The Rest of the Story

I'm back from my trip to Mexico. I now have a better perspective on what it would take to teach English there. Basically, I wouldn't make that much money - maybe $5 per hour, which would be just enough to get by - & every school I talked to seems to want me to commit to at least a year.

So now I'm actively investigating Vietnam. I can make four times as much there as I can in Mexico, & the cost of living is significantly less in Vietnam than in Mexico. Also, it would be an interesting challenge to live in Asia, since I haven't been there as an adult. I lived in Thailand as a kid, so I know a little bit about the culture in that part of the world. I'm sure that it has changed in the last 30 years, but I imagine that the changes are mostly cosmetic. The infrastructure is probably better, & contact with American travelers is probably greater, but the basic culture is most likely the same. Besides, I'm pretty familiar with Mexico, especially the language, so Vietnam would definitely be a departure from the norm, which is what I'm looking for.

I'm thinking of spending six months in Vietnam teaching English, & saving up some cash. Then, I have travel plans with my friend Charlene in Buenos Aires in November. While I'm there, I'll investigate the job market. If I find something good, I'll stay in Argentina for another six months or so. If not, I'll head to Cuernavaca & try to work there. Of course things could change in the meantime, but that's the rough outline, anyway.