New job & new opportunities

While I was home in August, I got a job offer from a school in San José called Politécnico Internacional.  I was hoping there would be full time hours, but I got a part time schedule emailed to me and decided to take it, in hopes of maybe picking up more hours or subbing classes when I got back to Costa Rica. It turns out the school is great, and a lot more organized than Maximo, although there is still a "Tico time" way of dealing with things...I didn't officially sign my contract until the second week of classes!  Overall though, I love working there.  The students are awesome and my fellow teachers and both academic directors are great as well.  The pay is better per hour than Maximo too, but only working part time has been a little challenging, as it's very difficult to save money since everything is so expensive here. The commute is also taxing. I think I've spent half my time here on a bus!!!

Sunday marked a year in Costa Rica, and it really got me thinking. No matter how much I love Costa Rica and my job here, I know in my heart that not everything that glitters is gold.  A year here has been the biggest decision that I've ever made...but I know there are other opportunities that I can take advantage of, and I've come to the realization that maybe I need to explore those.  In order to be able to save money, I took an online teaching position part time, recommended to me by Bridge.  It pays $10 an hour and I think it's going to be really fun! I'll get to meet people from all around the world and apply what I know as well as learning new skills I'll use in my in person classes. The best part about it is that I can teach no matter where in the world I happen to be. After three months, I could switch to a real full time job (40 hours a week), but I would get to teach in my pajamas! 

Right now, the option that I'm considering is to go home for Christmas, come back to Costa Rica for three months, then go back to the U.S. for the summer (until September).  I could work full time teaching online and be able to save money, while still taking occasional weekend trips outside of the Central Valley. I'm really wanting to teach somewhere new, so I think in the spring I'll interview for a school in Cuenca, Ecuador.  I would have to return to the States if I got this job anyway, since I need a visa to teach there and the closest Ecuadorian consulate is 4 hours away in Las Vegas. There is also the school in Liberia, but I don't want to be disappointed if it doesn't work out, so I'm going to have a Plan B this time.

Job hunting brings a whole new meaning to "full time job".

It's been a little difficult to find time to write lately.  I've been really busy between both jobs, skating, teaching and volunteering.  Searching for a job has consumed a lot of my free time lately.  It's pretty much been like a third job.  I've had two interviews, one at a school in Liberia, Costa Rica called Instituto Estelar Bilingue and the other in Queretaro, Mexico for Bridge (the organization that I got my IDELT certificate from). 

So far, the Liberia school is my first pick.  I've been to Costa Rica twice already, and I'm comfortable there.  I have dreams about my experiences there, and I can picture myself teaching English there.  It's a perfect combination of local culture and experiences and the tourism industry, plus Liberia is only an hour and a half away from the Nicaraguan border and not far from the beach.  I've been talking to my host brother, and having ties to the country is always a comforting feeling, especially since I'll be so far away from friends and family.  I've been in contact with another school called Idiomas Mundiales, which is based in San Jose and Heredia in the Central Valley.  The prompt response from there really shocked me, as he told me he was very interested in hiring me, I just had to be in country and the interview was just a formality really.  This was even before I was done with the IDELT course when I was still in Santiago.

My second choice is still being decided.  There's a full time job in Antigua, Guatemala (which is outside Guatemala City) at a preschool.  I'm still trying to see if I could exhibit enough patience with children to teach English at a preschool, but Antigua looks like an absolutely beautiful city.  I would definitely consider moving here and it would be a big risk for me to move somewhere where I didn't know anyone, but I know (just like my experience in Chile) I would make a lot of friends and learn so much about myself as well as my students.

I haven't really researched the school in Poza Rica, Mexico yet.  From what I've read, the pay is really good for Mexico standards and the school is funded by the oil company, Pemex, so they have really competitive pay rates compared to other schools in the region.  I actually hadn't even heard of this small city.  Apparently, most of the population moved years ago, so the town's population now is about 34,000 (half the size of Flagstaff).  Its close proximity to the beach and some insane Mayan and Aztec ruins make it really appealing to live, plus I could always meet family and friends in Cancun or other locations during vacations.  I adore everything about Mexico and I know I wouldn't have issues with eating Mexican food every day either. :)

I'll be updating as soon as I know anything...at this point, I'm pretty much a sitting duck until July or August, which is when the hiring season in Mexico starts and also when the director of the school in Liberia will be able to tell me whether or not the teachers are going to be renewing their contracts.  The director of the preschool basically told me that I'd come in October, stay for a two month trial teaching period, and be hired in December.