Job loss has pushed me to realise my dream of going to Asia

Paris Leach Start Date: Aug 22, 2020 - End Date: Nov 19, 2020

My Travel Story

by: Paris Leach Start Date: Aug 22, 2020 - End Date: Nov 19, 2020
Covid-19 has caused a lot of difficulty around the world for millions of people. For me personally, it has meant losing my job and also having to move back in with my mum (which is never easy for anyone of my age!)
I’m 30 years old now and after a few months of anxiety and a pay cut, to be made redundant was awful. I’m not eligible for a redundancy package so money is tight.
I decided to apply to go back to university and change my career. I’ve always been told I’d make a fantastic English teacher and there was this sudden realisation that ever since I was a child, I’ve had this innate ability which I should be utilising and sharing. It was like an epiphany and I suddenly had a sense of purpose and direction.
I spent hours perfecting my application and researching courses. My friends and family believed in me and I felt like I finally knew what I wanted to do with the rest of my professional life. This only brought more anxiety and stress because now everything was reliant on getting onto this course. Another horrible waiting game.
Then, after a painstaking wait to find out if I’d been successful, I received news that the courses I’d applied to were now full. I was devastated. There are no other options for me to become a teacher in the UK until September 2021. So what next?
I want to teach English so I have decided to do it in Asia having always had a strong desire to experience life in Vietnam or China. I have managed to raise the funds to pay for a TEFL course which I will complete in the next 5-6 weeks but I will need money to pay for a flight and to help cover the first month abroad.
Coming from a very small family with little money, my options are limited. I have been trying to find a job every day since I was first told my job was at risk but the job market is saturated due to so many redundancies. I don’t feel like I am getting anywhere and most teaching jobs prefer you to fly out at the start of the school year. The sooner I go, the better.
Therefore, I want to try to raise money in other ways to help me achieve my goal and to ultimately become the best teacher I can be. My dream is to teach in Vietnam and the sooner I raise the money, the sooner I can go and begin my teaching career - the sooner the light appears at the end of this very dark tunnel. I hope you can help me and some day I can pay this forward to someone else.