While I was at home, several people asked me one very intriguing question:
“So what are your plans after Japan?”
Me: “Ummmmm…..ask me in six months when I start to fill out applications.”
Even though coming back to Japan was hard and I was considering NOT doing another program after Japan, now that I’m back into the swing of things over here, I’m thinking that yes DEFINITELY I’ll do another program. Home will always be home. It will always be there and be a wonderful, beautiful, cherished place to go to. Eventually I was to settle down there, but for now……let’s go somewhere! 
Since I’m bored to tears everyday at school, I’ve been researching different programs and places to go once my JET contract ends in July. So far here are the options in no certain order. Please, weigh in on what you think! (Side note….hopefully Ian will have his BA degree completed by the time we apply to these programs. If that’s the case, we’ll both be applying to them!)
1) AKT2 Program
OVERVIEW: It takes professionals looking to earn a teaching certificate to Alaska to teach in partnering districts. This is a two year (at least) program.
PROS: I could earn my teaching certificate for nearly nothing WHILE earning a full time salary. Teaching certificates are quite pricey, so this is a SWEET deal! Since it’s in the States, we wouldn’t have to worry about work visas, immigration, etc. The teaching certificate would easily transfer to Kentucky so that when we (eventually) moved back, we could find jobs (hopefully) in the public school system. Plus, it’s Alaska, which is GORGEOUS! Perhaps we could even scoot on over to Russia while we’re up there and check that country off our travel list. Since Alaska is still in the USA, perhaps more friends and family could visit us while we were there…..
CONS: It’s Alaska…..the cold state that is dark for six months out of the year. I HATE, HATE, HATE the cold. If where I think I am now is rural, I probably think I shouldn’t go to Alaska. Something tells me that the bush of Alaska in dead winter with snow blocked roads and minimal internet connection is a lonely, lonely place. Also, I’d have to take the Praxis I and II. I thought I was done testing!!! I’d have to go back and study silly math and science equations that I haven’t seen in ten years. Blarg!
2) South Korea
OVERVIEW: I could join any number of programs in Korea to teach English. It would be similar to the job I currently have…just in a new and different country.
PROS: We already know Asian culture. Granted, I’m sure that there are stark differences between Korean and Japanese cultures, but we now understand the Asian mindset. Korea is a HOT BED for English teaching jobs. In all of my searching, it was probably the country that most need/wanted English teachers. I doubt we’d have difficulty finding a job there. Since I’m getting my TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) certificate, it would probably be most used if we went to Korea. Not a lot of employers in the States care if you have a TEFL certificate since it’s mostly used for jobs overseas. Compared to Japan, Korea is MUCH cheaper to live in and easier to get around in. Our expenses would go down and travel opportunities up.
CONS: Unlike Alaska, this would be an abroad job, so we’d have to go through the tedious and mountain-like stack of paperwork again: the visa applications, immigration documents, medical records, etc. Plus, it’s another 1-2 years of Asian culture…..another 1-2 years of horrible drivers, indirect communication, bowing, and standing out as a foreigner. Plus, I know that 95% of the English teaching jobs in Korea are not as good as my current JET job. The benefits and pay just can’t match.
3) Department of State- Foreign Service Officer
OVERVIEW: Sounds important and flashy, doesn’t it? I would be working at an embassy or consulate abroad and doing anything from helping facilitate adoptions to promoting peace and prosperity abroad.
PROS: HELLLLLOOOOOOO GOVERNMENT JOB! This is a sweeeeeeeeeet deal with a great salary and amazing benefits and housing package. It would allow me to have the best of both worlds: American job with travel benefits.
CONS: This job is SO MUCH MORE of a serious and formal job than what I currently have. Instead of getting “dressed up” in my flowing salmon colored skirt and beaded blouse that I wear now, I’d actually have to wear a business suit everyday. Instead of running around and playing duck, duck, goose with five-year-olds, I’d be filing documents and speaking to adults about serious issues. That part is a little intimidating. Also, I have no control over my placement. I could be placed in somewhere awesome like Berlin or some terrifying middle eastern country ending in –stan. Since it is a government job, I’d be subjected to the harsh and mentally draining testing procedures that they give interviewees. Also, this job has absolutely nothing to do with education, the field that I (think I want to) stay in.
4) Teach for America
OVERVIEW: Teach for America allows American citizens to accept jobs in more rural or lower income schools, allowing the candidates to make an impact on their students.
PROS: I’d continue along the teaching route and could obtain my teaching certificate. Like the Alaska program, I’d have a full time job while earning a teaching certificate would transfer back to Kentucky, so when we eventually settled down in Paducah, I’d (theoretically) be able to find a teaching position there. Plus, I’d be getting lots of in-country teaching experience, which is extremely different from abroad teaching experience. This program would keep me closest to my family and friends. I’m able to pick where I want to go, and I’d want to stay in the southeast. That would allow me to be closer to home to while experiencing a different sub-culture (ie, if I taught in Appalachia or the bayous of Louisiana). I’ve never lived anywhere outside of the Paducah area in the USA, and this would afford me with that opportunity. We could pack up all of our stuff and move easier than any other program, and we wouldn’t have to worry about what to do with my car (Ian’s sister is currently driving it until we get back).
CONS: Blarg. That darn Praxis test raises its ugly head again. I’d have to take the Praxis I and II as part of this program. In addition, unlike the Alaska program, I’d have to pay out of pocket to receive my teaching certificate. That could easily cost $10,000 in two years.
5) Peace Corps
OVERVIEW: The Peace Corps is a volunteer program that takes participants to rural and often poverty-stricken countries in the world that need help in the areas of education, infrastructure, farming, etc.
PROS: The Peace Corps will definitely take care of you, train you, and help you get set up with your new life. In addition, they ask for all walks of life, so with our language and living abroad experience, I don’t think we would have a difficult time being accepted to this program. Unlike the rest of the programs, absolutely NO testing is required. Hurray! The benefits are also pretty sweet: full medical and dental coverage, twenty-four vacation days a year, grad school opportunities for Ian, student loan assistance for Ian, and once volunteers complete their time, they are awarded a little over $7,000 (pre-tax) as a “readjustment stipend”. Finally…need I really say that Peace Corps is an AMAZING thing to put on a resume? Peace Corps is basically gold on a resume….good gosh it opens A LOT of doors!
CONS: It’s a volunteer program, so the pay isn’t very good. Peace Corps will give volunteers a living and housing stipend which is a fairly comfortable income for the country of residence, but if we were looking to save money during our time of service, it would be darn near impossible. Ultimately, we have no power in selecting where we’ll end up. We can put down preferences, but it doesn’t mean that we’ll end up there. We could be sent to a poverty-stricken Caribbean island or to the jungles of the Congo. That not knowing or having the power to decide scares me a little. Finally…..Peace Corps is a twenty-seven month commitment. That’s a full two years and three months…..which is a pretty long time. If we don’t actually earn an income, it might be difficult to pay for flights to come home during that time. Plus if we’re in more rural areas, internet connectivity might be an issue, and I’m not sure that I’d be able to talk to friends and family very often.
Okay! I’ve thrown it all out on the table. Clearly, there are more pros and cons for each job, but these are just brief glimpes of each job. I’d love to hear back from you guys! What do you think should be the next adventure for the Reeds?
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