Greetings everyone!

[TheGreatAdventurer]

Hello all,

I've been lurking here for a little while and finally decided to post.  I've really enjoyed reading through the content and posts here and am glad to meet such a good group of people with such good input, and look forward to interacting with you in the months and years to come!  To start by giving a brief summary of me and my dream,  basically, I'm a mid-30s gringo from the midwestern USA who plans to go abroad to teach English within the next 2-3 years and hopes to find a new country and culture to call home.   

Now that I've summarized, allow me to elaborate.  I spent the first half of my life trying to "live the American dream", pursuing a couple different careers, and spending almost 13 years married to a girl originally from Mexico whom I met here in the states.  We never had children and divorced over 2 years ago.  To spare the details of why things didn't work out, suffice it to say we grew apart, wanted different things out of life, and had a very civil and easy divorce with no lawyers involved, and no alimony payments going either way -- nothing to tie us together as we went our separate ways.  Anyway, as the years have come and gone I realize more and more that I don't fit in here in the USA.  I consider myself a decent looking guy with a good physique and a VERY outgoing, confident personality.  However, suffice it to say that I'm not what American women are looking for, and in all honesty, they are not what I am looking for either.  The trappings of American society, the things that everyone is obsessed with here in the 'States, the American views about life and what's important... all this and more I find myself completely at odds with.

Basically, I want to immerse myself into a completely different culture.  As my ex is Mexican I have already had a good taste of Latin America, have spent time with her family in Mexico (who, unfortunately, live in rather squalid conditions), and have gotten my feet wet with third world living.  I love LA culture, I love Spanish and am working every day now to learn it, and to me, Latinas are by FAR the most gorgeous and appealing women on the planet, both physically and mentally/emotionally/socially.  I've been in love with them since I was a little boy.

So, as I mentioned, I am scrounging and saving to build a nice little nestegg and within the next 3 years, I plan to get my CELTA certification for teaching English abroad.  Unfortunately, I only have an Associate's degree, and from what I understand not having a Bachelor's will hold you back somewhat from finding a top-notch teaching gig but it won't stop you from finding opportunities in general.  However, I used to fly for a living and got my Flight Instructor certifications, and have well over a year's experience teaching people how to fly.  Hopefully that will help qualify me for opportunities, and, of course, once I'm fluent in Spanish I plan to finish the 4-year degree abroad.  Finishing the Bachelor's before I leave is, unfortunately, not an option.  The time and cost it would take me to do so would push my plans out way too far, and as they say, I'm not getting any younger.  I need to make this big life-changing journey much sooner than that.

My top choice of countries is Colombia and Brazil.  I love Mexican culture but I want to explore deeper into the great vast lands SOTB.    I've been doing a lot of reading and trying to immerse myself into Colombian culture through Cine y Cancion, and so far, me gusta mucho!  Brazil... well... it's Brazil!  When I think of diving into the great Amazon and look at the map, Brazil dwarfs everything else in the area jajaja...  but Brazilian culture holds as much appeal as Colombian culture, but the thing that draws me to Colombia more is la lingua.  I'd love to learn Portugese eventually, but since I already knew some Spanish from the marriage and years past, I really want to finish the job and become fluent.  Then move towards other languages.

So at any rate, I'm hoping to find good information here, perhaps even network a little bit, and engage in good conversations with you all!  I really hope I will have no problem finding a decent Teaching gig without a Bachelor's degree (I know CELTA certification is HUGE and I will full on have it before I ever "step onto the plane") and perhaps when the time comes I'll be able to meet some of y'all when I head out to that great Southern land... (no, not Australia  )

I'm looking forward to your input and thoughts about all of this.  Thanks everyone!!

[V_Man]

Welcome and all the best of luck. Life is to be lived. 

[benjio]

I really hope I will have no problem finding a decent Teaching gig without a Bachelor's degree (I know CELTA certification is HUGE and I will full on have it before I ever "step onto the plane") and perhaps when the time comes I'll be able to meet some of y'all when I head out to that great Southern land... (no, not Australia  )

Welcome to the board! Before making the decision to attempt to be an English Tutor or Professor anywhere in Latin America do as much research as possible. Saying the industry is not what it seems is a gross understatement. Getting your CELTA is definitely the most important step at first but after that it's 98% connections, 2% certifications. If you are planning on teaching anywhere in Colombia I would suggest you get the CELTA in Bogota as this allows new English Teachers to make some friends in the industry and usually opens some doors after you've earned the cert. Best of luck to you.

[TheGreatAdventurer]

Thanks guys!

Benijo -- thank you for the tip.  If I wound up choosing Brazil over Colombia, I hear that showing up in-country and inquiring at schools in-person is the best way to go about it.  I also get the impression that the degree isn't quite as important there as in Colombia.  Do you know anything about ESL en ese pais?  Is there a larger demand for teachers there than in Col?

[benjio]

Thanks guys!

Benijo -- thank you for the tip.  If I wound up choosing Brazil over Colombia, I hear that showing up in-country and inquiring at schools in-person is the best way to go about it.  I also get the impression that the degree isn't quite as important there as in Colombia.  Do you know anything about ESL en ese pais?  Is there a larger demand for teachers there than in Col?

With the recent oil boom in Brazil I think it's logical to assume that the need for native tongue English Instructors there is much greater than it is in Colombia right now. However, I've never attempted to get a job as an English Teacher in Brazil and have no idea what the best way to go about doing it is. A couple of years ago I had made up in my mind that I was going to live in Colombia for at least a year and teaching English was the best opportunity I could find for a new expat. My desire to live there was based primarily on the fact that my ex-girlfriend was still studying at the university there and didn't want to leave until she finished. I got CELTA certified in the U.S., and did some volunteer work there before working as an assistant professor at an English Institute in Pereira, Colombia. When my girlfriend and I broke up my desire to live and work in Colombia wasn't as resolute. Although I do thoroughly enjoy teaching English, most jobs in Latin America pay just enough to survive. I would imagine Brazil is different but my experience there would also lead me to assume that getting a work visa as an English Professor is probably hell.
 
I get back to Brazil next week and I'll definitely ask around though. I'm actually curious myself now.

[TheGreatAdventurer]

Excellent, thanks for your thoughts!

It should be pretty interesting for you.  Please, by all means post your observations after you go!  From what I've read, Tourist VISA issues aren't as difficult in Brazil... supposedly you get up to 180 days, but then if you overstay you just have to pay a fine when (if?) you do finally leave.  Work VISAs are tough to get as always but I still haven't read anything that leads me to believe that schools won't get you taken care of if they want you.  I guess for me, I'm hoping that wherever I end up going, I'll meet "her" and within a couple of years will qualify for a resident or spousal Visa, which should eliminate any future visa worries. 

Do you know Portuguese?  I wonder if it would be a good idea (or a bad idea) to try to learn both Spanish and Portuguese at the same time.  My biggest worry about Brazil is the language, and while I know you're not expected to know Portuguese to get a job teaching English, I want to be able to make friends and communicate (especially with the ladies haha).

Paywise I think it's pretty close to breaking even, at least in the beginning.  But as I mentioned, I have other things I might pursue once I'm established to make more of an income.  For me it's about beginning the adventure and getting out there...  too bad it's going to be several years!  But it will be worth the preparation, paying off the debt, and saving up a nice chunk of change to get me started.