The First Step

Bolivia...when I first heard about this teaching opportunity, I was hesitant. Sure, I had two degrees in education and multiple experiences in dealing with children, but teaching? In a foreign country no less. The one good redeeming quality was I would be able to be with my dear friend Alexis. We had met each other as sophomores in high school, dancing for the same ballet company. We quickly became close despite the differences in our personalities. We even traveled to Germany together after graduating high school. She had traveled a lot abroad during college and met a fantastic guy, David, married, and moved to Bolivia. She was the reason this opportunity to teach had arrived at my doorstep.

 At this point in my life, I had pretty much written off all hopes of teaching for my future. I had applied to over 175 schools within the past few years and received no job offers. "You don't have much experience," is what I always heard. Well, someone has to give my first year experience...it isn't going to happen all by itself!! I had resolved to go back to school this fall to become an occupational therapy assistant. After all, medical was the way to go to ensure a decent paying job. When Alexis first broached the possibility of coming to Bolivia to teach in April of this year, I struggled with knowing what to do. Do I take the position and suck as a first year teacher in a foreign country, or do I go back to school to get a job that I could most likely find a secure position in? It was a tough decision. Bolivia would set me back financially, but would give me my first year experience and allow me to see if I really wanted to spend my life teaching. It would be a wonderful cultural experience and I always loved traveling. After an in-depth discussion with my dad, he helped me to figure out that Bolivia was the way to go. Sure, I may not have a dime to my name at the end of it, but I would be able to know what I wanted out of my life.

 It was decided and things were falling into place...it was meant to be. The director of Calvert, or Cochabamba Cooperative School, and I were in regular contact, working things out so that it would be possible for me to come teach. Of course, my parents and friends were having a rather difficult time with my decision. Not to say, they were all very supportive and happy for me, but the thought of me being so far away for so long was rather depressing. It was sad for me, too, but I realized that it was going to be much more difficult for those I was leaving behind. Here I was, moving forward on a new adventure, seeing new places, and meeting new people, while everyone else was forced to stay behind in dreary Johnstown. As the weeks went by and I procrastinated more and more, things kept piling up. Packing, obtaining my visa, and getting all my paperwork in order were all that stood in the way. And yet, things kept progressing. I almost bawled when I had to decide which shoes I was being forced to leave at home...for a girl with a shoe obsession, this trip was not the smartest move. However, decisions were made and two large suitcases, one overstuffed carry on, and a large "purse" later, I was set. I was finally on my way to Bolivia, South America to teach!!