my own

beautiful

the same place I was in, so that right there, just that Europe one got me a bunch of countries

in. And then you know I just kept going places like The more you travel, the more like

people are like. Oh, like, I didn't want to go to Srilanca, but these girls wanted to go

to, and I was like. Well, I got nobody to go with, So

Right the chick.

Srilanka,

The ticket

it is

ain't that expensive from here. Let's go like if I'mgonaspend a hundred dollars. I spend a hundred dollars

Right.

in Triana, as opposed to on something stupid.

Yeah, yeah,

So what

so

was the? So do? I don't know if it's Did they just have more time off Because I know you were done at like two o'clock,

But so does Was your vacation time Just more extensive being

Yeah,

overseas?

yeah, so I had a fall break, so a whole week off in the fall

Hm.

and then those are good travel time because it's off season as well then, and I'll just

do my school schedule down. I have a fall break now.

Hm.

I had three weeks for Christmas time.

God,

I'm talking to you now because I'm on another break.

Nice,

I have spring break, which has like an extra day or so added on to it, plus the other little

holidays that Get in there, so like very solid amounts of like real time off, Um, along with

sometimes because you're an international school, they expect you to do international

thing, So like if you're applying for a conference, you're going out like there's like.

I'm not really, probably doing the conference in a man. I'm doing the conference. Like

the conference I have coming up is in Guatemala. When you go visit a school to say like you're

going to be a part of an accreditation team. That's technically the U. S. but it's Rico,

and like I go to Porter, like this time next week I'll be sitting in Porto Rico, so like

Nice,

there's that, but there's also just like where you are. proximity, like places that would

have cost you more if you were leaving from the U. S. are now just more accessible to you.

So things

Absolutely

that, like I was in a tar and I was like, Oh, we have a long weekend. What I can do with

a long weekend already abroad is very different than

Yes,

what I can do on a long week end in Detroit. So like

Right,

we had a long weekend, we went to Turk. We

Yeah,

had another long weekend. I went to Oman, like you know, like those

Yeah,

are the things

I can drive

I was.

to D C for a nice little long week, and I could drive to Hartford for a cute little, you know, full day. come back

Sunday, but here you are in like Tamboolor, Here

Yes.

you are in like Budapest. You know what I mean.

Yes,

Just because you're right there, it just makes more sense. Your D C is like my D. C is your turkey

Another country.

right. So where are you located now?

I'm in the Cayman Islands.

Okay, So do they have? Like? Is there a summer? Because it's always summer, So like does That? Is

I

that

never

a

replied.

thing for international schools? Like?

Yeah, there's still a summer break And

Okay,

so you? still? you still have

Wow,

that, so we

So

will

you still

end school.

have like you're at least two months, maybe three months off for the summer, But then like a three week Christmas break

and a two week I am, she was in shockin. Wow,

It's not three. It's definitely not three months, and as an administrator

Okay,

mind is a little bit shorter teachers.

Hm,

it's about like seven weeks, administrators. it's five and students. it is like a full two

months for a student.

Oh, that is beautiful. So in terms of the opportunity to, because you mentioned, if you're an international teacher,

they want you to do international things. Where do you think the opportunity for teachers who decide to teach abroad

really lies? Is it more in being the teacher or more so in like where you are in administration?

I think it just depends on what you want. I think that either one is really like when

I was a teacher. I love that as well. you know what I mean, Like, my friend was a counsellor

and a college councillor, so she was going visiting the colleges or at international location.

So like a lot of it's what you make it. Also the caliber of school like my first school

was not going to be paying for me to go nowhere. But like all these schools after that definitely

were you know willing to invest when I was in China, You know, I had applied to go Um

and take participating the conference I wasn't presenting That was going to be in V.

Nd. It was like Oh yeah, that that. That's kind of what happens. Like you know your part

of these weginal conferences and you participate and that's where we get good learning and

you also show off your school by me attending and go when they see a black woman who

wears her, her natural. Who's at this school in China. It also opens to other people

that that's a possibility for them right that like I become like

Yeah,

a representation Of like access and equity and things like that as well.

Yeah, I'm familiar. I was that token black kid from a high school, So yeah, I, too, was on every like high school.

Shine When I tell you I did all the clubs all the activities. I was home Reb class president, like senior vice president, Like

I did all the stuff in high school, But then I got into college and was like I'm gonna show up. I hired of like

I gotten over that, So for me that was like a shift, but you mentioned china. So what was China like? Were you in

China? And because I know you know, conversation is coming next, but please

M.

let's

M.

let's let's tap dance on that one.

