"The world is a book, and those who don't travel read only a page," said Saint Augustine.
Americans take this advice to heart. They love to travel so much that they clock in more than 80 million trips abroad every year, and an estimated 8.7 million of Americans live overseas.
But if you're worried you can't indulge your travel bug and still make bank, consider these three best jobs for expats and travelers.
1. Teacher
Back in 2002, I had just completed my bachelor's degree at the University of Alberta (go Bears!) in Canada, and, like many of my fellow graduates, I was hunting for a job. You'd be surprised at the very high demand for graduates from Canadian and American colleges to teach abroad. If your dream is to live in a country for at least a year, then becoming a teacher at a foreign high school, English-language center, or university is a great way to make that dream a reality.
Here are three programs to consider.
JET Program
U.S. citizens with at least a bachelor's degree from an accredited university before July 1st of the departure year can apply to become an Assistant Language Teacher teaching English at various grade levels throughout Japan.
Prepa Tec
One of the largest education systems in Mexico is the Tecnologico de Monterrey. Their high school system (better known as Prepa Tec) recruits recent graduates from universities from several countries to teach a wide variety of courses, including English, Mathematics, Science, and Political Science.
2. Online Tutor
If a nine to five schedule or salary in local currency doesn't sound appealing to you, then take advantage of the internet and tutor students back in the U.S. using tools such as Skype, Adobe Connect, or FaceTime (and get paid in U.S. dollars). Additionally, depending on the length of your stay in various countries, tutoring lets you skip the entire work visa process.
There are several sites that allow you to find students interested in online tutoring.
WyzAnt
Expert tutors can connect with students across the U.S. to schedule online lessons. From GMAT prep to Algebra to French, your subject of choice is available at WyzAnt.
Should you give up career for kids?
I think I spent the last decade deciding if it’s okay to give up my career for my kids.
I am not splitting hairs any more. I am not writing as if I don’t have kids. I am not writing as if I’m in a permanent identity crisis. I’m not writing screaming tirades to defend myself.
Instead, I am choosing peace. Finally. I am settling into the reality that I work relatively few hours a day. I can’t work with other people because my work hours are too erratic. And my earning power, just like the research says, probably topped out at age 40.
So here are things I think about now. Because there is a lot of extra space now that I admit there is no struggle. The deed is done.
