Starting last week it began to enter our minds that this gig isn't going to last forever. In fact we have just made it over the proverbial hill, and the majority of our contract has already passed. Of course we are not letting that dampen our spirit because we still have not one, but two more vacations to look forward to. However, it has occurred to us that now is the time to begin planning for our future. We're not getting ahead of ourselves either, by future I simply mean next year. With the economy still in a state of limbo, and the job market for just graduated applicants not exactly overflowing with possibilites, we feel our best option is to continue working abroad.
Our official search began just a couple days ago, and our target areas are (in no particular order): France, Italy, Greece, Haiti, and Switzerland. Our number one goal is to find another English teaching position in a different region of France. This year has with out a doubt improved our French language abilities exponentially, but we have still not achieved our overarching aspirations of fluency. We want that. It has also been brought to our attention, given the recent natural disaster, that Haiti will soon be in need of French speaking teachers, so we have begun to look into NGO jobs over there. One major roadblock on that front is the persisting state of emergency, and the basic human needs of food, water and shelter that must be met before anyone begins to think about rebuilding/education. Switzerland is also a viable option thanks to the multitude of job options, the fact that French is an official language, and its close proximity to our current location. Yesterday I applied for a job with the World Health Organization, and as I am quite sure nothing will materialize, it felt good to take that first step in the job hunt.
As a very last resort (because returning to the United States is out of the question, although that may depend on President Obama's State of the Union Address this evening) we are considering one of the many, many teaching positions available in South Korea. Aside from the fact that it would add nothing to my resume, they would provide airfare to and from the country, a place to live, and over 2million Won per month. However, we would have to live in Korea. We're trying to cover all our bases. If anyone has any suggestions we'd love to hear them (or if you have any foreign job placement connections, those would be gratefully accepted as well).
A bientôt,
-Jordan and Kathryn
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The State of the Union address just ended. It gave me renewed hope. But the two of you, and your peers, are what really give me hope for the future. There is much to be done in the world and we feel much better knowing that you will be doing it. Love. Dad and mom
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