Author: mikebev25

Summer.

The temperatures are warm. The days are long. The kids are out of school. It’s a fun time of year.

How do I normally spend my summer, you ask? It depends on what I am doing with my life. I had done everything from working to traveling to relaxing during the first 29 summers of my life.

But this summer was summer #30. I knew this one had to be different. I wanted to make this one my most memorable summer yet.

It was time to move abroad and get my TEFL certificate.

It wasn’t going to happen overnight. I knew that I would have to spend months carefully planning my moves. A great deal of money would have to be saved. But I was determined to make it happen.

So I started the arduous planning process on a cold, dark, gloomy day in the upstate New York winter. As I sat in a booth at Panera Bread, I made the decision to take the biggest leap of my life.

I was going to do it. There was no backing out. Prague was my destination, and no one was going to stop me.

I honestly didn’t know how I was going to feel when I stepped on European soil for the first time. I think there was some combination of excitement, anxiety, and awe that was just perfect for that moment. I was well aware of the fact that the honeymoon would soon be over, and that my awestruck eyes would quickly have to get down to business.

The next four weeks were full of hard work and stress. But they were so worth it. Yes, the certificate mattered. But having the opportunity to show myself that I could be successful abroad mattered even more. I grew so much as a teacher and a person. I was blessed to meet so many wonderful people. While many of them decided to leave Prague in pursuit of other opportunities, many are still here, and we are all helping each other make this all-so-difficult transition. While I am saddened that many of us ultimately went our separate ways, I am grateful to all those I met during my course.

After the course, I didn’t rest on my laurels. I wanted to use my newfound gift to make a positive impact the children of the Czech Republic. So I went to summer camp for 2 1/2 weeks.

I have never been an outdoorsy person. The one time I went to summer camp as a kid, I hurt myself.

But this entire experience has been about me getting exposure to that area outside my comfort zone. So I did it.

I survived all the bug bites, sore muscles, and summer storms. I came away with an even stronger perception that, yes, I was meant to do this.

As I walked home the other night, I went by one of the very first bars that my new friends and I hung out at soon after the beginning of our course. I remember it well. We had an absolute blast celebrating the Fourth of July. Walking past it again on this September night, I became nostalgic when I stopped to think about how much has changed since then. The 9 p.m. sunsets have been replaced by 7 p.m. ones, and before we know it, it will be dark by 5. The 90-degree temperatures (yes, even though I live in Europe now, I still use Fahrenheit, so deal with it) have come down into the 60s. Out of the 28 people I started my TEFL course with (and most of them were at that Fourth of July party), maybe 10 of us are still here.

Wow. That all sounds very depressing at first.

But then I think about the most important things that have changed since then, and the depression immediately turns to immense gratitude. I also know that my journey is just beginning. I honestly do look forward to the future, knowing that there will be so many more memories and moments of transformation ahead. I didn’t come here to do this just for one summer and then let go. I’m on board for the long haul. I want to see Wenceslas Square decorated for Christmas. I also want to see my teaching career blossom to the point where, yes, I am changing the world.

Do I miss my family back in the United States? Of course I do. But I know they are proud of me and that we will all reunite soon enough. When that day comes, I am going to have a lot of stories to tell. Stories that the me of five years ago or even one year ago would have never dreamt of. I can’t wait to tell those stories.

Summer of 2019, you were truly the best summer of my life. I am saddened that you are gone, but the impact you made on my life will never be forgotten. Thank you for everything.

“Where will you be in 10 years?”

This common, fair, and seemingly innocuous question has been asked at job interviews, on first dates, and in BuzzFeed quizzes for years now. But do we really take the time and think about where we will be come 2029, or, for that matter, where we were in 2009?

I do.

As I reach the dawn of my 30s, I wanted to jump in my time machine to 2009. I was entering my junior year at Springfield College. Sports journalism was my chosen career path, and I was prepared to have a prominent role with my college’s student newspaper as the second half of my four-year stint in Western Massachusetts began.

