These 6 Teachers Abroad Followed Their Dreams | #TeachAwayMeets

Ever wonder what it would be like to move your life to teach abroad in Thailand? Kassidee did exactly that. She followed her passion for teaching and travel, and blended her love for exploration with the joy of educating young minds.

Remiah’s curiosity also led her to follow her passion for teaching and travel. In 2020, she navigated her childhood dream of teaching abroad in the UAE – yes, amidst the backdrop of a global pandemic!

These extraordinary educators exemplify the courage and resilience needed to thrive beyond borders, and Teach Away wants their stories to inspire you to pursue your dreams of teaching and experiencing the world, too.

Read more about Kassidee, Remiah, Marie, the Bensons, and Ilsa’s stories about becoming a teacher abroad below!

Meet Kassidee, Teacher Abroad in Thailand

#TeachAwayMeets Kassidee (@kassidee.rich), a global educator in Thailand who combined her love for travelling and teaching to experience the joy of teaching abroad! You’ll love her inspiring story:

“Traveling and teaching have always been two major passions in my life. After graduating from university, I taught kindergarten for 4 years in the states, and I utilized my summers to travel. I enjoyed teaching kindergarten, but it didn’t take me long to realize that I wanted travel to be a more consistent part of my life.

During my 4th year of teaching, I spent the good majority of my free time researching and listening to podcasts to learn more about teaching abroad. I instantly became hooked and officially made the decision to quit my job in April of 2022.

Fast forward to November of 2022, when I hopped on a one way flight to Chiang Mai, Thailand! I got TEFL certified, started some private tutoring lessons, and began teaching at a school.

I’ve been abroad for 9 months now, and I can easily say that this was the best decision I have EVER made. I have become more open minded, stepped outside of my comfort zone in more ways than I can count, grown in confidence, expanded my teaching abilities, made some incredible friendships, gone on some unforgettable adventures, and learned so much about Thai culture.

I am forever thankful for this opportunity, and I’m eager to see where this adventure will continue to take me.

Getting TEFL certified truly opens up the whole world!”

Meet Remiah, Teacher Abroad in the UAE

#TeachAwayMeets Remiah (@remiahtravels), an expat teacher in the UAE who made her dream of being a teacher abroad a reality.

Four years and ongoing, she loves every moment of her journey! Keep reading and prepare to be inspired by Remiah’s incredible story👇

“Since I was 8, my dream was to be a teacher abroad. There are lots of educators in my family and as long as I can remember, everywhere we travelled we stayed with a family member and I wanted to be one of those stops around the world.

My focus in university was Literacy & Language and French, and I worked for the government of Canada teaching English to Immigrants, refugees, and newcomers.

While completing my BEd, I was already applying and looking for opportunities to work abroad and was fortunate to find an opportunity in the United Arab Emirates.

I moved during COVID (August 2020), and quickly had to adjust to not only a new lifestyle and culture but the intensity of the pandemic protocols in a new place.

Fast forward to now, I am preparing to go into my fourth year teaching abroad and each year has been better than the last.

Teaching and connecting with so many unique, international students has been a gift and an opportunity to expand my knowledge and theirs about cultures, religions, beliefs, and perspectives.

Travelling from UAE has opened up many doors that I may have never considered (or been able to afford) before and has pushed me to challenge myself and redefine how I see myself.

Now I strive to showcase the beauty and complexity of UAE and entice others to visit, work here, or travel abroad. UAE is such a magical country and has rich culture, foods, art and history to explore.

I am blessed to have this opportunity and am looking forward to seeing what’s in store for me this coming year!”

Meet Marie, Teacher Abroad in Mexico

Meet Marie (@marie.lamaestra), an adventurous teacher in Mexico who pursued her dream of living abroad!🌎 From her love for the outdoors and surfing to bonding with her students and parents, her story is full of inspiration.💚

Here’s what she shared with us:

“I started teaching in Mexico in 2018 when I was ready for a change in my life. I had always dreamed of living abroad and I knew that teaching abroad would be a perfect fit for me. I am a really active person and I love to be outside and surf.

While vacationing in a small town in Mexico in 2017, I saw the international school that was there and decided to look into it. Sure enough were looking for English teachers!

I have now been down here for 5 years and I can say I absolutely love it! Having the opportunity to teach in a small community where I regularly see my students and their families outside of school is really special.

There is something so wonderful about being on the beach and running into your kids with their parents. I especially love it when I see my kids out surfing! It creates a special connection with them that goes beyond the classroom.

If you are considering teaching abroad, do it! It was easily the best decision of my life. Before I moved to Mexico, I was feeling already burnt out of teaching after just 2 years.

Now I live in a beautiful country, have an amazing community, and absolutely love teaching! I feel rejuvenated and excited to continue working at my school!”

Meet the Bensons, Teachers Abroad in Thailand

Today, #TeachAwayMeets Tori and Devon (@becomingthebensons), an extraordinary teaching couple who embraced the challenge of exploring the world together! We asked them how their journey went through, and here’s what they shared with us:

“Growing up I always wanted to see the world, but honestly I didn’t think it was in the cards for me. Thankfully I married someone that has the same aspirations and dreams of exploring as I do. We were stuck in the typical American rut of too much work and not enough play.

Then covid hit 🙄.

We decided to stop putting our life on hold and just go for it! So we sold everything we owned to move across the globe to Thailand 🇹🇭

I would be lying to you if I said the process was easy. We left behind the comforts of our home country and all of our friends and family to embark on this wild adventure. But I can say with 100% conviction that it was the best decision we’ve ever made!

We’ve had the opportunity to meet some amazing people across the globe and fully immerse ourselves in many different cultures. This journey has brought us closer together as a married couple. It has allowed us both to grow individually.

And our personal favorite is seeing the many stereotypes we’ve learned growing up dissipate as we spend more time out in the “big scary world” 😜 ❤️

Our advice to anyone that cares to hear it, is to take that leap of faith into the unknown. You will NEVER regret it! ✈️🌎❤️”

Meet Ilsa, Teacher Abroad in South Korea

#TeachAwayMeets Ilsa (@ilsasendeavors), a teacher abroad in South Korea who fulfilled her dream to see the world! She loves every moment of immersing herself in new cultures and experiences and continuously seeks opportunities to embrace the next chapter that awaits her! Read on to be inspired🌟

“For as long as I can remember I wanted to see the world. I studied anthropology and religious studies in university and both really sparked my interest in not only travel, but other cultures. After graduating I learned about teaching English abroad, got my TEFL certification, and moved to South Korea. Now almost two years later, I have fell in love with living abroad. Teaching is such a rewarding job and living abroad allows the chance to fully immerse yourself in another country and culture. I’ll be the first to say I didn’t know much about South Korea before moving here, but this country is absolutely beautiful, full of so much history, and has something for everyone! It’s not always easy navigating life abroad, but it will always be worth it. I’m extremely grateful for the experiences I’ve had through living and teaching abroad and I’m incredibly excited for what is next!!”