For the past several months we have been working with a recruiter in South Korea to help place us in a teaching position there.   We have been preparing document after document to be ready for the vigorous visa process.  Background checks, verifying our education, forms, more forms, authenticating documents, resumes, interviews, a TEFL course, the list goes on and on.  The process was not going as planned and if you know Katie, contingency plans were in place.  This is when we decided to expand our search to China.  We interviewed with a company called English First and have been offered a job starting in February in Shanghai!

We are very excited about this turn of events for a number of reasons.  We will be placed in their Profession Schools (aka SMART schools) and will be working with adult learners.   Living in one of the largest cities in the world and learning Mandarin will hopefully open doors for us down the road.   Another benefit is Zane has family that lives in Shanghai.

I will be leaving NITA after seven years and Carelli’s after eight years at the end of the year.   It truly is a bittersweet feeling for me.   Many wonderful people have been brought into our lives because of these two places and I am thankful for this.   After coordinating 110 programs, passing my Certified Meetings Professional exam, taking on the Director role and working with strong personality attorneys for seven years, I have developed quite a skill set that has set me up for success in the future.

Zane graduated last year with his Secondary Education Licensure and has been filling many different shoes in multiple high schools for the last 2 years.   He completed his field experience teaching practicum, student teaching and now substitute teaching.   He landed a full time fill in position as a PE teacher until the end of the year at a local high school.  He is pro at dealing with kids of all ages and classroom management.  I have a lot to learn from him!

The next month is going to call for some adjusting on our part.  It is currently the waiting game for our visas and making flight reservations.  We wrap up work, purge, pack and then relax for the month of January!  After both working 2 (sometimes 3 jobs) for the last many years we hope relaxing will be an easy adjustment .  We will be studying English grammar, attempting to learn some Mandarin and researching life in Shanghai.  Until then…..happy holidays!