Journalism was it. I was going to be the next Red Smith or Grantland Rice or Mike Lupica.

(Okay, that might be taking it a little far, but, as I tell my students, follow your dreams.)

As far as I can remember, no one actually ever asked me the question back then, but if they had, what would I say? I might have thought about being a sports writer or beat reporter in a mid-level U.S. market. Perhaps I could have been an editor or a sports talk radio host (let’s face it, I do have the face for radio). Any of those would have been perfectly fine. The possibilities, or so I thought, were endless.

Here comes the good part. 2019 Mike goes back in time and has a conversation with 2009 Mike. After exchanging initial pleasantries, 2019 Mike informs his younger self that he will be an English teacher in the Czech Republic once he turns 30.

2009 Mike stares into space in shock, trying to process the enormity of what he just heard. Thirty years old? Teaching? The Czech Republic? Donald Trump as President of the United States?

What in the world?

I mean, 2009 was pretty scary in its own right. There was swine flu (which, full disclosure, I came down with). Michael Jackson, Walter Cronkite, and Ted Kennedy died. The absolutely awful David Paterson was the Governor of New York.

But still, back then, the remote thought of me teaching English and being 5,000 miles away?

Preposterous.

Again, I really don’t know what my definite answer for the 10 years question would have been back in 2009, but I know that would have been the absolute furthest thing from it. Heck, you could have told me that I would be the starting first baseman for the Boston Red Sox, and I might have even found that to be more believable.

I bring up this question now because in two days, I will end my third decade on this planet and start my fourth. The changes I have gone through since I began decade number three are almost immeasurable.

You see, ten years ago, I was a naïve, unassuming young man with scruffy facial hair under my chin. I had never traveled abroad and had only been to a handful of states. I didn’t drive. When it came to education, being the student was the only thing I had ever known. I had not had many life experiences and had not yet come out of my shell. The thought of living independently, without family nearby, was terrifying and unrealistic.

I was a good person and a good student. I had some friends, but I just wanted to go with the flow, stay out of trouble, and not ruffle any feathers. The comfort zone I had built was very appealing, and I was unwilling to step outside of it.

That comfort zone continued to be very attractive for the majority of my 20s, even as I bounced around from journalism to sales to the U.S. Postal Service to teaching and considered a plethora of other options along the way. In fact, I don’t think I completely jumped out of it until I boarded that plane at Newark Airport.

As I reflect here on the many changes that I have gone through since I waved goodbye to my teenage years, the ability to finally step away from my comfort zone and have an experience like the one I have had here is the change I am proudest of. I believe that I did not just come out of my shell, but that I ran out of it with a full head of steam.

This journey has required a great deal of courage on my part. Coming to this decision was the product of a number of sleepless nights and soul searching the likes of which I had never done before.

I could have turned back. I could have just said that this was too hard and walked away.

2009 Mike may have been inclined to do that. His current counterpart, however, was not.

I had to do this for me. I wanted to show the world that I can be a world changer. I wanted to show myself that this dream, a dream that I didn’t even have 10 years ago, could be a reality. Yes, a boy from upstate New York can live in a major European capital and thrive.

So I followed through. I am happy teaching TEFL. I have purpose. I have a place in the world. My work is making a difference and a positive impact on the lives of people. It’s fun. It’s exciting. If I had told 2009 Mike that piece of it, he would have been pretty happy.

Ask the question again. I dare you.

Where will you be in 10 years?

I don’t know for sure. Teaching will almost certainly be a part of it. The rest of the chips will fall where they may.

God willing, we will revisit this question in 10 years. 2029 Mike will jump in the time machine and have a chat with my current self. If it can even be half the conversation that 2019 Mike and 2009 Mike just had, it will be a good one.

It was exactly one month ago. My first ever flight was coming to a close. As the plane was about to land, I had a lot going through my sleep-deprived mind. What was I getting myself into? What would a new country be like? What would the new country look like? On our descent, I got my first glimpse of foreign soil.

