1. Stay in Nha Trang teaching at the university, but without sponsorship from the Fulbright Program, whose grants are only one year.
Pros:
- I'm already settled here, with a network of friends, reliable vendors at the market, favorite restaurants, etc. It's taken me three months to really get a hold here, and I'm not sure I want to take another three months to set-up again in another city.
- I love the city, looooove the beach. I'm so happy here. And I have a theory that to really even start to know a place, you need to live there two years. The first year as a "practise run"--figuing things out--the second year with everything under your belt. I'm a nomad, it's true, but I like having a good understanding of a place where I've lived.
- THE BEACH. Did I mention the beach? Did you know that there's a gorgeous beach about five minutes from where I live? Did I mention the calming effect that the ocean has on me?
- I'd be making basically no money, and would actually be losing money by staying here. The university I think would pay me about $63 dollars a month, an amount that would have to be supplemented by me, of course.
- Teaching EFL, as it turns out, is not my passion. I love what I'm doing but I don't want to do it forever. Maybe I should move on to something more career-oriented.
- There aren't many, if any, other work options for me in Nha Tang other than teaching English.
- A second year of teaching here would be a lot more work for, and a lot less money. I'm not sure that's an equation I want when I'm not heart-and-soul invested in what I'm doing.
2. Stay in Vietnam, but move to another city where I could find a more "career related" job, or at least a teaching job that pays.
Pros:
- I'd love to stay in Vietnam. See above "two year" theory. Plus, I like this place, and I'd like to have a second year to learn the language. (Since it's going so slowly this year!)
- I could possibly find a more career related job.
- I could possibly find another job that actually pays me.
- Finding another job that is both career related and pays a living wage could be challenging, if not impossible. And I'm not sure I want to teach another year.
- I would have to relocate to another city just when I'm finally getting the hang of this one.
3. Go to another country to find a more "career related" job.
Pros:
- I'd get to live in another country for a year--chalk one up to life experiences!
- Theoretically I'd have a job I like.
- I'd have to move to another country and totally readjust. I'm just getting adjusted here!
- Finding a job in another country would be much more difficult than finding another job here, where I have a network and where I can be on-the-ground for interviews, etc.
- I'd have to say goodbye to any chance of proficiency in Vietnamese.
4. Go back to the US and find a job.
Pros:
- I could see family and friends and eat at those restaurants I've been missing.
- I'm saving quite a bit of money here. Maybe I should get out while I'm ahead.
- The economy, if you haven't noticed, sucks. I'm not optimistic about finding a decent job, since I only have a Bachelors degree, very little experience, and no tangible skill to offer.
- In addition to not having a job I don't really have a place to live, although that could be worked out.
- I also dont have a great idea of what I want to do, anyway.
- If I want to do any kind of international work, especially development work, I need at least a couple years' experience abroad.
Ideally I could find a job in Nha Trang, but I just dont know if that's a realistic possibility. If I came back to the US for the summer to work, or got a job at a language school in Vietnam that paid me, I could support myself for a second year. Plus I'm saving a lot of money right now to live on in case I decide to stay.
I think it boils down to this: I want to stay in Nha Trang, but I'm not sure if I want to continue this job making about 6% of what I'm making right now.
Two other factors to consider are that I need to do the Camino de Santiago, a pilgrimage in Spain, before I'm too old or too bogged down in the real world; and that I would like some semblance of financial security, including, perhaps, owning property, in the next 5-8 years.
I would also like to add that while this decision feels a bit intimidating at times, I'm approaching it calmly and logically. I'm not panicking about it like I would have a year or so ago. Maybe I just need to go sit on the shore, be quiet for a while, reflect, and let the answers work themselves out instead of trying to force them. The way I see it, I'm ultimately choosing between 4 pretty good options, and I feel like there are so many possibilities. And, most importantly, I am thankful for the luxury of choice. More and more, I understand what a luxury it really is. More on that later.
In the meantime, dear readers, I would love some advice. What do you think?
(Edit: Since posting this I received a card from my students, in honor of Teachers' Day, which was yesterday, asking me to stay here with them as long as possible. Beside that request was sad face, even with tears! Talk about emotional exploitation! )
Currently listening: Don't Let the Stars Keep Us Tangled Up, by Cortney Tidwell
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3 comments:
I want to do the Camino de Santiago too...but it would probably do me some good to learn a bit of Spanish first :)
Honestly though, I don't think you can lose. As far as tangible skill goes, frankly I think you have more than you give yourself credit for. It would be nice to have you within 2500 miles of me though!
From Deb who will visit in march. As long as you remain open, the choice will come to you. There is no hurry. Trusting that whatever happens is the right thing means you can not make a bad choice. You can always come home if the other things do not work out.
Good luck
I agree with Deb, that there is no hurry. It is a lot to sort through. And this list of pros and cons is a good head start. Don't under estimate the changes going on here. It may take awhile, but I think we can expect new sources of funding to emerge in the coming year for work in international relations. As Corey said, you have more skills, than you give yourself credit for. I think the blog you did on reproductive issues in Vietnam is an area to explore for the future, if you choose to stay there. When Obama takes office start looking at the monthly government publication of "Requests for Proposals..RFPs. There is another way to tap government money in FIS..Field Initiated Studies. The former asks you to suggest what you could do for a given situation already identified as a priority, the latter provides a way to call attention to a need for study of something the RFPs have overlooked. In either case, grant-writing format needs to be considered. But it can be do-able. If you want to come back to the US and re-group you know, we want you here.
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