“Should I quit teaching English abroad?” It’s a question all expats ask themselves at some point. From what I’ve observed, it happens when you’ve been abroad for two years, then again at three years in, then five years.

I know what you’re feeling. You’re burnt out. You’re tired of the language. You’re getting apathetic at work. The phrase, “Teaching English abroad” doesn’t excite you anymore. You’ve become impatient with the kids you teach, and you hate that about yourself. Is now the right time to quit?

Unfortunately, I’m not an oracle who can give you the answer to that. I can, however, share my experience with you.

I was pretty much set up for life in Taiwan.

When someone asked me how to make money in Taiwan, I instantly hit them up with “teaching English.” Sure, it’s not the most self-realizing career, but if you don’t know what you want to do in life, teaching English abroad is an easy way to start making money immediately. Here’s a short list of reasons why it’s one of the easiest careers to get started on.

• There aren’t many qualifications to get hired. Pretty much all you need is an American passport, a bachelor’s degree in anything, and a TEFL certificate. Of course there are background checks and an online interview. But it’s not extremely rigorous.
• You can get started right away. If you are ready to move abroad immediately, there’s not much planning that needs to go on before you make the big change. One school I applied to wanted me to fly to Taiwan the following week. (I turned them down because I hate rushing.)
• Entry-level pay range is high. Foreign work laws in Taiwan dictate that English teachers receive at least twice the minimum wage.
• You don’t need to think up class content. Some schools will prepare the class materials for you, meaning you don’t need to have any experience preparing lessons.

I worked as an English teacher in Taiwan for four years at an after-school-school. Over the years, I gave the job 150% of my efforts, and as a result I’d gotten recognition and promises of a long future with the company. I was able to sit in on meetings with the top-tier managers, was asked for advice and ideas for programs, and help translating school materials.

In the lifestyle department, I was set. I lived in a huge apartment for next to nothing, furnished it myself, and had a motorcycle that I rode everywhere. I had enough money for Western food, Netflix, and a gym membership, with some money left over to put in savings every month. I had a circle of supportive friends and even an adoptive family. I was involved in in expat groups as well as local social circles, and could speak Mandarin like the Taiwanese nationals. Everyone on my street knew me, and we would exchange news and gossip from the neighborhood. In terms of foreigners living in Taiwan, I was doing pretty darn good.

But I was unhappy.

Something was just wrong.

I’m a development- and growth-driven person, and one of the main things that bothered me was that I didn’t feel I was really going anywhere in life. Sure I had a career and money, but I wasn’t looking back on the weeks and months saying, wow, I really moved forward. People encouraged me to keep up the English teaching track, and told me there were career opportunities ahead, and that I had a bright future in Taiwan if I just kept doing what I was doing. And they were right, but I still had that nagging piece that felt like I wasn’t doing something right. Write. Right.

Oh shoot, writing. And then I realized why I felt like I was treading water—warm and pleasant water, but water I’d been treading for a little too long.

The lost dream

When I got to Taiwan in 2016, I had a dream and a plan. I would teach English during the working day, and when I was at home, I would write and illustrate children’s books. But since my life in Taiwan got good, I had really lost the plot. My Mandarin was great, but not interpreter-level. My personal art was good, but in no shape to sell.

I needed a break to readjust myself and get positioned to start working remotely. Taiwan, which had grown me up, had become a place of holding me back. As much as it scared me, it was time to quit teaching English abroad. So I took a deep breath and left the country where I had built a life, and flew back to the States.

Did it get better?

Emotionally, it got way better. I was no longer vaguely unhappy. And not once have I woken up in the morning and regretted coming home. That FOMO feeling I was so scared of just hasn’t hit.

Success hasn’t come overnight. For the past three months, I’ve been unemployed, trying to make sense of the whole Remote Work Thing. I may not be making any money, and I may not have written this generation’s Great American Novel or published a comic book. But when I wake up in the morning, I have purpose. I like what I’m doing, and I’m not going to end up an old, tired expat with nothing to show for it. and I’m on the track to a fulfilling future. I traded a lot to be here—My own apartment, a social life, a covid-free space (Taiwan remains virtually untouched by the pandemic) and a tropical climate. But even now, in the frozen north with the bare trees and gray skies, I feel like I’m on track. And for me, that’s worth it.

So…should I quit teaching English abroad, or not?

That’s a HUGELY personal decision, one I would not presume to answer for you. It’s a decision you need to come to on your own. I can, however, share the signs that told me

it was time to change my career, and see if you relate with any of them.

• A general feeling of stagnation
• Plateauing with language progress
• Vague unhappiness most of the time
• An increasing craving for Western food
• No interest in exploring the country anymore
• Impatience with local customs and language
• Romanticising the state or country you came from
• Starting new projects or making new friends isn’t as exciting as it used to be

If you’re experiencing any of these symptoms, I would say yes, it’s definitely time to take a good look at your dreams and life goals, and make a plan to move on.

Future work

I’m currently learning about how to write SEO articles. The current plan is to find out how to connect with web designers who need content. I’m in the middle of finding that venue, and when I do it will warrant a second blog. But for now, I’m going to keep learning, keep getting up and dressing for work even if it’s just to sit at the kitchen table, keep making art, and above all, never look back!