What motivates somebody to go into finance, customer service, advertising, or publishing? Was it a realization over time, or was their decision instantaneously made in one moment? And after they decide on a career path, why choose one company over others? What deters or attracts us to one place of employment over another? Salary, location, environment, and required qualifications can all affect the outcome.
I chose international teaching as my career path almost five years ago. This was before I travelled to Australia and Italy to teach. Before I understood the state of education in the country. Even before I was certain I wanted to enter teaching. So to simply answer the question: Why did I enter international teaching? I guess I had a simple answer; I had no idea why. However, everyday I come to realize why I am here. Maybe I was unable to explain why I wanted to depart for this new adventure, but in the back of my mind, I knew I was making the correct decision.
As my days in Kuwait passed, I have found the answer to these questions; it is simple. I went into international teaching because it made me happy. And I came to Kuwait because I knew that this school would be the venue of my happiness. Of course, nothing in life is perfect. Being far away from home, friends, and family is difficult. But I seek growth under the rock the remains undiscovered. I know underneath there are a wealth of experiences, knowledge, and most importantly, happiness.
This answer may seem convoluted, but it is in fact very simple. Don’t jump off the deep end without knowing how to swim. But if you can fight to keep your head above water just long enough to get to the edge without drowning, take a step off the ledge. You better know that you will be stronger when you climb out.
I believe this is what I have done. I may not have experience or even expected my life to lead here, but I feel that taking the risk and jumping in has made me stronger.
Kuwaiti Fact of the Day:
Kuwait is the only country in the world without a single fresh water source. This means a majority of the water comes from desalination (turning salt water into fresh water). Additionally, the water that comes to my building is stored on the roof. As you can imagine, it gets very hot on the roof during the summer. So, water is pumped into my hot water heater, which remains off. This means my cold water comes from my hot water heater and my hot water comes from the natural heat beating down upon the roof. The hot water faucet is cold and the cold is hot! That was interesting getting used to!