So I got the bright idea to move to China in the great year of twenty ninety,

Our Lord's year twenty nineteen.

Which it was amazing. I was like

Yeah,

this is great. I love it. I can't believe it. Look, my money goes so far. I can live off

a five hundred dollars for a whole month. Like

Wow,

where they do? Where do they

in

do

China.

that?

Go

Yeah,

figure.

it's

I didn't

so

know

cheap.

China was that expense in expensive. I don't know

Yep.

why I thought it was wild price

When

to

you

get

think

there.

of anything you bought that was cheap. Where did it come from?

I mean, yes, this is true. absolutely correct point

Also,

made, but

Yes, but geographically, it's only a little bit smaller than the Us. geographically, and

it has quite a range of toptopography

Yeah, topography. I get where

there

you're gonna,

with Thank you

because all I did was Shanghai for a day and it was great, but

And that's where I lived actually,

Okay

But you can, you can really like. so I remember, I would get breakfast for seventy two cents.

You know, like you like you know, I'm doing the conversion. You know, five. and so you

know you're taking the train and that's seventy two cents as well, So you can do a whole

lot and might do. I just told you, I, at breakfast took the train. I could come back.

Go get dinner for five, S. D, And so you tell out that was ten dollars.

Right,

Not even

barely

you

spent

know

ten dollars in a day.

right. So you really

Wow,

could? I live off a very little and that was really rewarding because I was like, Oh,

I'm actually getting paid more. Have a better position and I'm not spending as much.

So when you get

God.

paid, do you? I assume you're paid in American dollars? Does it go to like an min? How does that? Okay? So what does

that the payment look like when you're teaching abroad?

So there are a few schools that will. There are

Okay,

a few so, but most of the time your contracts are going to be quoted in their money with

a conversion and so like you're converting it. And so you get paid into a local. Typically

there are like I said, It's just like the U. S. Any rule you talk about is Well, if

you're in this state, is this

Got it

Yeah, so

regional

kind of very similar.

matters

Yeah, right, but for the most part, overwhelmingly you're going to get paid in the local

currency. Your contract is going Quota in the local currency and you're gonna have a

local bank. Now. Any good international school is going to have you either work with or

recommend banks that have international like relations, So

Fair?

very low transaction fees. if any, for like sending money when I was in China. Actually

you could. actually, they would pay into a Us. account. That was the only place it did

because it is quite difficult to get your money out of China if they don't do it for you, So

I would, you could actually aleck Each month what percentage you wanted and so like I, automatically

right off the top. Had thirty percent just go straight to my Us. account and then or

they ended up switching because I was like I got a bunch of money left over, so I switched

Yeah,

it, But you could have so much routed there and then so much to your local account because

you want to do business every day in that currency. you have to.

Right.

That is one of the things you first adjust to is like when I came to came, it was the sticker

shock of everything. like, Oh, this stuff is expensive. but eventually you just accept that

this is how much you Should or shouldn't pay here

Got

for

it.

something. And even in Cat was the same, it was like certain stuff was really expensive,

but the other things were really cheap. So

Yeah, Remember eating real well over there. I was just like. It's only like thirty dollars. I had like rack lamb. I

had like when I tell you, and it was it was room service food, so I always expect room service food to cost more, but

I think I spent like thirty dollars, thirty five dollars, and it was an extensive platter and a real good. but

Lam out there and like, I didn't realize how food like the same food, even if you're

at like the local dusty place. like not even

Yes,

room service, but

it's just

like

so much better.

Yeah, it's so much better and then certain things are better in certain places Like

It.

fed cheese in Greece

M.

was a whole new La. I didn't know fate like I love fate, but I like Feda cheese and grease

away more than I like fedacheese anywhere else in the world,

I am a cheese girl and I thought my world was rocked in Vermont, But now you've got me really wanting to do like international

cheese, And when I tell you my boy friend is Um, He and his family are well, they're mixed. Well, he's mixed, so

it just makes sense that they've just got more cultural diversity in their home in terms of food, like both my parents

black. So we just did American ship. we didn't

M.

make of food. You know what I mean.

M.

so as just I, I like so many things I just didn't know about and I'm not a picky eater, but I know that we like. I just

don't know what a lot of stuff is, so it's like we'll look at a menu and I always just be like. What do I want? just

because he has a really good gage of my palate and so he'll be like. Maybe not this one. You're goin like this.

