Roughly two years ago, I shared that I was starting a new chapter, and a long-held teaching and personal dream: living and working abroad.

I moved to Turkey for one job, and it didn’t work out as expected. I got another role in Turkey, and that role ultimately floundered as well. It was quite the turn-of-events.

Leading up to my move to Turkey, I felt that I was about to embark on something life-changing. I was going to move and live abroad for years, maybe forever. I really felt it in my soul. Six months later I was back home.

It was an adventure to say the least. Was it difficult? Yes. Would I do it again? I don’t know.

I enjoyed being a tourist and the opportunity to travel while between jobs, but uprooting myself, disrupting my routine and my career, just to be back to square one (just six months later)–I don’t know if I could do that again . . .

Fast forward two years, I was applying to live and work abroad again. But this time I was applying with experience, with knowledge of what went wrong previously, and a list of non-negotiables.

It came down to two opportunities: one in South Korea 🇰🇷, one in Brazil 🇧🇷.

In June of 2022 I signed to begin a life in Brazil 🇧🇷 –start date: February 2023. In the ensuing six months I was cautious. I tried not to put so much weight or pressure on myself, or this opportunity. I knew from experience that anything could change, anything could fall through.

Well, 2023 is here, and I have been in Brazil 🇧🇷 for 3 months. It hasn’t been easy; it’s actually been the most difficult cultural and language adjustment to date for me. But I’m doing it.

I once shared that it is a risk and a privilege to do something like this, to move abroad, to live abroad, to work abroad. Moving away from everything familiar takes gumption. Tremendous courage. Doing it again, when the first time didn’t work out, takes even more gumption, even more courage.

I don’t know if I made the right decision–Brazil 🇧🇷 over South Korea 🇰🇷. I don’t know if this is the best career move. I do know that trying again was brave, that pursuing a dream is brave, and that just as I want my students to be brave, so too must I be brave . . .