Introduction

Hey guys.. this is my introductory blog post to get everyone up-to-date regarding my trip, what I have done for it, and what I still need to do. It's gonna be a long one.

Background:

OK- So for the past year, while finishing my degree at Ithaca College, I have been planning for and applying to grad schools to get my M. Arch. I (Pre-professional Master in Architecture) degree. I applied to Cornell, Syracuse U, NJIT, Tulane U, Pratt, and RISD. First choice was Cornell- didn't get in. Second choices were Syracuse and RISD- got into Syracuse. Syracuse is rated as the second best architecture school in the US (Cornell is first of course), so I visited a few times and decided to send in my deposit.

Eventually it was finals week of my last sester, then senior week, and finally graduation day. It never phased me that I was actually going to have to start "growing up" until my roommates all started moving out of our apartment. It sucked, to say the least.

Andre, a grad student that moved into our apartment around the time of graduation, later told me stories of his experience teaching English as a foreign language in Thailand. It sounded awesome. He said it was the best experience of his life. And here I was, never having studied abroad, with my $450 deposit paid to SU for a degree that will take 3.5 years to complete (and another 3 years of interning before I can actually get my licence to practice architecture). After letting it sit in my head for a few days, I decided to call SU just to see if it was even a possibility for me to defer my admission to take a gap year. And it was!

So next, I called my parents just to see what they thought, hypothetically, of me deferring from grad school for one year to teach English abroad. My Dad loved the idea. My mom, not so much. I began investigating further, and a couple weeks later, after MUCH ambivalence, I finally decided to teach English in Greece! Then I found out it's very difficult for Americans who are not part of the EU (European Union) to find teaching jobs in Europe. So I turned my attention to Costa Rica!! But after bouncing that idea around, I realized that Costa Rica was sort of a "safe" decision and would be a more appropriate vacation destination. Finally, I became interested to Southeast Asia. Thailand became my top choice after finding out that The Beach and the boat-chase scene from James Bond were filmed there. But, of course, after researching further, I found that Thailand isn't exactly the most stable country in the world right now. It's safe for the most part, but some parts even have curfews right now, so why risk it.... when I can just go to VIETNAM! So that's how I chose my location. Vietnam is WARM unlike Ithaca, it's very culturally diverse, the food is supposed to be amazing, it's extremely cheap to live, it's safe, and they are in desperate need of English teachers.

So, real quick, this is how it will work. I'll be taking a month-long course in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam with a nonprofit organization, TEFL International, to get my "TEFL degree." TEFL stands for Teaching English as a Foreign Language. TEFL International will help me make a resume, apply for jobs, prepare me for my interviews, and help me negotiate a contract with my employer. While it is most likely that I'll end up teaching in one of the two big cities in Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh City or Hanoi), it's possible that I may teach anywhere in Vietnam. I also have the option of leaving Vietnam to teach after my course if I decide to for whatever reason- the TEFL degree, which is a prerequisite to most English teaching jobs, is recognized mostly anywhere in the world. For more information on my program, go to: www.tefllife.com. 

PS- Ho Chi Minh City was previously "Saigon."

My "Pre-Vietnam To-Do List" Bolded items I still need to do.
(Feel free to suggest additions.)

1. Get a passport
2. Get a visa
3. Get all required documents to obtain work in Vietnam including: high school transcripts, college transcripts, college diploma (second copy), criminal background check, and birth certificate
4. Get Hepatitis B and Typhoid shots
5. Get a check-up at the doctor
6. Get teeth cleaned
7. Get eyes checked
8. Get one year's worth of contact lenses 
9. Further investigate the seriousness of Malaria in Vietnam and decide whether to take anti-Malaria medicine
10. Pay the TEFL International course deposit
11. Make a medical kit
12. Buy one year's worth of sunscreen and bug spray 
13. Get traveler's insurance from AAA
14. Make sure my health insurance covers me while I am abroad (With Obama's new law, we're all covered under our parent's plan till we're 26, woo!!!)
15. Figure out my cell phone situation while traveling and while abroad
16. Deal with my student loans
17. Notify my bank that I will be abroad so my account is not frozen
18. Buy a plane ticket to Ho Chi Minh City from NYC at least 3 days before the course begins on August 9.
19. Say goodbye to as many family members/ friends as possible
20. Pack!


I have a lot to do...