It's Official

While this blog's inception was due to my upcoming trip to South East Asia, before I leave I am spending 5 days alone in San Francisco. Therefore, I felt that this trip is a good place to start my story of the long distance traveler.

I have been interested in teaching in the inner city for a long time now, however violence and administrative backing have always been the two issues of contention. I found this program called the Oakland City Teaching Corps. I like this program because it takes away the major issues that I worry about with teaching in the innercity. First, they are attempting to rectify the tremendous academic lag by creating whats called the small school movement. They are taking a school that innitially had 600 students in a graduating class for example, and splitting it into three and housing them in three completely different buildings. I have been speaking to a few of the teachers already teaching in Oakland and they said its been incredibly effective in cutting down the violence. This works because a smaller number of teachers are seeing a smaller number of students and even within a few weeks, are getting to know all the students in the school. Therefore it is harder for a student to "get away with something". Second, the fact that the teaching corp program is in existence means that they want to change what they are doing and try to make a difference. Administrative backup in a program like this does not seem to be a big problem.


So I decided to apply. Two weeks later I recieved an email saying that I got the interview. It's a group and individual interview, where I'm flying out there to participate in at the end of February. I somehow found plane tickets for $169, I'm staying in a hostel for about $100 and I'm "renting a wreck" for about $135. How amazing is a trip for 5 days to the bay area from Albany around $400. I spoke with one of the teachers who were there, and while she has mixed feelings and says "its the hardest job she has ever had to do", she is planning on returning next year and seems to enjoy it. She constantly described the experience as exciting. She like me is a little white girl born in the suburbs with a silver spoon in her mouth, but wanted to do something different. That's exactly how I feel. I probably could get a job at Shen or in one of the surrounding areas if I really wanted to, but I really wanna try this. I really wanna see if I can make a difference.

So in about 3 weeks I head off to California on my own to check out my potential future.

Oh, and if Oakland doesn't work out, I'm looking into the UK, as they have a current shortage of teachers, or North/South Carolina. Either way, I'm ready for whatever comes next!!

Another blog?

As I embark on yet another travel, I opted to jump on the blogspot train. This way more people(including family friends and relatives) can access it and comment, and it gives me something new to focus on!

I am traveling to South East Asia to be a volunteer English teacher. March 3rd I will go to Nongkhai, Thailand for four weeks. March 31st, I will then travel to Nha Trang. Finally(and tentatively), I will spend about 5 days in Camobida. With the exception of Cambodia, I am going on my trip through Travel-to-Teach. More about the details in later blogs.

The title of my blog is not sad, but a play on the book The Lonlieness of a Long Distance Runner, as I assume most of you put together without me having to spell it out for you. I just wanted to reinforce that it is not meant to mean that I am a refugee or friendless. I am choosing to fly solo(literally) to South East Asia for a few months for many reasons. First, I love to travel and learn about new cultures and traditions. I think its interesting that we(as groups) squabble over enthnicities, races, religions, property etc. yet, when you live among a culture you find that the core to every person, place or culture is very similar, if only everyone would take the time to discover it. However, if I were to travel with someone else, I would not be able to fully experience the native culture, as I would be constantly thrust into the culture I share with that person. Second, I would like to strengthen my content knowledge. While its not terribly strong to begin with, I do have a good handle on "westernized cultures" such as the U.S., Europe, and Australia. I do not have a strong understanding of the rest of the world, so I would like to change that. What better way to learn about a culture then to live within it? While this is an exciting endeavor for me, I'm sure most of my friends save some Social Studies folk would care to look at a trip to a "paradise" location quite like me. Third, I have been working towards a goal my entire life, to finish school. After high school came college, and then right onto grad school. While I did make the most of my time I still never did anything just for me. Well, this is for me. I also do not have any relationship, house, or further education tying me anywhere, so this is the ideal time to go. While I liked being in a relationship, I often felt trapped, especially knowing my boyfriend was not interested in traveling. I promised myself that if we ever broke up I would travel as much as I can, so when I enter a new relationship, I can feel like I did what I wanted and went where I wanted. Fourth, and finally, although I hate to admit it, most things I do are out of convenience or to stifle anxiety/fear. Yes, I went bymyself to Disney, but that was to avoid a terrible living situation. Yes, I studied abroad in Australia but I went with my bestfriend by my side. I have done things that others would say took courage, but if you looked at my reasonings for going, I fear that it wasn't as couragous as it seemed. Going to South East Asia for a few months scares the crap out of me, it really does. Yet, I need to overcome that anxiety, and face it head on. I do wanna go. I'm excited to go. I am enjoying doing research. I really am looking forward to going to a tropical location, with a purpose, and not having to worry about making plans, and doing work I don't want to. I can do what I want, when I want it. I'm looking forward to the solace and the lonlieness of my travels.