Another Chapter

Who would have thought when I followed my son to Thailand so he could become a teacher, that I too would become immersed in working with so many Thai students?  Paul introduced me to several Thai ladies who had taken the TEFL course he had just finished, and they told me about their expansive plans to develop a language institute and empower students not only with English language skills, but to prepare and better equip them for the new ASEAN Community business world soon to be a reality.  


By 2015, ten countries in Asia will join forces to develop one vision, one community, one identity.  Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Myanmar, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Philippines, and Brunei will form a collective of labor, ideas, economies, language and spirit to work together toward a better tomorrow, and English will be the common language chosen within the ASEAN Economic Community.  The task set out by the Thai government has been to encourage new language skills and business acumen for more of their citizens to prepare them for the future, and my part as a volunteer and teacher with LIFE (Language Institute for Empowerment) has been amazing!  


What an awesome experience; I get to work closely with eager students of all ages who know that their careers and future development will depend on what they learn today. But who knew I would relish becoming a guide and teacher to so many joyful and enthusiastic students?  These students have shown me a tenacity and creativity that I would never have imagined, and I am thrilled to have even the slightest impact on making a difference in their lives.  


I have made so many new friends and colleagues, and am deeply grateful for this opportunity, I wouldn't trade it for the world.  Yet a whole new world is what I have been given.  Whoever said that true happiness was living your passion and following your dreams was right on target, but how could I have imagined that this would ultimately erase and then surpass all the frustrations and prestige I have known in the business world, but it does in spades.  My mind is once again in focus and my body in tune; living simpler and with pleasure in that simplicity is just what the doctor called for!