Maybe asked him to do this source from the side because I know you really not a big fan of this, or in general this kind

of spice level is going to be past You. thrust your threshold. Let's not do this like I always ask. Is this an ethnic

spice or is this like American spice? That's my question when I go to restaurants when I ask about because I love wings.

I'm a bear and wings girl, So I will I bow the ibo with the server like baby ethnic or American, Where where is

the covil like? where are we at? And they, and that's a good Gage for me, so I know whether not give me the mild or

give me like the medium, but he has a better idea What everything is and I just know I'll try it, but I'll know what

it is or I won't remember that I've had it before. whatever. So you have absolutely now because I think where we're

doing Mexico the end of next month and now in my head I'm like I got to really plan something around cheese now like

I really want to go like on a many cheese tour Because it's something that I really enjoy, but I know I'll forget what

something is. He'll know what kinds of cheeses I like and you know, whichever ones I've tried, I didn't like in all

the other Jas, but baby, we're going on a cheese store. Now is happening?

Yeah, Especially there's all these different types of cases when you go there. So you

know checking out that it is amazing. But yeah, cheese and grease was a whole different.

I mean, fed of cheese and grease was really different. just like lamb in the Middle East,

To me, is really different. It's just these things. it just tastes better. The place is like

we do this. Like

Yeah,

If you go where it's kind of like when you go to a state house and you see your friend

order fish. You like

Or why?

we ad a state house.

why do you

You

trust

get

that?

staked.

Yeah,

Okay,

I always asked with the specialist. Just give

Yeah,

me your. when I travelled. That's one of the things that I learned. I've had some real wild looking plates. Um, I

think the first one was Spain. I stayed like an hour outside of Barcelona, and I pokitospano

Uh, uh.

And so I was like. I know what certain like. I know what piso. Um, like. I can figure out like Um, Piso is actually

floor, but like I can fit.

I was thinking that I was like my doo lingo taught me that.

Thank you for not going out so a floor.

Oh

but I know Piscato is that fish. Pscati,

Yes,

think fish. There we go.

yes,

so I'm like Okay.

and

I know.

polo is chicken because

Yep,

I

Those

got that this morning.

in carne is beef, so I'm like. I know what I know. What category this is what I'm getting, But then it was like

the little thing, so certain words I was able to pull together. But then when they started adding like well, this isn't

it. That's I said. Maybe what is your special? What are you good at? Just make me Because to your point, I never

want to go some place and ask for something that you're not used to making. I don't want to ask for something that is

not local to hear or natural here, because I want the freshest that you got, and I want the best prepared thing that

you can make, because I'm not trying to be sick, especially when I did a lot of my solo traveling. The last thing I wanted

to do is be sick by myself and then have the language barrier because this little this little cosmetic bag only has

matron my dough. like I profinbenar in gonna fix this, You know what I mean, Like It wasn't for everything, So that's

one of the things that I always made sure to just ask. What is your special? What do you do here? What are you good?

At same thing with? where was that place? Some place in Europe, not Austria. I don't remember what

M.

it was. I ate, but I just asked for the special. And what's like? What do the most people get here? Give me that it's

going to be safe. It's going o be safe.

I think that's a great advice because I've had some again. to your point, some of the

best, and that's actually, when I love the fat even more. Is that in Greece,

M

they have this dish where it's feta, and like a little skillet, And then they put honey

on top of the fete, which I never would have thought to, and then they put

We do, honey

sea.

and

Yeah, and then they put. I mean, now I know, but at the time I was like, I don't know

about this. Then they put sesame, toasted sesame seeds on top. Honey When I tell you, That

is one of the best dishes that has it, this mouth in my life I

Okay, Mental

like,

noting, we're going to try that.

and it has some special name, and it's like a very well known dish

Yeah,

in Greece, And it was that one and so like To your point, I do think trying the dish that

people are really really known for not only just expand your mind, because I feel like

you can also learn a lot of history. Like, if you actually talk to them about, Like the

Why

history

is this

of the

a thing?

dish, there's generally something around colonialism, development

M.

of country Work life. What was happening Because a lot of those dishes go really far back

and so like you Can also a lot of times get a little insight to the country and the culture

by finding out their popular dishes.

I like that and I feel like servers are always my favorite people to just chop ship with just kind of talk to, because they

will tell you different places to try places to avoid, and they part of their job is talking to you, so it's like they

have to be at this table for a good ten seconds, thirty seconds anyway, So it's like I have your attention. Why not ask

people like talking about themselves? What do you do over here? What do you like? What would you recommend? And I've

gotten some of the most incredible, just like real down to earth recommendations. I've made friends that way. Services

are my favorite people to always kind of like they're my favorite. I love asking service questions.

