United States of America Policy Holders
UPDATED: 21 May 2010
The Department of State recommends against travel to Bangkok and non-essential travel to the rest of Thailand at this time.
The U.S. Embassy, including visa operations, was closed on Friday, May 14 and will be closed on Monday, May 17. If security issues persist, the U.S. Embassy may continue to close. American Citizen Services (ACS) will be available for emergencies only. The emergency after-hours telephone number is 66-2-205-4000.
Policy holders planning to travel to or in Thailand:
As per the general exclusions section of the policy wording, policies insured with Jefferson or BCS Insurance Company are not covered for any loss that results directly or indirectly from war (declared or undeclared), acts of war, military duty, civil disorder or unrest.
Contact us:
For further enquiries, please contact World Nomads Claims USA 1.800.654.1908 (toll free within US) or +1.804.281.5700 (Collect) or email AssistanceGroup@MondialUSA.com
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It began near the end of my junior year in college. I had just spent the last semester living in Perugia, Italy and traveling with friends throughout the country and the continent. It was a life-changing experience that, even after five months, I wasn't ready to give up. I have family in Italy who invited me to stay with them for the summer free of charge. My parents were totally on board, but on one condition: I must find a job and generate some income.
It was Spring 2009, and the economy was at an all-time low. Both my father and stepmother lost their jobs. Especially with the Euro still weighing out almost to 1.4 to the U.S. dollar, now was not the time to be living off my last bit of savings and certainly not theirs. So I began looking into options, mainly au pair and teaching positions. However, my family lives in a very small village in Tuscany where I would not be able to get around without a car. It became more of a stress than a possibility. So after a few short weeks with them, I reluctantly packed my bags and headed back to the U.S.
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It began near the end of my junior year in college. I had just spent the last semester living in Perugia, Italy and traveling with friends throughout the country and the continent. It was a life-changing experience that, even after five months, I wasn't ready to give up. I have family in Italy who invited me to stay with them for the summer free of charge. My parents were totally on board, but on one condition: I must find a job and generate some income.
It was Spring 2009, and the economy was at an all-time low. Both my father and stepmother lost their jobs. Especially with the Euro still weighing out almost to 1.4 to the U.S. dollar, now was not the time to be living off my last bit of savings and certainly not theirs. So I began looking into options, mainly au pair and teaching positions. However, my family lives in a very small village in Tuscany where I would not be able to get around without a car. It became more of a stress than a possibility. So after a few short weeks with them, I reluctantly packed my bags and headed back to the U.S.
It was a tough transition resuming my life in America. For one, I do not have my own car, which was never a problem in Perugia but I can't exactly walk for miles down Route 35 to get to work every day in Jersey. Not to mention, every time I did get into a car -- the backseat, in particular -- I became carsick from not being used to it. I also found it hard to sustain energy throughout the day without "La Pausa" -- the couple of hours in the middle of the day for lunch and rest. Our fast-paced culture became hard to integrate into my life again. I already have a slight tendency toward being late, so you can only imagine what a couple months in Italy did to exacerbate that problem. All this, and the fact that much of my outlook and attitude changed, just added to my longing to return.
So when we started our senior year in August, my roommates and I had a bunch of friends over our place to kick off the "beginning of the end." We went around and all talked about where we saw ourselves after this year was up. Most people had no clear plans and were very worried about that. Until now, our entire lives have been planned out for us: elementary school, high school, college; school, winter break, school, summer, school. But once college is over, you're on your own to choose what's next. There is no one answer for you, and definitely no answer that is right for everyone. It is the first time you really have to ask yourself: "What do I want to do? Where do I see myself in the next few years?" It's scary.
When it was Elana's turn, she talked about how much she loved being abroad and was not ready to come home when it was over. We were the only two people, it seemed, who could've stayed well past the end of our programs. She mentioned that she had been talking to one of her friends from Amsterdam (where she studied) who taught English in Thailand and had an incredible experience. She said she was thinking about looking into it, but didn't really want to go alone and asked if I was interested.
Our plans started off loosely, but upon our return from winter break things really took off. We had picked a city (Chiang Mai), a certification program (Text and Talk Academy), made a number of contacts who gave us wonderful advice on finding an apartment and things to do, and purchased a flight to depart on September 8, 2010. After countless hours on the phone with STA Travel (a great airline for student travelers), we planned a stopover in Amsterdam for a few days to break up the 18-hour flight, which required an additional stopover in Cairo, where we then planned to stay a few more days because, well, why not?
Then just before it came time for graduation, civil unrest -- riots, open fire on civilians -- in Thailand flooded newspapers and TV stations. What are the odds that a country who has a reputation for it's peaceful culture and kindness to foreigners would break out into civil war just months before I planned to go there? It's almost laughable.
Actually, it is laughable.
We said we'd wait it out and see what happened, but when things did not seem to be getting any better by mid-summer my parents told me they would not allow it. And, unfortunately, I did not have sufficient funds to pay for the flight and certification program upfront on my own. So, as my dad said, any time there is something that requires your parents' financial support, it is no longer a personal decision.
On September 8, Elana departed for our trip alone. She had to alter her plans a bit because she was not prepared to go alone, but she made it work and is now teaching English in a small town a couple of hours outside Bangkok. After I read the first long message she sent me after she'd been in Bangkok, I cried. I am so proud of her yet cannot help being jealous (which she knows) as I sit here with an indefinite future ahead of me. But I know that there is something out there for me. I just have to keep searching.
If anyone is interested in more information on how to organize a trip to teach abroad, please contact me. I'd be happy to help or write a post breaking down the details!
Here are the links to some of the sites we used:
* General Information: http://www.transitionsabroad.com/listings/work/esl/thailand.shtml
*Text and Talk Academy: http://www.teflteachthai.com/
* STA Travel: http://www.statravel.com/
Now you made me cry! Good thing there are many more new bottles of champagne out there to be opened. I have lots and lots of hope for both of us <3
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful read. You are an amazing writer. and not to worry...there is something bigger waiting for you:)
ReplyDeleteI have hope too!!!
ReplyDelete