I’ve learned a lot from traveling. I’ve learned how other people live, what I want to pursue as a career and why some countries are just happier than the United States. I’ve learned that it’s far more important to me to do something I love for the rest of my life than it is to make a lot of money. My dream job is working in developing countries teaching English as a second language. This job won’t make me any money, and I am completely content with that. I’ll be able to travel the world, helping people who really need it, and I’ll be happy. Being rich is no longer something I feel is necessary to live a great life.

When I visited Cancun two months ago, I spent a lot of time speaking with the locals- both to learn more about the culture as well as to practice my Spanish. On the way to the airport, I was speaking with the van driver. After he asked us how our trip was, what we did and if we had ever visited before, I had a few questions for him. I asked if he had always lived there, about his family and if he had ever visited the United States. His answer to the last question was that he had been to the States a lot--both of his sisters lived in Iowa. He and his family visited them often. However, I was a bit surprised by his response when I asked him if he would ever consider moving there. He said that he had thought about it when his sisters originally made the move, but that he was so glad he did not. After hearing about his sisters’ experiences and how they were living their lives, he realized that the US was not right for him. He told me how all his sisters did was work- even at home when the work day was over. They did not have the family time that he felt they should, and their lives were dictated by money. He was also disappointed to know that his sisters were not even teaching their children Spanish. He went on to tell us how great his life is in Cancun. He does not make a lot driving vans for the hotel, but he said it is plenty enough for his family to live comfortably. He loves his job because he has the opportunity to speak with people from all over the world, practice his English which he worked so hard to learn, and at the end of the workday, he gets to spend the rest of it with his family and give his kids the attention he feels they need- without distractions.

In January, I went to Costa Rica and, again, I used every opportunity I had to practice my Spanish and learn more about the culture. Like the Mexicans, the Costa Ricans (Ticos) were very proud of their country. They told me about all of the places I had to visit before my trip was over and all of the things they love about their country. While speaking to the bartenders, I learned some very important things that actually changed how I looked at my career path. Many of them were in their 20s, which gave me insight into the perspective of someone my age who lives in an entirely different environment. I was surprised when more than half of them told me they weren’t going to school. In the US, it's almost a given to attend college so that you can find a stable job. But this wasn’t the case there; they continued by explaining how hospitality is such a great business in Costa Rica because of the tourism. After learning English, they were able to obtain great jobs in a healthy work environment. They thoroughly loved their jobs, they had fun doing them, and they were happy. They could support their families while also having a life outside of their work. Every day, they had the opportunity to speak with people from all over the world, while dancing to music and mixing drinks. Bartenders are some of the very lucky ones in Costa Rica; they also shared the sad truth of the poverty that encompasses some of the population.

After they explained to me how terrible the economy is and how hard the lives of many Ticos are, I wanted to know more. They told me how bad the schools are and I saw first hand the roofless, floorless homes that families were living in. When one of the bartenders told me about how he learned English, I was intrigued. At this point, I had already decided I wanted to teach English in other countries, but I was thinking more about doing it in Europe. He told me that his school was supposed to be one of the best, but it still wasn’t good--his teachers weren’t native English speakers, so they could only teach so much. He explained how desperate the country is for teachers who speak English as their first language. In that moment, I decided that I wanted to teach in the countries that need it the most. Costa Rica is one place I would love to work in, but there are so many countries in Latin America that desperately need help. It is evident that people from these countries really want to learn English in order to get ahead and to live better lives.

My dream job may not be anything exciting, and I know that I will not be making a lot of money from it, but I’ve learned how that is more than okay. I’ve been given a lot of proof that money is not necessary to be happy- happiness comes from doing the things you enjoy. I would much rather make very little money doing something I love every single day than be miserable for the rest of my life just so I can have a big paycheck (that I probably won’t even have the time/energy to use). But maybe that’s just me.