The other

tenders

group that,

all of it.

Yeah, bartenders servers all of that. The other ones I like if you've ever gone to Europe

and done the free walking tours because there's

Oh yeah.

quite a bit. Yeah, those people. I wait til all the other people lead. And you

Yep.

make sure you actually paid them because it's

Tip

free,

him

but

well

it ain't really free. Like

right.

So, if you sign up for a free walking tour, don't think you're not paying. you're bringing

money. but it's meant to be a tip and so bring at least twenty five dollars is my recommendation

wherever you're going, but but afterwards hang around. Chop it up. They are some really

authentic

Yeah,

people because those tours are always very real. They're like. Yeah, so we're not walk in

there because that's a waste of time and that like.

Hm.

but afterwards there like that's how I, when I was in Amsterdam, had recommended this boat

tour Because you know they have all those all the water and stuff

Yeah,

they're like, But this boat is called them dam boat Guys, And so, but Dam spelt like

you

D

know,

a

A Da.

m. Yeah,

Yeah, and so it was just, but they're like. it's B. B. So I was like check. I don't have

to

My

pay you

ally.

for that. It was really authentic. It was very much like when they're calling them Damn,

but guys, it's kind of like traveling ship like

Yep,

that's going to be the vive. You

you

get.

get what side We on?

Yes, and it was just like that, but it was super cool like I didn't want a stuffy tour.

I

Yeah,

wanted something like that and I probably wouldn't have found them had I not just been having

a real conversation with the free tour, you know

Yeah, So back to China in Covid, So when on twenty nineteen did you get? I assume you know, towards the, Did you

get to have a nice time in China before it wasn't a nice time in China,

Girl, I had. I had all of the fun like I

Beautiful,

was going to branch. I started a little event series. I have made

Nice,

friends like the black people knew who I was and I was new like you know, like I was

like. I literally. I got to China on like a Tuesday, and by Sunday I was at brunch with

my sorority sisters like it was

Beautiful,

that kind of vive.

beautiful.

It was like Yes, let's go.

Okay, So what was your covid experience like in China? Did they have that zero covid policy from Jump, Or was it? And

then? also, it was known to be problematic in China before we heard about it here in the States. So what was that?

What was that experience like for you?

So for me it was real interesting because I actually got trapped out of China while still working

in China because of all of their rules. So before I left China, I remember it was a lot

of people sick. Of course, nobody knew and

Yeah,

but they already kind of already deal with the flue quite a bit. so like I remember as

an mis, and actually everybody got this. You would get the attendance list in the attendance

list Would also tell you if anybody was in quarantine, And I remember the first day I

saw quarantine As like corn. What's this mean? and so like? They would have classes

isolating just from the flue, and then they would keep the windows open because it was

so crazy because I didn't know about Covid at the time right, but now I hear

When

all

was

of

this?

it Twenty nineteen.

No, I mean, like what time of year? This was like, January

This was

through

like

March. first quarter last

this

quarter.

was like December, like December, twenty

Okay,

nineteen

the end of

into

the year

January,

got

twenty

it

twenty, and so, but this was just like their practice. You could have gone.

Okay?

and if there was a lot, it didn't matter the month. If there were too many kids who were

catching the flue, they would put that class on quarantine. And so they would have to

play outside at a different time. They had to use the bathroom at a different time.

Interesting

More strict. like cleaning processes, like that room got clean. That bathroom Got cleaned

specifically

Just from the flu.

after just from the flue.

beautiful. Okay,

But you know they have dealt with saws, and these

Hm,

are all in the same family, so that was already procedure. but I remember somebody being

like this feels like more people than normal, and I was like, You know, I didn't know it

was my first

Yeah,

time there, and I was like I made this seem like a lot just because you've got two class

rooms that are quarante Like that's just weird. Um, and you already wore mask and things

a lot because of the air quality. So like there are certain things Already kind of a part

of their normal That lended it so to like what became a reality checking a shock for like

the rest of the world, those, some of those things were like typical Tuesdays in China

To.

Yeah,

so when I left, I remember being on the train because we were on Chinese New Year and this

is really how the world to me really got. it is that Chinese New Year happened a few

months after

Got it. That makes

the first

sense.

case. Like

That makes sense.

so this, But my theory. Now I know scientists. So you all take this with a pound of salt.

