Leaving Everything You Know: Life Abroad

This post is just going to be discussing my experiences and feelings during my time abroad. Leaving your whole life behind to start a new, back to a real square one. My first place abroad was mainland China, more specifically Jinan, Shandong. I still remember the feeling when I first arrived, I was bored with my life at home and stuck at a job that I was unhappy with. It was what most consider a good job with more opportunities on the way. I was a manager for a company that dealt with doing light mechanic work, the company loved me and was training me for an even better paying position with hopes of eventually making me an area manager. My family was proud but I knew that I wasn't happy and I really didn't care about the money. Its not that the job was terrible, I quite enjoyed it at times but it just wasn't what I wanted to do. I had made some pretty good friends there as well.

My dream for the longest was to move out to California where some of my good friends lived but for whatever reason there was always something getting in the way of my plans. I eventually sat myself down and reevaluated my situation at the time. I thought ok well I am not happy and I can't get this California thing to work out so what else do I want to do? This is when I thought well I want to go China. I always loved reading philosophy from the east, especially ancient China. So I got on my computer and searched around the internet and found out that I could get a teaching job there pretty easily. Just get a Teaching English as a Foreign Language Certificate and I would be good. So I took an online course, finished it in like 4 weeks or so and started applying for jobs. I was amazed how many offers I was getting with no experience. Before I knew it I had my papers and I was on my way. My family thought I was crazy to leave my job, sell my car, and just leave everyone and everything but I knew that it was something that I had to do.

I was in straight adventure mode and I couldn't wait, I felt like this was exactly what I needed. The feeling of arriving in China and having to rely on a complete stranger that you don't know to come and pick you up was for some reason not worrying me at all. When I first arrived to my apartment the school had for me. I met my roommate who was an older lady who was also teaching at the school. She seemed cool at the time but that is a story for another time. I could write multiple posts just on the story's from this one person. Anyway I remember sitting in my new room and just staring out the window and thinking to myself "I'm here, on the other side of the planet". I still didn't feel nervous or miss anyone from home. Some of my friends had different feeling during this stage but I was just ready for the adventure.

I soon realized very quickly that this was going to be more challenging than I thought. I was in a lesser know 2nd tier city where almost no one spoke English (except the other foreigners obviously). I felt pretty useless, I couldn't even order food by myself or understand how much money I was supposed to give someone when buying something. I should explain quickly that I did start studying some Chinese before coming but I applied for jobs and left soon there after as my school needed me ASAP. So it left me with a very short amount of time to prepare, as a result I had to struggle a bit more than I thought. This did end up being a good thing for my Chinese as time went by. I couldn't stand the feeling of being so useless. I felt like a baby, it was a new culture, language, and job all of which were so new to me it motivated me to study as hard as possible and get myself going.

Within a few months I could now get by on my own without too much help. Every month it got better and better. This was the challenge I was looking for, and was also a big growing experience for me. I never had a point were I regretted my initial decision to leave everything. As time went on it just made me feel better and better about the decision. Teaching ended being a very rewarding job, I was never very good with kids so it took me a bit to get into the groove but once I did it was great. Every once in a while I would get this thought of "Man I can't believe I am in China". The feeling was a good one and it opened the doors for so many more opportunities for me. All it took was a willingness to make a big change. Sometimes you just have to take the risks necessary no matter how much you might lose. I hope this might motivate that person who is unhappy with their current life to sit themselves down and think about what it is you actually want. I think that is a good place to end it for now. If you guys like these types of posts I can do more. Any questions or comments are always welcome as well just leave them down below. Peace!

Also if you like board games check out my other project Frenemies Board Game

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/frenemiesboardgame/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYANgliJTjTATHKjiAbX_0Q

Steemit: @frenemies

Me and my friends YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCekbXJGpVxs-xPXwph49j2Q

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lifethroughwesterneyes1/