Working Abroad


Overseas work is something that I tried out on a whim when I was graduating from college. I had never pictured spending my life working abroad. I had pretty conventional dreams actually. Although I talked a pretty counterculture talk, in the long run I intended to settle down. I wanted a wife, dog, three kids, and a white picket fence. I would build a wooden deck in the backyard and host barbecue parties.

Working abroad was a way to put this off for a few years. I was actually in a volunteer abroad program. They gave me a small living stipend, with room and board in exchange for international human rights work. It was a really rewarding program. Until you have seen how the other half live, you can't possibly understand this world. My work abroad really taught me the startling inequalities that exist, and the need to establish a more just and equitable world.

The weird thing was how addictive the whole experience was. Once you get a taste for working abroad, sometimes it never goes away. When I started my work abroad, I was surprised at how many older people were on the same volunteer program that I was. Literally half of us were over the age of 40, and about 10 people in a program of 60 were over the age of 55. Soon, however, I understood why. There is a thrill in traveling that is beyond anything else in the world.

When I was working abroad, I was living in quite spartan accommodations in a village in the middle of Africa. There are plenty of other work abroad programs, however. One of the more popular ways to travel and live abroad is to teach English as a second language. There are many countries that will hire you to teach ESL classes abroad with few qualifications. This can be a great way to spend a few years checking out the world and deciding what you want to do.

Just be aware that working abroad is not for people who can't stand to make sacrifices. Unless you are a CEO working for a professional company, you will have to face all the travails that a foreigner faces working abroad. You'll meet people who don't speak your language, occasionally be discriminated against, and frequently feel disoriented. Nonetheless, it is worth it in the long run. You will have the adventure of a lifetime.