So you have Chinese New Year happen, and you have experts who are not just traveling

to like like China. A lot of them are traveling within, trying to into like neighboring

countries, Viandcaree, Japan, Other places that celebrate the lunar New Year, and who

are also off for a considerable amount of time, Because this is a big deal, But then experts

who are there and wanting to go all types of places. So

Yeah,

I was Australia, you know, Um, and people were going all times of places. I really think

this is how it really so quickly got all around the world and wasn't

Yeah,

try, because I think had it even happened. Had the outbreak really happened like a few

weeks after China, New Ear? It? actually, I don't think would have been a global thing,

Yeah,

but it

so

didn't

many people traveling coming in and out for celebrations, seeing family, seeing friends just coming to China to see coming

to like

Hm.

that would be an incredible freaking experience. Can you well? I'm thinking like just little New year in actual China,

Like chum down

Right

down here and be bustling. They be having a good time, so it's like imagine that mother land for them. Come on,

Right. So you have all of that happening. So I'm in Australia, visiting my cousin and

I was like. I remember, My cousin is like you see. This is like she, like you're going

back. I'm like well, eventually, and now in my mind, cause I'm all all these chats. Some of the

people have been there when the cars outbreak happened.

Okay,

And so I'm thinking it's going to be like Sars, or it will be on shut down because he,

like, my flight back to China actually got canceled. So that's actually part of how I

got Trapped out Is like air lines are like. Yeah, Now were

Yeah,

not flying there. You know. Um, there were still a couple. So like my friend who was traveling

with Re, routed and went back. so she's still in China, but I was like If air lines are

telling me they're not going,

Maybe

Maybe

a

I shouldn't go.

yeah,

so then because we still travel to the Philippine, and I still, I would never forget the

after leaving Australia and landing in the Philippines, and when you get in your passport

when you've been to China, as a lie as a visa, It's a whole page.

Yeah,

and it's no way you don't know

yeah,

that she was in China, and I remember that people looking at my passport,

Hm,

You know, look at me like I'm Ray and I'm like Now I've been going for more than fourteen

days and you know all of the things at at that point I've been like twenty one days or

something like that, And so when I was leaving, I actually went back to guitar, but now

I'm trying to get back. I'm like Okay. Actually, China is kind of calming down because

I had a lot of rules and restrictions where you couldn't go anywhere, you couldn't. All

the things I was like, Let me get back there because the rest of the world this is starting

to look crazy. I don't try to get back to China, but China still has the like, not China,

but like air lines. Like now, you can't transit through so like you couldn't transit through

tight land unless you had a negative Covid test within a certain amount of time. But Covid

test weren't rapid at that time like they weren't a whole bunch of them. So I was in guitar

because I was like. Do you have Covid? Do you think you have it? We're not wasting a

test on you, traveler who don't who's not even a resident here anymore to take a test.

So basically I had to like you know, like, just to

Right,

get some results. and then you had to have a hundred thousand dollars worth of travel insurance

that would cover you for

Remember

having

that

Covid. Yeah, so I at one point had three tickets trying to get back to China and couldn't

take any of them.

Damn

Yeah, it was just whether it was like we're not doing transit or not doing. it was just

each country had a different set of rules and I ended up by time like I was like. Okay. I

think I figured out a solution. China. close the borders, and

Shit

like was like, if you're not Chinese, you're not getting in. We're not

Right,

taking people like. And so my job ended up letting me go, And that was a pretty devastating

thing because

Damn,

you heard how I was talking about my life. I was like, Oh, I'm

Yeah,

living like this

damn

is great. That was hard at, mind you, at the same time like I'm still working in China,

Though, so like they just cancel my job for the next year, So I'm waking up at like five

o'clock in the morning to work ever Morning to deal with my teachers. talking about

a dream. How is this happening? What is the rule for this and like having to help playing like

safety protocols? And you know figuring out? Okay, Yes, if the teachers enter this way,

they can go through this camera that will take a picture of their temperature as they're

walking through. Like so, I knew a lot about what the restrictions were like. You had to

have negative covid test. You have to take so many covidtests so often you had to get a

Q. R code. that verified that you haven't travelled anywhere And everywhere you were entering.

Excite. you're showing R. Cos, But I'm doing all this from you know, Kata, because I

couldn't literally couldn't get back into China.

M.

It wasn't until I think End of twenty twenty two that they just like lifted,

Yeah,

like

we

people

opened the

being

borders.

able to travel, opening the borders, and they did that like ear like it was in March

of twenty twenty that they did that. So

How

you're

did you

come

get

up.

your stuff?

