Halong Bay, Vietnam

 In case you missed my professed love affair with Vietnam, 

you can see our pictures from Hoi An {here} and {here}

(as a side-note, last week's Bachelor episode with Juan Pablo was filmed in Hoi An!) 

Halong Bay was an absolute mystery and an absolute delight. 

It is one of the natural wonders of the world, and it's not hard to see why. 

Kevin and I booked at 3 day, 2 night cruise on a junk boat in Halong Bay. 

oh.my.gee. 

It was breathtaking, almost unbelievable that anywhere could be so utterly beautiful. 

The first day we arrived, we cruised out into the bay and went kayaking. 

It was so much fun to meet the other guests on the boat, as it is such an international mix! 

We made friends from Australia, France, South Africa, Ireland, Israel, England, Korea and Portugal. 

The food was fabulous, and they even catered to me being gluten/dairy free! I was impressed:) 

Everything is so fresh and delicious. 

The second day was one for the record books, as it was probably one of the best days of my life. 

A second boat came and picked up a few of us (the 3 day people!)

and headed another 2 hours into the bay where there were literally no boats in sight! 

The boat anchored, and we had hours to swim, kayak, lay out on the deck, 

read and eat more delicious and fresh food! 

Friends, it was heaven. 

We swam in the clear waters, kayaked to private beaches,

 and literally laughed and pinched ourselves at what we were experiencing. 

We did not take it for granted! 

We also had the most glorious sun, which can be a rare treat in Halong Bay. 

Do not go to Vietnam without going to Halong Bay! 

A few tips if you are going: 

- book your boat in Hanoi, as the prices are cheaper! 

- We'd completely recommend doing a 3-day cruise if you can! The 2nd (all day) part was our favorite! 

- We chose the Halong Dragon Cruise (which was a bit on the middle/lower end, at $175pp). If you are looking for a really great one, our friends recommended the Margueritte Junk Boat, which was a little pricier at around $240pp or so! 

- Bring a waterproof bag to put your camera in when you go kayaking, and for general weather on the boat! 

- Definitely bring your swimsuit!!! 

Enjoy the pictures…sorry there are so many, hehe!! 

Happy Monday,

love Katie 

 {our dear friends we met….from France, and Australia!} 

 {the floating village in Halong Bay}

 {the pearl farm below…fascinating!} 

wonder-filled

 In the midst of all this travel talk, I thought I'd squeak in a post about the life happening around me lately.

 It has been filled with wonder.

wonder-filled. 

You see, Kevin and I are in a "sowing" season now. 

A time where we buckle down and do the hard work, 

get our hands dirty, 

and put in long hours,

so that in the future, we will reap what we have sown.  

For us personally, this means Kevin going back to work full-time at our family's restaurants, 

and me going back to school full-time to get my masters in counseling (MFT). 

These are long days, filled with reading and errands, and well, life. 

And for a couple who has spent the last few years traveling the world,

 exploring and meandering, 

working on our own time,

and discovering all things "new"

this shift to schedules and routines and a long road of commitments

could seem, for lack of a better word, boring. 

But instead, God has dipped this meaningful chapter in a golden hue. 

He has taken the mundane, and literally flipped the switch of mediocrity into an illuminated mercy. 

I  have had the most incredible ride just sitting back this last month and watching God show himself to be nothing less than fantastically in tune with our hearts… 

blessing us with gifts that surprise and leave us in awe

at his tender love and unique care of the things that make us happy.

life, while more structured in one sense, is never without wonder. 

Remember how I told you I was starting school to get my MFT? 

welp, i'm now in my third week and LOVING IT! 

Friends, school is my JAM! Everything I am learning to so relevant and fascinating:)

And, as many of you know from experience, school is not cheap. In fact, it's downright expensive! 

But what do you know...lo and behold…a few weeks before school started, I received an email from one of the directors of my program asking if I would be interested in applying to be their graduate assistant! The short story is that I was hired for this position, and now receive a lovely reduction in my tuition!! I was literally humbled as I watched the Lord just outdo himself and provide for Kevin and I in such a beautiful way. 

wonder-filled

If you've been following my blog long enough, you'd know that Kevin and I lived the last 5 years in a low-income neighborhood. The kids and families we met there, changed our lives. This past weekend I visited our complex for the first time since we've been back from Nepal. As I parked my car, I caught one of the little boy's eyes, who literally LIT UP and ran straight to me. In a matter of seconds, all the kids started yelling "Katie's back!!!!" and running and giving me hugs. Old and young, I sat tethered in a stream of arms embracing, wishing I could have bottled up the love and sheer joy I felt. And it reminded me that the way of relationship is the most beautiful and profound thread of our lives. All those hours of baking with neighbors, and reading books, and playing tag, and hosting dinners…it all mattered. It mattered because I mattered to them, and they mattered to me. And we, together in the business of doing life, mattered to God. You guys, it was so, so holy. 

wonder-filled

and then there have been the little tender mercies from above. 

visits from out of town friends. love notes from my husband. fresh fruit and veggies.

sunshine the entire month of January. 

being hired to capture memories of love-filled events,

absolute peace in my heart, the gifts of the Proverbs, 

in-laws that fill us with laughter and let us live rent-free,

and now house-sitting with Kev at a most beautiful retreat-like home. 

really, it all is 

wonder-filled. 

I hope you find wonder in your daily tasks. Because our wonderful God pours life into even the most boring of days:) Happy Thursday friends! 

