The Life-Changing Magic of Simplicity

Marie Kondo was on to something in her book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. The book centered around the question “Does it spark joy?”...for me this simple question changed my life. As a overworked American passionate person about education, I found myself experiencing a burnout that was draining my life. I knew I needed change and my wanderlust soul was beginning to consume my thoughts. That's when I found Greenheart Travel...and I would have to say that's when Thailand found me.

After months of research on living and teaching in Thailand, I found no other organization that offered the structured support and guidance to live this dream like Greenheart Travel. From visa, resume, and cultural preparation, Greenheart made the adventure possible, easy, and informative. Kara answered every question that I had and continues to be in contact since I've been here. If you are reading this, it means you are thinking about embarking on this wild adventure...and as many Thais would say "why not?" Haha Go for it! It will change your life!

The TESOL course with XploreAsia prepares you in every way they can to not only be a great teacher but also how to culturally adjust to living in Thailand. Some participants from other partnered organizations with XploreAsia had horror stories of their preparation agencies...none of which I could relate to because Greenheart provided so much detailed information on what to expect and how to prepare.

Now, you might be asking "Is it all sunshine and rainbows?" Well, if you come in April or May, you have the sunshine part right as it is quite hot and the sun can be quite intense haha But as someone who hates cold weather, I lather on the sunscreen with a smile and carry an umbrella with me everywhere I go (comes in handy to shield the sun AND when it just randomly rains out of nowhere). Eventually you'll get used to the sweat...so don't sweat it ;-)

As far as adjusting to life in your placement city, you may experience a shock from going from being around people 24/7 during the TESOL course and having everything planned, organized, and easy to moving to your placement city alone, lost, and possibly not being able to communicate well. Buying the right size sheets at Tesco or Big C may be more of a complicated task than one realizes when you can't read the packaging and the sales assistant doesn't speak English haha After awhile you'll begin to adjust to venturing out on your own and depending on your placement, you may meet other foreign teachers who will help along the way. I live in the heart of Bangkok and I honestly think it has made my transition a bit more convenient and easier to adjust to. I quickly set out to make local Thai friends which has been a benefit in multiple ways! Thais knows all the good places to eat, the secrets of getting around, and best places to visit on holiday ;-)

There are many things I have come to love about Thailand. The food, the weather, the beautiful landscapes, and the low cost of living are just a few to mention about living in the "land of smiles." However, to me, the most important and refreshing has been the laid back "mai bpen rai" lifestyle. If you don't know what that means, look it up...you'll enjoy the research. It's been a game changer for me. Bringing me back to my point about Marie Kondo's "spark joy" mentality, I have come to love, embrace, and appreciate simplicity.

There is just something to be said about simplicity; it’s simply liberating and Thailand is a perfect environment to experience and embrace it. I am loving it more and more each day and if you were like me...stressed to the max all the time because of the rat race of your culture...I encourage you to simply ask yourself "why?" Then take a look at Greenheart's Teach in Thailand opportunity and ask yourself "why not?" haha You won't regret it.

I wish you the best on your quest for adventure.