Reach to Teach Blog Carnival: February 2015

This month I'm hosting the Reach To Teach Teach Abroad Blog Carnival, a monthly series that focuses on providing helpful tips and advice to ESL teachers around the globe. This month's topic is: "At what moment did you finally start to feel like you were at "home" during your time living abroad?"

Check out the responses from teachers around the world. If you’d like to contribute to next month’s Blog Carnival, please get in touch with Dean at dean@reachtoteachrecruiting.com, and he'll let you know how you can start participating!

Abigail Nedeau-Owen

Link: February 2015 Reach to Teach Blog Carnival: Feeling at Home when Abroad

Description: Four main, personal moments of feeling at home when living and teaching English in South Korea and lots of reminiscing about those good time.

Bio: Abigail prefers walking to motorized vehicles and likes the idea of slow travel, getting to know a place by building up a routine that absorbs the new culture. Her interests include illustration, editing (film and writing), reviews, boston terriers, artist books, and iPhonography. You can find her blog at Bodging for Apples II.

Dean Barnes  

Link:  February 2015 Reach to Teach Blog Carnival: Feeling at Home While Abroad

Description: I knew from the beginning that it wasn't going to be an easy year living abroad and one of the biggest challenges was going to be homesickness. But it was something that I just knew that I not only wanted, but needed to do for myself.

Bio: My name is Dean, I have been traveling for around 4 years now with a small stint back in my home country. I’m from the UK and I began my teaching career on the island of Bali. I then made the move to Taiwan where I currently reside. Here I have the joy to fulfill my passion for writing by providing ESL/travel related articles to the Reach To Teach website.

Holly Beddome

Link:  February 2015 Reach to Teach Blog Carnival: At Home Around the World

Description: One of the biggest challenges long-term travelers might face is the struggle to feel at home in a new city or country. Throw in a new language, alphabet, culture and workplace environment and the move to teach English in Korea can seem rather daunting! Feeling like I'd found 'home' didn't occur in one eureka moment, but rather over a process of several months. Now, I'm happy to call Korea home, and encourage others to come see what makes this country so unique for themselves!

Bio: Holly was bitten by the travel bug in her early teens and has long since rejected the idea of spending her entire life in Canada! She loves to read good books, flail about on the dance floor, and form new friendships. She documents cityscapes and the natural world around her through the lens of a camera. Having volunteered in Honduras, backpacked around Southeast Asia and studied in Australia in the past, she now calls Seoul home for the next year. Her plans: eat ALL of the kimchi, hike ALL of the mountains, form incredible memories and friendships, and hopefully have a positive impact on her students’ lives!  

Jamie Phillips    

Link: February 2015 Reach to Teach Blog Carnival: Existential Migration  

Description: In India, I explored the art of doing nothing, of sitting in silence and plumbing the space between breaths. And I discovered a new sense of home, stronger than any other, that was curled up within me and accessible any time, anywhere. I started to feel at home in sections of time and shades of emotion.  

Bio: A few years ago, I packed up, sold, redistributed all of my non-essential belongings, crammed my life into a backpack and wandered aimlessly into the world. I've backpacked South America, work-holidayed in Australia, travelled South East Asia with my mom, and, most recently, I became a yoga teacher in India. I blog about my (mis)adventures at The Accidental Nomad. I am currently navigating ex-pat life in Oxford, UK.  

Liane Nichols

Link:  February 2015 Reach to Teach Blog Carnival  

Description: During my travels, I never really got that homesick feeling, but my most "At-Home" feeling came when I moved to Thailand. Between the welcoming people and the irresistible food, Thailand was home for me since day one. Here's a brief story of what I loved most in Thailand.  

Bio: Liane is a Texas high school Geography teacher, travel writer, and former foreign English teacher. She graduated from Texas State University in 2010 with a B.A in International Relations. During college, Liane interned with the U.S. Department of State - Foreign Service Institute, and volunteered as President of the International Studies Club and Sigma Iota Rho Honors Fraternity. Since then, she has been fulfilling her dream of traveling the world by teaching English in Thailand, Georgia, and the Czech Republic. Follow her experiences by visiting her blog at Nichols Away.

Neysha Bauer 

Link: February 2015 Reach to Teach Blog Carnival: The Day I Ate All My Kimchi

Description: Everything just seemed to fall into place that day.

Bio: Neysha is the creator of Travelsuras.com, a travel diary fusing together the most awkward moments of living abroad and literary snapshots of the people and places that influence everyday expat life. In August 2014 she decided to pack her bags and move to Daegu, South Korea where she currently teaches youngster all about Spanish culture and how to dance Flamenco (poorly). As an amateur photographer, or freezer of time, she’s always on the lookout for the next thing to Instagram. When she’s not sipping green tea and writing, you can find her at the local craft beer joint or indulging in Korean BBQ.

Stephanie Boedecker  

Link:  February 2015 Reach to Teach Blog Carnival: Home is Where . . .  

Description: Moving, making new friends and creating a niche for yourself is never an easy task to accomplish, but somehow doing so halfway around the world turned out to be easier than I'd have thought. That first 'big move' has led to multiple homes in various countries, each looking vastly different from the next, but all sharing the comfort of home.

Bio: Stephanie gave up the 9-5 job three years ago, set her sights on Asia and hasn't looked back since. After two years teaching English in South Korea she continues to call this side of the world home, but now through a more nomadic approach. She is currently eating, traveling, volunteering and yogaing (new word) her way through SE Asia with plans to eventually explore Europe and beyond.

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