I had to have it packed up by somebody on video like that was. It's like moments like

that like I don't like to use like you know, I feel like I was. I was dramatized, but

like I didn't realize until like later when I was getting over the trauma of how I lost my

job. How everything, which is kind, it felt like everything just got ripped from me, you

Yeah,

know what I mean, and ended up in coat after that and I was like, Oh yeah, I should have

done that, but like one video chat like, Oh yeah, I want this. Can you send this first

so I can get it quickly and it was like To make it affordable. I had to get everything

by boat, which took like three months to get the stuff.

Hello,

Yeah, and it was just like it was devastating, you know, like I had literally gone from

a high of like my work had paid for me to do recruitment and tight land, and while I

was there, I got recruited to be on this like international women's like you know thing,

That was like a selective group of women, and to go from that to a month later, finding

out like The whole world was upside down to a few months later losing my job and mind

you, an international, if you're international educator, If I'm looking for a job now,

I'm late now. and this

Yeah,

is we're recording in February. I didn't lose my job till June, so am looking for a job as an

administrator. As an administrator. They start posting some administrator job more than a year before

the next school

Wow,

year, So like the August before the next school year, they're already posting like People

who, as administrators in September knew where they were going for the next year,

Wow,

and I'm trying to look for a job during Covid in June. It just was.

With that Chinese visa

Yeah.

in your passport, so they just like. Is it worth it? even? should

Yeah,

we risk it? Even if you've had that much time passed. I can still imagine that being a little taboo for some people

to want to kind of tap dance with that. just because a lot of things we didn't know in the beginning

Yep.

of Covid,

yep.

my God, so did you? When you said you still had to work, Did you end up having? Did you know that you weren't being

renewed the next year and then still had to work through the contract or did they Let you go in June, And that was just

like the end of the school year and it was just like Hey, thanks, but no, thanks further.

Yeah, it was like, Yeah, you're not. They took our bones. So like anybody who wasn't there

like normally, you get like a month pay of bonus. I got like five hundred dollars. That's

a astronomical difference. They told you in June, and then it was just like. Oh yeah, so

you're not coming back next year And I'm like it would have been like if you were going

to let me go. I wish you had let me go when like, Because they were like ways, so they

were like three waves. There were Waves of people who, like I had people who got let

go. We found out about Ovid. End of January That was gone by. Like in February was like

all right. So that happened in to some degree. I'm very happy that that didn't happen. There

are some people who like they're like. Yeah, you can work to the end of this year, but

we're not going to fool around with this. U. not coming back. Um, And then there were

a set of schools who did what my school did is. I think they were holding out to see if

they could get us back Now. Had they waited another month to let us Like to let us go,

they actually would have found out that they could have started to get us back by like

through a special visa request and all of these things, but it was possible, but that

once they let us go, I was like, yeah,

Yeah, we

sorry,

don't have to worry about it anymore. We'll just hire somebody internally. We'll just keep it in house, since we don't

have to worry about all that navigating special visas. The extra testing and she's like, I can tell you you're here

right now.

Yeah,

I'm sorry about that. That really fucking blows man,

Yeah,

But before we ended up here for three hours, what was? I know? You ended up paying a lot of debt off in this experience

of traveling abroad. I definitely wanted to touch on that. What? how did you make that happen? And how much did you

pay?

So all together was about twenty thousand dollars. Now that includes like student loans.

Like clear, all of my student loans I owe some money to had credit cars that I owed a little

bit of like it was all these little things, and so a lot of it. I started that first

year when I was traveling to twelve countries and I remember my mom going. You need to

sit out like you don't need to be going to all these places you need to be there for

Uh? Yeah,

for the you know

heard

to get your money together.

a couple of times myself. Yeah,

Yeah, and I was like my. I can't. There was no way I was going to when I first moved to

Catar, Be able to survive and not travel Like traveling is what was making it worth it

to me like you know, like being able to know. In this next break, I'm going to go to Greece

and Italy with my mama. All this next break I'm going to go to stream lock and go to

a tea plantation and write an elephant, which now I don't condone like, I know that's all

bad elephants,

Girl,

but

saying my experience

I,

and I was just like. I get why this is not a thing we should do this. Don't

Yeah,

feel good.

it does not.

I get it.

It does not, but I was like I'm doing it

M.

like

yeah,

you know, just like say, like I went to Tiland, and you know, like rot like that made

all the drama all the like stuff at work worth it. but I was also still like slowly saving.

