T minus six days

In six days, I will be on a plane flying to Malaysia. I can’t believe the time is already here.

The past six months have flown by so quickly. It feels like only yesterday I was accepted into the Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship program in Malaysia. I remember it perfectly. I was sitting on the second floor of Davis Library on UNC’s campus, checking my email after class, and I see an email with the subject “Fulbright Application Status (P).” Taking a deep breath, I open the email and read, “Congratulations! We are pleased to inform you that you have been selected for a US Student Fulbright award for 2012-2013 to Malaysia.” I’m speechless. I race out of the library, dialing my parents’ phone number as I take three stairs at a time. By the time my mom answers the phone I have tears of joy streaming down my face. A dream pursued and a dream reached.

Although the program does not begin until 5 January, I am leaving next week to spend a month vacationing with my sister. I’ll be in Malaysia for six days during which time I will play in an Ultimate Frisbee tournament, with the intent of making some valuable connections for the future. Next, I will fly to South Korea to stay with Robin, who is currently teaching drama at the university in Daejeon, for two weeks. When the university term finishes, we will fly to the Philippines to spend 2.5 weeks hiking across rice terraces, kayaking on a subterranean river, and earning our Advanced Open Water Scuba Diving Certifications. Five weeks of vacation before ten months of English teaching. When I return to Malaysia on 5 January, I will have three weeks of orientation – two in Kuala Lumpur, following by one in my teaching state – before beginning work at my placement school.

As of yet, I do not know specifically where I will be teaching in Malaysia. I could be teaching in the state of Terengganu, Johor, or Pahang; I could be in a rural, town, or semi-urban location; I could be living in the staffing quarters of a boarding school or in an apartment with another teacher. However, I do know that I will be teaching at the secondary school – the American equivalent of middle and high school – level; I will be teaching conversational English to aid the students in gaining confidence in their speaking and listening skills; I will be the only native English teacher at my school. There may still be many unknowns, but I find it to be an exciting part of the experience. I have been told that we should learn more details within the next few weeks.

Many people ask why. Why do I do what I do? Why do I want to teach in Malaysia? Because I have a passion for travel, for experiencing different cultures, for challenging myself mentally, emotionally, and physically, for spreading knowledge and awareness about our global community, for doing what many others would never dream of doing, and for making an impact, no matter how small, in the lives of others.