Why I Want to Be a Drifter
I have had old friends and family members in the United States asking me when I'm going to stay in the country and settle. They see my wanting to live in other countries to work and explore as "immature" and think I need to get a "real" job and be "stable". I know what they think would be best for me: a great job where I can make lots of money and have prestige, a house with a big yard, a few children with names like Mackenzie and Aidan, and a golden retriever. A bonus would be a white picket fence and a SUV. It is considered "success" to fit into the typical suburban lifestyle and have lots of things people will envy.
I have decided to opt out of the "American Dream". I have realized it's not worth it to chase after it. Having a home would be nice, but that would also mean having to pay a mortgage and keeping the home up. I would like to own a home, yet it's not something necessary. I also don't want to have a job that's boring just so I can make a lot of money. If I really need the job, then of course I will keep it until I can find something better. Yet I am not going to be a drone so that I can really live after I retire.
I had always dreamed of traveling. When I was a child I had a book called Children Around the World that featured different countries of the world and had pictures of children or dolls in their native costumes. There were essays on each country and some songs, recipes, and words from various languages. I spent hours pouring over that small book. For my seventh birthday I received a globe with bumps for the mountain ranges of the world. I loved looking at it and imagining myself in each country. I knew that one day I would live in another country.
I have always enjoyed travel literature. I have been a fan of National Geographic since I could read. Other children in my classroom were learning to read their primers and I was collecting National Geographics. I remember one article I read on Pompeii, and the cover had a skeleton wearing bracelets. I remember reading about the finding of the Titanic and peering at the rusted windows of the vacant vessel. When I was seven, my classroom received a set of World Book encyclopedias and I spent hours of my free time pouring over the volumes to learn about other places and times.
I finally made my dream come true when I went to teach English in Korea in 2005. I could have left a few years earlier, yet I listened to my family and took more college classes. My mother thought I would be a great dental hygienist because it is a "good job" and "in demand" and I would make "good money". I am glad I left.
Even though the job wasn't always easy, I am glad I traveled.
I know that as long as I am working to make money or studying, living abroad doesn't have to be a dead end. I can opt for the road less traveled, even though it may be rough and I may have criticism, I can do it. I have thought of living in Thailand, South Africa, New Zealand, United Arab Emirates, etc. I am leaving my options open. I may not know where I will be in five years, but I want to be where I am happy and being independent.
I have decided to opt out of the "American Dream". I have realized it's not worth it to chase after it. Having a home would be nice, but that would also mean having to pay a mortgage and keeping the home up. I would like to own a home, yet it's not something necessary. I also don't want to have a job that's boring just so I can make a lot of money. If I really need the job, then of course I will keep it until I can find something better. Yet I am not going to be a drone so that I can really live after I retire.
I had always dreamed of traveling. When I was a child I had a book called Children Around the World that featured different countries of the world and had pictures of children or dolls in their native costumes. There were essays on each country and some songs, recipes, and words from various languages. I spent hours pouring over that small book. For my seventh birthday I received a globe with bumps for the mountain ranges of the world. I loved looking at it and imagining myself in each country. I knew that one day I would live in another country.
I have always enjoyed travel literature. I have been a fan of National Geographic since I could read. Other children in my classroom were learning to read their primers and I was collecting National Geographics. I remember one article I read on Pompeii, and the cover had a skeleton wearing bracelets. I remember reading about the finding of the Titanic and peering at the rusted windows of the vacant vessel. When I was seven, my classroom received a set of World Book encyclopedias and I spent hours of my free time pouring over the volumes to learn about other places and times.
I finally made my dream come true when I went to teach English in Korea in 2005. I could have left a few years earlier, yet I listened to my family and took more college classes. My mother thought I would be a great dental hygienist because it is a "good job" and "in demand" and I would make "good money". I am glad I left.
Even though the job wasn't always easy, I am glad I traveled.
I know that as long as I am working to make money or studying, living abroad doesn't have to be a dead end. I can opt for the road less traveled, even though it may be rough and I may have criticism, I can do it. I have thought of living in Thailand, South Africa, New Zealand, United Arab Emirates, etc. I am leaving my options open. I may not know where I will be in five years, but I want to be where I am happy and being independent.
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