So like because your housing is covered. Often your transportation is covered or really cheap,

and eating is like a kind Lower cost. You really don't have that much or really spending

your money on every month, so let's let's even say you're getting paid on the low in thirty

five hundred, you know a month, and that's actually kind of a lower amount. What are

you spending that really on? Let's even say you spend a thousand dollars on all of the

other things. You still have this good amount of money that's left to then. Like I said

I would travel, I would still go to branches and the branches were like hundred dollar

branches. I didn't care. You know, I would do that,

Hm,

but that was a hundred dollars out of a month because I didn't. I wasn't going

Right.

some people when every week I was like, Yeah, every week person.

I

I'm

got

like.

a hundred, but not fo hundred.

Yeah.

I'll go away. I'll see you this Sunday, not

Yeah,

the next Sunday.

So you still have a good amount that, even if like, by the time you pay for groceries

and all of that stuff that you can set aside, so I was like, Well, I committed to myself

to about a thousand dollars a month Was going to go towards those type of things right. So

you think about a thousand dollars a month, three, three years. That's thirty six thousand

dollars of things that I can clear, So I didn't use thirty six thousand dollars. I paid

off about twenty

Right.

because that's what I needed, but I even contacted my student loan company and said I, I knew

I wanted to be done with my student loans by time my contract was over,

Yeah,

so I was like How much do I have to pay Because I didn't understand all the ammeturization

and all of that

Yeah,

stuff

neither

of

do I.

You re out and put it in writing for me, Because that was the other thing. I was like.

You're gonna write this down and

Yep,

this is what? So when it's

I

something

may not

different,

understand this, but maybe I do understand some things

Yes,

you can write that. Take that up. thank

Yeah,

you.

so they gave me a whole thing about. Like if I did, I think it was like four hundred

thirty six dollars a month. I would be able to pay it off by the date I wanted, so I just

sent them a smooth five hundred

Wow.

dollars every month

okay,

and ended up. I remember paying that off and then at the same time I did this And things

for my car. I contacted my car. Like how much do I need to pay Every month? paid that

off first, then paid off all my student loan. I think the very first thing I actually

did was my credit cards because the lust weren't high. Vile are like two thousand dollars,

so like, I kind of like put a little to all the other things. Like I kept whatever I

was doing in the U. S. for one thing and then was like heavy on one, so like Okay, let

me spend five hundred dollars a month on these credit cars. That was like, like I said, like

two, maybe three thousand dollars paid those off in just a few months. Okay, well, we're

spending five hundred there. Let's shift that to this.

Yeah,

pay that off shift. And you know, like and still like, I was like Okay at the end of

the month. I still have a little bit extra. Sometimes I would send a little bit extra

to pay something also, and I tell people, in three years I went to twenty countries

and paid off twenty thousand dollars a day, you know like

Well,

so

well, so while living abroad, how do Europe bills that you acquired back in the States. like? like, I assume they still

want that money on whatever

They?

day.

surely they

Yeah,

surely

you could

do.

be getting paid into blooms, but they want those dollars on

Yes,

the day that they mailed they said thirteen.

So one thing, one thing that was really helpful living abroad as most places abroad,

I don't know too many schools that don't they pay monthly, And I didn't realize that that actually

helped me be a better budget, or because I was like, Oh, because like every two weeks you can't

pay all like you can't pay everything off in two weeks and they still live them two

weeks, so you have to kind of like I'm gonna pay this one off on this, and then when you

get your whole salary in a month, it's like Okay, let me hit all this stuff off right

off the top. Here's your money. here's your

Yeah,

money. here's

and

your

then

money

you

here.

see exactly what you have left from your pay.

Right And so part of what I hit off right off the top was I sent my money back to the U.

S. and In guitar it cost nothing to send my money back home, so right off the top, here's

a thousand dollars. It was going back to the U. S. This much, stayed in my account.

This much. I knew I was going to put towards where I was going next. you know

Yeah,

like that. That

yeah,

was kind of my mentality. And so I just made sure that money was in the account, but then

I started I, actually, while I was abroad, I also worked with a financial planner who

helped me really

Wow,

accountable about like How I was spending my money. What I was investing in what I wasn't

investing in. Actually, I literally just called him up a few weeks ago. We just met for

the first time last week cause I was like. So the war was in cheap. Um,

Right, we

we

need

go

to readjust

need to.

some things.

Yeah, we need go need to work together again. And so we're working together again And

you know I can see like like he, you know, like I feel like I was like. I know that I

spent money on you to tell me things I probably already know

Yeah,

Ready, but I do much better if I, just if I give you this much every month,

Hm.

I actually see yields of thousands of dollars myself.

Wow,

So

wow,

that was also something that was helpful along that journey Is having somebody to talk

through where I was struggling and who understood like I even told him self. The last time we

talked I said. I know I sound like I'm making up excuses, but this is my reality that

I'm living.

