Elese Wilcox
My name is Elese and I am an expat teacher. I was born and raised in Miami, FL. I followed a career in elementary education and after college moved to Atlanta, GA where I taught for eight years. In those eight years I never had the means to travel the way I really wanted. On a teacher’s salary it just wasn’t in the cards for me. I was lucky if once a year I was able to take a 3/4 day cruise to the Caribbean. It wasn’t a horrible life but I knew that one day I wanted to see the world and teaching was not going to get me there.
Time for a Change
So I decided to change careers into a field that would be more lucrative and allow for the lifestyle I always wanted. I decided I would become a nurse. I began researching nursing programs that were online and accelerated. I was already 30 and I didn’t want to waste one more day of my life living a life that wasn’t fulfilling for me.
The Day My Life Changed
One day before the winter break I was in class with my students and one of my colleagues had two visitors. They were twin sisters that had just come from overseas for the holiday. They talked to us about teaching abroad and they made it sound so glamorous. The said they had a driver, a cleaner, paid accommodations, and most important way more money than in America. I was very intrigued by this lifestyle and saw it as a way to stay in the profession I loved and still have the life of traveling I had always wanted.
My New Home
In 2012 I got a job teaching in the United Arab Emirates with the help of http://teachaway.com. The increase of income made it possible for me to travel to more than fifteen countries and stay in hotels that I had only dreamed of. Now that I finally had the means to travel I tried to stay in sexy hotels often and accumulate as many passport stamps as possible. I found that UAE hotels are the most hospitable and accommodating hotels I have ever stayed in. If you are ever in the country I recommend using http://agoda.com to find great hotel rates.
Something New
In 2018 the vibe in Abu Dhabi changed for me. The teaching packages no longer included housing, the cost of living was rising quickly, and it seemed like the UAE was taking a different route to fill their teaching positions. I decided to make another change in 2019. China teaching salaries had risen considerably so it was the clear transition. I am currently teaching in Shanghai, China. It has been a rough transition but each month it gets better. I love my school and I’m still in a great location for travel.