Love Katie 

ps- I'm flying to northern california this weekend to visit my family and watch the Olympics! My dad and I are die-hard olympic fans, and for his Christmas present I told him I would come up and be his olympic watching buddy! My two sisters are also driving home this weekend, and together the three of us are playing on a basketball team, in a city league my dad has been organizing for the last 5 years! Should be fun and hilarious, as i'm so out of shape, haha!! 

How to Pay for Travel, Part 4- Teach English Abroad

In case you missed it…"How to Pay for Travel" {Part 1} {Part 2} {Part 3}

One of the easiest ways to kickstart your traveling career is to actually MOVE abroad! Now obviously if you move abroad, you will need to work abroad (unless you have a secret stash of unlimited money…in which case, we should be friends:) haha, j/k!)

Teach English Abroad:

Without a doubt the easiest way to find a job is to find a position teaching English. English is the international language of the world and therefore English teachers are in high demand, specifically in Asia. Fresh out of college, I accepted a position teaching English in Thailand. It was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. If you are at all considering teaching abroad, DO IT! Living abroad lends itself to the convenience of traveling to new places, meeting new friends, and experiencing culture in a profound way (all while getting paid! Yee-haw!).  

Here are a few things you need to know if you are considering teaching English abroad:

1.    Are you TESOL certified? Typically to teach English, you need a certificate that states you have completed a course on how to teach English. These courses are referred to as TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Lanugages) or TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language). Fortunately for us, getting a TESOL certificate really is not that hard! I chose to move to Thailand through a program called TEFL International. I was trained and certified in one month, and then moved on to teach at a school. There are also TESOL certificates you can receive through online programs. Some schools will even train you as part of their package. Just check into different programs and see what the best way to earn your certificate might be! Just as an FYI, getting certified does cost money, but in the end it absolutely pays off!! {And as a tip, I have seen these types of courses on sale through third party discount sites like groupon! So keep your eyes out if you are interested!!} 

2.    Some Countries offer Higher Pay than Others: In considering where you want to teach, you must keep in mind that different countries offer different salaries for their teachers. Japan, South Korea, and China offer some of the highest paid positions, while Thailand and Cambodia offer lower rates. However, it is good to keep in mind that places like Thailand, while they offer lower rates, also have a cheaper standard of living. I’m sure I got paid way less to teach in Thailand than I would in Japan, but eating out for meals was usually a $1 and transportation was very economical. Some of my friends that have taught in South Korea were able to use the money they saved to pay off student loans! Do your research on different jobs to see how much income you will be earning!

3.    Do you want Part-Time Work or Full-Time Work? If you are looking to live abroad AND save money and pay off debt, than working full time fits the bill (no pun intended!). It truly is a great way to kill two birds with one stone! However, if you are looking to live abroad and travel as much as you possibly can, then working part-time is a killer option! I worked part-time in Thailand, which gave me the luxury of soaking in the sites around Chaing Mai where I lived, AND allowed me to explore a lot of cities off the beaten track! Most full time positions will be at government and public schools {some privates!}, and most part-time English teaching positions will be at private schools (at least this was my experience in Thailand. If you are a teacher in another country, feel free to tell me how that works for you!).

My own experience teaching English in Thailand was wonderful. Yes, it is a lot of work, takes a lot of energy {teaching alone is hard enough, much less in a language the kids don’t understand!}, but the relationships you forge and the adventures you have far outweigh the difficult parts! I will say this, I realized once in Thailand, that while I love teaching, English was not the subject for me. And I realized, that’s ok too! At least I got an amazing journey out of the deal:) 

If you have any specific questions about teaching English, or about teaching in Thailand, feel free to send me an email! I lived predominantly in Chiang Mai (Thailand's second largest city…and very beautiful I might add!). I worked at a private school and taught English part time. I had a class of beginners, and tutored advanced students. The great thing is that you really can vary the avenues in which you teach. 

While in Thailand, I also taught at: 

- Summer Camps: Thailand has a variety of English and Summer camps for school kids. These were a fun way to get involved in Thai culture! One particular camp I was the only native English speaker on a bus with 200 Thai Children, yep, and I had a jolly but clueless old time! We rolled up to a gorgeous resort and I taught my classes on the patio overlooking the ocean (not too shabby, eh?). I also got to participate in all the crazy exciting games the Thai counselors had planned for the kids, like laser tag on the beach and scavenger hunts. Most of the time I had absolutely NO idea what was going on (like for REALS!) but I suppose that's what made up the adventure!! 

- Refugee Camps: To the west of Thailand is the country of Burma. The instability of the government and its violent treatment of many ethnic groups has contributed to a rise of Burmese refugees to Thailand. While there, I spent some time teaching English in a large refugee camp for the Karen people group. I will admit it was one of the most humbling and difficult places I have ever traveled to, but it changed my life in a profound way. Volunteering your English skills, and more importantly your friendship and listening ear will go a long way:) 

- Language centers: For a time, I supplemented my hours at the private school by also picking up a job at a language institute. Typically Thai families will take their children to these institutes to be tutored in English for an hour (give or take). My job would be to create cohesive lesson plans for kids once a week, and personally tutor them. This is a great option if you want to pick up a few more hours in your schedule!! 

Lastly, you don't have to be an English major or a grammar pro to teach English. I am neither, and yet was able to get the hang of it! Schools are just so grateful to have a native English speaker on staff. So be kind and generous, work hard, and open your heart, and you will be terrific! {and have COUNTLESS hilarious stories from your students to pass on to your friends and family!}

And you will get to travel like crazy! 

Teaching for the WIN!!!!

{to see more Thailand pictures, click here} 

love Katie