Right.

and so he's like. Okay, Well, you know, followed up with an email here. Your O book for

the next time we meet. And what I hate more than anything is showing up to a meeting

and somebody being like. Did you work on what you supposed to, and I have to completely

say no. No. I'm okay if I didn't do everything on your list

Okay,

right right? okay? I got this. Yeah,

Let me

get

show

to

you

that

where

one.

I did shine though,

Yes, but I'm not gonna come to no meeting with nobody and didn't do nothing like

Yeah,

we're meeting and I've done zero things now.

Right,

So

I'm I'm wasting my money and I'm wasting your time.

Yeah, so that was also another thing and it was helpful.

Okay, so this has been such an interview. Thank you so much like you are so easy to talk to. Everything makes sense.

Where can the people find you? Because I know that you do offer services in terms of helping people achieve the

goals that they have in terms of teaching abroad and making the most of their teaching a broad experience. So where

can we find you? What do you specialize in? What do you have coming soon? so that the people know, Because travel

is so much more than vacation as we have spent the last Of this conversation discussing and it's been a great discussion

at that, so thank you again, Adrian. But where can we find you and what do you specialize in So that after all these

cones, after all this conversation when the people hit you up, what are we? Where are we really asking you?

Yeah, so the best way to find me is on my website, which is in the middle of a revamp,

so I'm really excited. all this. So world wide educator, Dot, or so, you can find me

on Instagram, where there's quite a bit of content as well. particularly if you're international.

You're interested in international education. There's quite a few guides that you can get that'll

help you through that process, telling you about schools And that's at Worldwide Educator on

Instagram And then I'm on Twitter. but not really. you know. kind of like fake Twitter.

I'm goin, Facebook, but not really like. Those are the best and linked in. A lot of people

will contact me on Linked in a Jean Waller on Linked In and then some of the things that

I do to support people. Some of it is with people who want to go international and walking

you through and guiding you through. What does that look like? Who are the recruiters?

What are the real recruiters that are going to really help you and which ones might be good

to have on the cause. They don't cost no money. but maybe aren't gonna be. You know, helping

you that much. I talked to people all through that. How to prepare for a job Are what

their? So they need to look like, So I do resume coaching interview coaching. But I

had a couple of people who are like This was a great experience when you help my friend

in this industry, and at first I was like Yeah, I'm a teacher. I just know that what I

learned is I'm a good teacher And so like teaching you how to do your resume. teaching you

how to interview has helped people in a multitude of industry. So I've helped people from

engineering to cybersecurity to marketing, Because it's really about how do you present yourself

in the interview. That so those are some of the key things, But there's a few other

courses and things that I'm going to be offering that are coming down the pipe line,

so stay, keep following me. and one that I really enjoy is If you get on my mainly list,

I host these things called Co working sessions where for two hours I open a zoom and its

people from all over the world, getting on just getting stuff done and like the mount.

A positive fee back I've gotten from people about being a part of that experience has

been really. Really. I've loved it so

So in terms of who the perfect person to work with you is, is this someone that is already an accredited teacher,

or is this someone that is looking to like for myself? Like if I'm like, Oh, wow, this really sounds like a great opportunity.

But that ain't what my degree is. In What? who is the perfect candidate for you Like who should realistically expect

to be best served

Best serve would definitely be somebody who's a certified teacher. but I've worked with people

who aren't you know who are like, Hey, I'm interested in like they're like, But I think

I might want to do teaching teaching and so like, I've sent people different university things

that they can look into like. Hear some tracks to the universities that you know are

affordable That you might want to do. Hear something in between, A tough that they're offering

for twenty dollars That you can do that will make you competitive like I'll help even

with that, but like, I mean, who I am at my core is a serf, If I teacher, and so certified

teachers. I really really help. but I've helped others like Just a lot of that jury who

are like. I've not certified, but I'm interested because there's some countries that don't

care about that like you know, or have their own programs like Japan, They will get you

on track. Italy will get you in tract. So there's there's

Their

all these

options.

different things, So like If you're just thinking I want to go abroad and teach and you

know that's what you want to do, let's chat.

Beautiful, absolutely beautiful, and that is the perfect conclusion to this incredible conversation. Adrian again, thank

you so much travellers. The information is here. Please reach out. Obviously information in the description box, Adrian's

link for her website will be there, and hopefully she'll E able to help you, or you'll be able to help you after this

conversation and figure out where it is. You want to be all right. Also focus next week.