Why do I want teach abroad?

(This picture is of me reading to school children in El Salvador)

Over the last year I have been trying to figure out what to do with this teaching degree and Master's that I worked so hard to get. I was so happy teaching at a school here in Spokane only to be told that due to budget cuts I would not be getting a new contract. So I felt stuck, wanting so much to go back into teaching but getting discouraged by the several if not hundreds of rejection e-mails from school districts telling me, sorry, we did not chose you for an interview. I looked at my application and my file and wondered how a principal could not see how qualified I am to teach? I'm bilingual, love working with children, am passionate about helping them to bring their assessment scores up. My philosophy is that every child has the ability to learn and succeed regardless of past performance or learning abilities. I believe in teaching..I love teaching..so why was I lost in the shuffle even though I had good teaching experience? Was it a sign teaching was not the career for me? Doubt set in. I began to wonder if I would ever get my own classroom again. I had to settle for subbing, and while this gave me a lot of experience and knowledge of schools around the Spokane districts, I missed having my own class, my students, my co-workers. I also learned fast that even though you may be a wonderful teacher, there are students out there who do not respect subs. A sub is a joke to them, and that was tough to deal with..because I am nobody's joke. I respected those schools where teachers taught their students well and told them to respect guest teachers, but unfortunately, I didn't see too many of those. I even took another job at a newspaper, my other degree and that was fine, but my heart belonged to teaching. I remember griping about this to a friend who out of no where said, "Have you ever considered teaching in another country?" The truth was, I had. I had visited El Salvador a few years ago and taught for a few weeks at a small village school as part of an immersion experience with the Providence Sisters in Spokane. I loved it. It was the best few weeks of my life. I was way out of my comfort zone but I saw past it. I stayed in decent accommodations for El Salvador standards but still had nothing compared to my comfort zone in Washington. I had a mosquito net over my bed and woke up to find a few new friends sitting on top of it. I couldn't imagine what it would be like without it. I would've been covered in moths, junebugs and spiders in the morning. It was hot, super humid, and saw some of the biggest bugs I have ever seen in my life. Did I mentioned I have a fear of spiders and moths? Well this was the land of giant spiders and Mothra. Not to mention giant black bugs flying around aimlessly hitting you in the face at dusk. And the torrential thunderstorms at night were both relaxing, and yet frightening, for I never knew if the rains would flood the village's muddy roads. Being originally from Mexico and visiting family there frequently I thought El Salvador would be close to the same. But Mexico is much more developed than the Bajo Lempa regions of El Salvador, and even my late grandparents' rural ranch was a palace compare to what the people in this humble rural village had. Some were lucky to have a roof. I easily fell in love with the children, and listening to the people's war stories was powerful and overwhelming. The school I was at was small and I taught a 1-2 combo. They had a real lack of resources and was shocked that first and second graders were only learning vowel sounds. I still remember how excited the kids were when I brought white paper..Yes paper, the kind we use everyday for printing or drawing. It was rare for them to get it. You would of thought it was candy to them. It was unbelievable. I didn't want to leave and wanted to come back. I settled my heart on teaching in El Salvador one day..and so I waited..and waited..but the opportunity never came. Every time someone told me..Oh, I think we can work something out and bring you back, it never happened and it was hard for me.
Yes, I had thought about teaching abroad.
"Well if El Salvador isn't working out for you, why don't you consider other countries? You have a bright future ahead of you.." My friend added.
Another country? No..my heart is set on El Salvador, I thought. What I didn't realize is that I was limiting myself. I needed to explore and see what else was out there waiting for me. I did want to teach abroad and immerse myself in another culture and learn about their education system. For years I've had that desire to do something beyond my expectations and to make a real difference in this world. About a month ago, with no hope that I would land a teaching job in Spokane this school year again, aside from subbing, I did some web searches to see what I could find. There were so many programs and schools it was almost overwhelming. I didn't know where to even start. Two places immediately caught my attention; why I don't know. Bhutan and Abu Dhabi. Never..Never in my entire life did I ever think I would travel to these places let alone consider them as a possible places for me to teach and live. The more I read about these two places the more they began to intrigue me. Something about Bhutan reminded me of the people in El Salvador. It is a tiny landlocked country in between India and China. And Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates well it sounds like an exciting place with endless opportunities. So I have applied to some programs and international schools and hoping something will work out for me. I figure, I'm subbing and don't have a contract, I'm not married, I don't have kids, I don't even have a boyfriend anymore. Maybe now is the time to do this. I am a person of faith, who knows that God has a great plan for me. It's not always clear but I need to put my trust in God and know that I will follows His will and go wherever He wants me to serve. The thought of teaching abroad on the other side of the world frightens and excites me. I want this. I really do. The unknowns sometimes take you to places that help you become a better and stronger person. Only time will tell. I have a life I love here in Spokane, and people that I don't want to leave, but I know that whatever happens Spokane will always be here when I return. I need to take this leap of faith, and who knows maybe El Salvador is still not out of the picture, but I need to try this now. I just need to wait and see what happens.