I like to travel, learn and tell stories
Vietnam, Thailand, India, Guatemala, Taiwan is a good call.
in Vietnam, someone literally ran out of their house while I was stopping to adjust my headphones in order to invite me to breakfast at his home.
he had a tiny orchard in his front yard and we shared mango, dragonfruit and pancakes.
These are the plunderers: how private equity runs and wrecks America by Gretchen Morgenstern.
ooh, sharp.
good one.
“That’s a very short-sighted, one-dimensional take.”
those are ticket prices, not a “take”.
I’ve addressed all of your questions and many more besides, accounting for multiple variables and providing information with factual data, experience, consensus and outside inputs in mind.
if you believe the consideration of various perspectives, classes and cultures is one-dimensional, it is likely a result of your own perspective.
plus how to reheat pizza evenly…good point
I could have been reading Animorphs and Bigfart!
what a world.
that sounds like a plague to me.
this is where I’m at.
lemmy communities are plagues.
haha, I really liked that part of the description!
I think technically that’s the same thing.
that’s got to happen sooner or later. plague instances spreading like the plague.
that’s the phrase, certainly. you’ve nailed it.
I think this is the genesis.
who doesn’t like a good plague these days?
9 penises is his personal best?
No use for doubt when the information is avalable:
Tickets to central america this month starting at 21$, Europe starting at $98, Asia starting at $249(cherry blossom prices).
you have pretty broad questions, so I’m going to give you relatively broad answers, that i am happy to expand upon further.
“Where?”
wherever you want that fits your circumstances.
“how do they stay?”
Americans travel visa-free or visa-on-arrival to over 180 countries and can stay in those countries for weeks, months or years.
“You need a visa. That’s not easy”
It’s pretty easy. Americans usually don’t need a visa, and when they do, the process these days is usually
online form for 5-15 minutes.
Pay fee.
visa is emailed to you.
“what about language?”
I suggest learning the local language where you’re living for a variety of reasons.
There’s an episode about that coming up!
Actually, there are episodes about all of this coming up, haha.
“what about support network? Whom do you ask for help…?”
There are huge expat and local support networks in every country that will answer every question you’ve asked, as well as embassies, consulates, and help lines.
If you’re teaching ESL, you’ll have a cultural liaison from your school or less formal support staff.
“All of your knowledge of how law, politics, social customs, and more is now irrelevant”
is that knowledge particularly relevant to your day to day life in your home country?
Abroad, you may reflect upon that information being about as useful and temporary as…paper cranes in a flood.
“Fifth, what about a job?”
If you have a remote job that pays $500 USD a month, you can live in most countries comfortably.
If you are a native English speaker, you can teach English and make a lot more.
Those are two of any number of work options.
“why would a company hire a foreigner?”
For the same reasons all companies hire foreigners: that foreigner has a skill the company requires.
“they can pay you dirt”
Starting pay for ESL in china is $2500 usd a month in china without a degree or tefl certificate. With both, it’s closer to $3500 a month.
Cost of living in China is about $300-$600 usd a month depending on where you are.
“…it makes me feel like I’m abdicating my responsibilities as a citizen”
Participating in and paying into the US system that is exploiting entire generations and stripping their rights bears more social guilt than protesting against the system and withholding funding, but:
nobody is making you take these available opportunities.
My point is and has been that most Americans can escape the system and stop supporting it if they want to.
Nobody is going to make anyone start traveling, learn things, make friends, and save money, but you can if you want to.
that’s good, I definitely wasn’t saying “take a vacation”.
“You original comment…so literally.”
don’t take it too literally.
when i wrote:
"i suggest leaving.
it’s better outside."
I was referring to leaving the country and situation that is making OP miserable, rather than leaving this post or your apartment or whatever literal conclusion you’re referring to now.
““can” is subjective.”
They can or cannot. Pretty clear-cut.
'“Can” people afford a plane ticket to somewhere? Probably."
Yup.
“Would their quality of life in that destination be satisfactory?”
also a strong yup. higher to much higher quality of life.
Higher pay, fewer hours, better social support, better infrastructure, more opportunities.
“This is not entirely true.”
I’ll check.
“Malaysia…English teaching industry…Most countries…standards…VIetnam requires…employ illegally…risk…very high”
yea, solid disclaimer, most of that looks less than entirely true. Honestly, a lot of that is barely half true.
real quick: ESL is still booming in April 2025 with thousands of currently available ESL positions, pay rates are higher than ever, outpacing inflation significantly, the requirements are about the same as they were 15 years ago; native english fluency, college degree or TEFL certificate sometimes required based on the position and location for 25 hours of teaching a week, not including the breaktimes each class.
Most countries certainly do not have enough of an english speaking population to have affected the ESL market, hence the thousands of currently available ESL postings and dozens of platforms for teaching online.
Vietnam does not require “TESL diplomas” to teach English.
keep traveling, offer support to those who are thinking of travel.