This blog won't be getting updated very much until I actually leave, but in case anyone cares, right now I am going to talk about what I have done to prepare.
Most of my preparation has been super gradual and kind of more lifestyle-based: drastically reducing my spending habits to save up a healthy emergency fund, discussing how to handle this long(er) distance relationship with my boyfriend, determining whether this is career suicide for me (and subsequently deciding that IDGAF), purposely not buying new clothes, furniture, or other things I could not bring with me, fixing my jacked up teeth while I have good dental insurance, etc. All very important steps, but they yield nothing that I can really show.
Of the "soft prep," the most important has been talking to people who have lived abroad or taught. I have been very blessed to have so many people in my life who have gone out of their way to introduce me to people who can help!
This is the concrete important stuff that I did, though:
1. Arranged to get my teaching credentials.
According to the internet and a few people I've met, the gold standard of Teaching English as a Foreign Language certifications is the CELTA which is a standard course offered by International House. I signed up to take the CELTA through a school called Apollo in Ho Chi Minh City.
I could have taken the CELTA here in the States pretty easily BUT I've chosen to take the class through in Vietnam because:
A: It's cheaper. Like more than 1,400 USD cheaper. The CELTA costs $2,795 if you opt to take it in the United States or most places in Europe, and the price goes up if you choose to do a "blended class" that combines online and in-class component. The class is also almost exclusively available in cities, which, you know, gets expensive unless you have family there to mooch off of (I don't).
B: I would have had to choose between going to class full-time for a month (5 days a week, 9 to 5) or going part-time which would have eaten months up of my precious weekends, all while I'm living in a not-so-economical housing market here in Philadelphia. This way, I get to work right up until I leave.
2. Applied for my Visa (Upon Arrival.)
At the suggestion of Apollo, I applied for a 3 month tourist visa so I can take the class.
This was actually way, way easier than I thought it would be. It was so easy, in fact, that I am very nervous that I got scammed. It cost $30 through visa-vietnam.org. Apparently, this is a thing. Also, getting email spam from McAfee anti-virus afterward is also a thing which is really unfortunate, and not really helping the case that this is not a scam.
3. Found a place to stay during my class in Ho Chi Minh City
I'm staying in a hotel while I am in my class for a month. Costs a whopping $9 a night and it is right across the street from the school I am attending!
4. Sold my belongings, let my lease run out, and found a place to crash for the summer
A huge reason I am doing this trip is because it's easy for me to drop everything and leave. I don't own a house (or even a car), I don't have any kids or pets or even plants that I need to take care of. The only annoying thing I had to deal with was the awkward span of time between my lease running out and when I leave (lease on my West Philly apartment ran out June 1, I leave August 31st). Luckily, 2 friends from college totally saved me and I am living in a teeny tiny room in a shared house for the summer (Thank you Bill and Josh!)
So really, I'm basically good! All I have left to do is figure out what to do about my 2 year phone contract with AT&T, find a place to put the rest of my worldly possessions, get a travel credit card, destroy 10 years worth of my diaries (because I sure as f*** am not leaving them with my mother or my boyfriend), get some shots for god knows what diseases, get a doctor to prescribe me Xanax for the flight because I am a spazz, find health insurance, and buy underwear because according to the forums I read they don't have any that will fit me over there, get a new laptop because mine is on its last leg, buy modest clothes...
Actually maybe there is still a lot to do.