It was a bunch of innocuous, bland cornfields. I remember being a little underwhelmed at first. I was coming here to experience a new culture, and those cornfields just reminded me of Nebraska.

But after giving it some more thought, I realized that the cornfields represented a new beginning in my life. The start of my immersion into a brand new culture. After all, corn is yellow, and cornfields are yellow. Yellow symbolizes a brand new beginning. The sun coming up over a new day. Hope.

I knew that, if I was able to see the good in a bunch of cornfields, I would really have a good time when I got to see Old Town Square, Charles Bridge, and the countless cathedrals. The Czech culture is so rich and diverse that it would be very difficult, if not impossible, to experience it all in a month.

And that’s why I’m not leaving.

To put it mildly, it was the most difficult decision I have ever made. I lost a lot of sleep and gained a number of gray hairs on my head. The lure of going back home to my family, my own bed, and Taco Bell was appealing. Not having to go through the rigorous Czech visa process would have saved me a lot of stress and a lot of money.

That all sounds nice, but does anyone ever benefit from taking the easy way out? I know I never have. One month away from my 30th birthday, I understand that I’m not getting any younger. I have to put myself out there. I have to bet on myself.

I have to walk outside my comfort zone and be the person that I would want my children and grandchildren to be. Could I picture myself saying 50 years from now, “You know, kids, grandpa Mike had a chance to live in the Czech Republic, but he moved back to New York?” No. Of course not. Life is about taking advantage of opportunities. You need to grab the bull by the horns. Why would I go back to the only thing I’ve ever known for three decades when I can spice up my life and have the opportunity to teach in whatever country I want? Why go back to my old culture that I already know and was so bored with? I did get a one-way plane ticket, after all.

Bull, meet horns.

It’s crazy how life works sometimes. A year ago, I was at a crossroads. Was my next step education, or was it something else? What was my calling? How could I, a seemingly average middle-class guy, find a way to make a difference in the world?

It all came back to teaching. Teaching was it.

As my wonderful TEFL program comes to a close and I prepare to say “see you later” to a number of new friends that I will miss terribly (but some are staying here, which I’m thrilled about), I know that I am on this planet for a reason. Actually, for a few reasons: to educate, to inspire, and to lead. Yeah, that sounds good.

I’m anxious, but also at peace with my future. The weeks and months ahead will be strenuous, but well worth it.

I think it’s a good time to plant my own cornfield.

When I was a kid, I was a little weird. I always had this fascination with Europe. It was cool. It was interesting. It was special. I wanted to go there one day. It even got to the point that I would only follow the international news, such as the BBC, and my area’s local news stations became chopped liver.

Fast forward a few years. Okay, it’s more than “a few,” but we’ll call it that to avoid showing my age. You see, I have had a fear of flying for my entire life. I was afraid of heights. I was afraid of crashing. Even though statistics show I actually had a better chance of death or injury just driving my car, I knew that, when I drove, at least I was the one in control. I was never, ever going to fly. Period.

That was, however, until a got an offer I couldn’t refuse.

It was January 2019. Upstate New York was in the midst of another terrible winter, with daily cold and weekly snowstorms eating away at my morale. I was at a crossroads in my life. I was merely going through the motions. I knew I had more to give to the world. Even though I had been taking a break from the field of education, I knew that it was my true passion. After multiple rounds of soul searching and praying, my mind had been made up. I was a teacher, and I was going to be a teacher again. After all, I had a $200,000 piece of paper saying I was qualified to be a teacher, and what good was that going to do if it just continued to collect dust?

How was this going to work? Plenty of logistics loomed. While upstate New York is and always will be home, I was, admittedly, getting a little tired of the high taxes, the terrible weather, and the long lines at Taco Bell. Oh, and don’t even get me started on Andrew Cuomo. I just didn’t want to live there anymore. Recognizing that I was about to enter my fourth decade of life, it was time to break the boring, same old, same old routine. It was time for me to break out of my shell and share my personal gifts with the world. Not just New York or the United States, but the world.

