Learning Mosaic

Great opportunities don’t often come from ease. I’m reading Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell who makes the argument that it’s not just talent, intelligence and drive that creates great success, but also opportunity available from circumstances beyond our control.

I have moved overseas at a time when I had reached a good deal of security and comfort in the US. But being a restless individual with a dream to travel, I pursued opportunities to work as an educator overseas. In the last 15 months I have grown professionally through my position away from the classroom as an ed tech specialist, learned to live in and appreciate a new country and culture and traveled to 8 countries and on 3 continents. I couldn’t have done that on a teacher’s salary in the US and the opportunities to expand positions and experience as an educator in US schools is more limited.  I have also become friends with colleagues and worked with students who have lived all over the world. Although I miss my family and friends back in New Hampshire each day, this has been a challenging and greatly rewarding new phase in my life.

What opportunities in your life have been presented to you or that you have pursued that have changed your life in a positive manner?