Addie's Blog

Oh, man. It's been a minute since I've written a blog post. Well, not a minute. But you know what I mean... 

By now, the cat’s out of the bag— I’m home in Maine! For good. For now… ha! I’m glad, though. I miss my students and all the wonderful people I met in Thailand, of course, but I’m happy to be home.

Teaching, as a profession, is never a walk in the park. Add in a language barrier and communication conflicts and that'll kick things up a notch. Welcome to teaching in Thailand. Read on to find out what life is really like as a full-time teacher here.

I've never been someone who shared medical things with the internet world. I guess that's where I sort of drew the line. If something serious happened, I only wanted my family and close friends knowing— I didn't need Joe Smith from biology class sophomore year reading about me on Facebook. I surely didn't need, let alone want, the sad-faced emojis or the pity comments. I really didn't. 

"Do you like China or Thailand better?" I get this question from family and friends a lot. It's tough to write an answer fit for a text message. There are pros and cons to both— highs and lows I've felt living in each country. Let's explore some of them here, shall we? 

It’s hard to believe my time as a laowai (foreigner) in China has come to an end. What an incredible time it has been. From experiencing the rich, unique culture to teaching 1,200 young Chinese students every week, I'm so thankful for these experiences. I wouldn’t have traded my time here for anything else.