Long story short, one Google search led to another, and I discovered TEFL. What does TEFL stand for, you ask? No, it does not stand for Tacos to Everyone For Life. It’s okay; I was disappointed when I discovered that as well. It stands for Teaching English as a Foreign Language. This was my door back into the field I loved so much. My passion for teaching and my wish to see the world were seamlessly coming together. I was going to teach abroad.

Just for the hell of it, I applied for a few jobs teaching English overseas. I began with China and South Korea. I figured if I could get one or two responses for every job application I sent out, then maybe I had a future in this. If they responded, great. If not, it is what it is.

But they did respond. ALL OF THEM. My inbox was flooded. People wanted to interview me. They were eager to tell me about the wonderful benefits package I would get if I came and taught with them. I was a hot commodity. I had never been a hot commodity before. It felt good. It showed me that people legitimately believed I would do great work in this field.

Sure, Hangzhou or Ningbo would have been a great place to work. However, I remembered two things. First, I wanted to be a ESL or TEFL teacher, not just an English teacher as many of these wonderful hiring managers and school directors on the other side of the world wanted me to be. English teacher? Been there, done that. It was time for a little more variety. It might seem like semantics to you, but I care about the small details. Secondly, remember that dream I talked about before? It was Europe. No offense to Asia, but Europe was always number one on my bucket list. Besides, the U.S. and China have this little trade war going on if you haven’t heard. And South Korea’s neighbor to the north is just a wee bit terrifying. Maybe not the best places for me to break in a new career. I knew Europe was it.

So I slowed down. I wanted to focus on Europe. I also realized that I wanted to get my TEFL certification before I even stepped in a classroom on foreign soil. Why not fly to Europe and go get my TEFL certification there?

Oh, yeah, that fear of flying. Right. The Mike of 10-15 years ago might have said, “Okay, that’s it. Too bad.”

But the Mike of 2019 is much different. He said, “Suck it up, cupcake. You’re a big boy. You can do it. That’s what I kept telling myself. I knew that the time for running from my fears was over. I couldn’t be a shy little boy anymore. The best way to handle the fear of flying was to face it head on. It was the only way I was going to escape the sheltered life I had been living for the last 29 years. Time to break out of my shell and depart my comfort zone, which, in this case, was literally the only country I had ever known since I entered this world. I knew that I was meant to do this, and I couldn’t do it if I didn’t show some bravery and an ability to shake the “norms” that were etched in my head. I was getting on that plane and going to Europe.

Europe has 44 countries. I had to pick one. Maybe I could explore my family’s heritage in Italy. Perhaps I could finally use that high school Spanish course and head to Spain. Could it be possible that the cuckoo clocks of Switzerland were calling my name? As I researched, and researched, and researched, I came across this place called the Czech Republic. Centrally located, plenty of history, and amazing TEFL certification programs throughout the country, as well as a booming job market that would get me paid in no time. Not to mention, it was safe, affordable, and clean. It allegedly has excellent beer. This was my kind of place. Seemingly everyone who had ever taught there loved it and wound up staying there. Done deal.

I got my passport, bought my first-ever airline ticket, and spent far, far too much Koruna (okay, I did actually spend American dollars, but I have to get used to saying the Czech currency). After going through 3852614750 steps to make sure every “I” was dotted and “T” was crossed.

I am ready to embark on my journey.

What exactly is that journey? What awaits me now? For starters, I will undertake four weeks of rigorous training at The Language House TEFL in Prague. Then, I will have another piece of paper that means even more to me than the six-figure one I brought up earlier. This certificate gives me the freedom to teach English as a Second Language in any country I want. Ideally, I want to stay in the Czech Republic or go elsewhere in Europe. Somewhere out there, there is that one child, teen, or adult (yes, in TEFL, you can teach adults, too) whose life I can change forever.

The dream is about to become reality. I don’t have to turn on a TV to see Europe anymore, and that is such as a special feeling. It’s time for me to change the world.