Help Peyton Mixon get her TEFL Certification and live abroad

Peyton Mixon Start Date: Apr 2, 2017 - End Date: Sep 2, 2017
  • Prague, Czechia

My Travel Story

by: Peyton Mixon Start Date: Apr 2, 2017 - End Date: Sep 2, 2017
Hello All! Peyton Mixon here and I have something to share with you. This may be long but I would really love if you could just be patient with me and read what I must say, in its entirety. Otherwise, wouldn’t you always be curious if you didn’t?! I thank you in advance for reading and for your support, if I have it. I would be forever grateful if you could also share this with your friends and family!

 I will now tell you what this is all about: As some of you may or may not know, the summer after high school graduation I left the United States for the first time and went to visit my friend Kia across the world in Helsinki, Finland. I spent six full weeks living with Kia and her family while they taught me, showed me, and let me into their lives and culture. Honestly they were the most enriching, greatest weeks of my life… even if I did not understand every word that was said at all times. I truly did not want to leave, and before I even did I started to think about how I could make this happen again: Travel abroad and get the real experience; not to just stay in a hotel and see the tourist sites. I want to be apart of it, and learn it, not just watch from the outside. I thought that maybe I could continue my education in Finland, but after some research, I found out that Finland ranks third in the world of education. This fact led me to the realization that I am not smart enough to pull that off so I began to look elsewhere.

Fast forward: I came across this website called GoAbroad.com and I signed up for their weekly emails. They offer tons of programs, such as internships and volunteer programs. One of the emails that I received read, “Want to travel the world and get paid?!” I thought to myself, um hell yeah?! They have my attention so I click on the email and proceed to read what they had to offer. TEFL (Teach English Foreign Language) and get paid! Hmmm, okay, I thought to myself. I continued to read all the details. The requirements are: 18 years of age, have a high school diploma or G.E.D., and be a native English speaker (check, check, check)! Seriously that’s it. I thought, what? C’mon? I don’t even have to know another language! I know, right?! I then proceeded to read the entire website (which I have now done about 12 times, if not more). All the testimonials are amazing and talk about how awesome, not to mention a life-changing experience. Everyone involved with the program are so helpful, offering help with my resume, visa application process, and interview preparation. What happens next?! This: I plan to leave in September 2017. This program, TEFL Worldwide Prague, begins the 11th of September and last four weeks. The program will certify me to teach English in a list of foreign countries without a degree. During the four week’s I will learn how to teach English to people, it will be like I am in school; I will follow a set schedule and every day I learn how to teach people English. To be completely honest with you guys, I’ve never wanted to be a teacher nor could I have imagined myself teaching, however, this is something that I am very interested in and an experience that I feel that I need to make happen.  Although, I am excited about such an awesome adventure, I am also scared and sad to leave behind my family for such a long time. (Oh yeah! After the four weeks are over, I must wait a couple weeks to secure job. After that, I will be there for a year or longer)! Within the first year, I will be missing my sister Savana’s 18th birthday, who just happens to be my best-friend, as well as her high school graduation. I will also be missing Karson’s 14th birthday (my younger brother) and all his sporting events. Of course, the holidays, Thanksgiving and Christmas and all the good stuff with my family and friends! This is really sad for me, but at the same time I feel like if I don’t go, I may never get the chance again!

 

Now for the reason I have asked you to to read this! I have totally been saving my money but anything is welcomed and super helpful! I will have to pay for all my flights and transportation to Prague, Czech Republic, as well as everything along the way. I will pay for the program itself (approx. $1,370), pay for visa application fees, food, traveling, shelter, souvenirs, baggage fees, transportation, postcards, rent, supplies, and basically everything one would need to live. Also, before my departure from the U.S., I will need to invest in a nice winter wardrobe for the harsh European winters because this Texas girl ain’t got the clothes for it. I would like to fly home for Christmas, or at some point. I will be getting paid but it’s not very much at all. The pay will be equivalate to 800 American dollars. This will be a real job in the sense that I will send out my resume and wait for countries to contact me. Then I will be able to pick from the offers I receive. This will give me control of what country I will live in and what type of teaching I will perform. An example; teaching kids in an elementary school or teaching adults in business English. I am also allowed to have private lessons on the side. I really am hoping to get an offer in Spain. I picked out a few countries and then did some research and concluded that Spain would be sweet! I would like to be fluent in Spanish, so I figured three years of previous Spanish classes and then being completely submerged in that country for a year then I would pick it up, right? Don’t worry too much, I’ve been practicing my Duo lingo, hehe! We shall see what happens though! This is my chance to get out and see the world and all it has to offer before I must take on the more serious responsibilities of life in the U.S.

 

While I am in the program I plan to room with a mate that is also in the program but whenever I get to my final destination, I would love to live with a family. This way I can learn more about the culture and learn the language. Maybe they will even show me how to cook some dishes! Plus, I have a feeling that no matter how awesome this experience is going to be, it will be a bit lonely with a new place, new people, and new languages! OH! And get this! I am going to be mindful and save as much money as possible, for example, avoiding the terrible airline baggage fees, so I have made a scary decision to pack only a carryon and backpack. Yikes! If anyone knows me, they know I am a terrible over-packer, I have literally no idea how I am going to pack my life and two months’ worth of clothes into a carry on!  So wish me luck with that!

I think that is all I have to tell you, however if you have any questions or kind words, I’d be happy to hear them! Thank you again for reading this terribly long spiel of mine and thank you for your love and support!!

  • Prague, Czechia