What's It Like to Live and Teach Abroad?

updated 5/21/15 to include information on how to find a job teaching abroad and clothing expectations.

I missed my six month anniversary but I'm just about to celebrate my nine month anniversary of being here in Abu Dhabi. I figured that now would be the perfect time to reflect on my time here so far and also have a written record of why I love it here so much (as I may need to look back at this at a later date to remind myself). If you're considering taking the leap and moving overseas, or if you just want to know what it's like to live and work in the middle east, read on.

On what to expect your first month here:
My first month here was undoubtedly the toughest. I was originally supposed to go to teach in Doha, Qatar, but was diverted to Abu Dhabi just a few days before I was supposed to leave. Everyone I've said that to since I've been here has said that I lucked out because in terms of social life there is a lot more to do here, but being diverted last minute meant I had no time to prepare for the change. I had absolutely no idea what to expect when I arrived, which can be a good and bad thing. I started with a clean slate of sorts, but I didn't have the time to research and prepare some of the things that my other coworkers did. If I had to describe my first month here in one word it would be: frustrating. It felt like being out in the world on my own for the first time again. I remember comparing it to being like college a lot. Figuring out how to get around a new city, set up phone and cable service, making new friends, decorating your apartment, and being homesick will probably be a major part of your life. Those things are all the more challenging when you're in a foreign country and not everyone speaks English. This is around the time when you will learn the word 'Insha'Allah'. For example, me:"So you'll come fix my air conditioning tomorrow at 3 pm?" worker:"...Insha'Allah" or 'I may or may not get there tomorrow and it may or may not be at 3 pm, but thank you for calling.'

I was/am part of a Facebook group of teachers who are living and teaching abroad and that helped tremendously. Your friends and family won't likely understand or be able to help with the frustrations you're experiencing so having other friends to vent to and ask questions of can be a big stress reliever. I also joined the Abu Dhabi Q&A group on Facebook, which is a place for people to ask and answer questions related to living here, such as what's the best hospital to go to or where to find cranberries for your Thanksgiving dinner. I also started reading blogs of other teachers who are living abroad to get an idea of what to expect. Two of my favorites are The Abu Dhabi Experience and Black Girl In Abu Dhabi.

On the weather and climate:
It's hot, plain and simple. But not forever :) When I arrived in August the heat was stifling. My air conditioning was also broken the first month I was here so that didn't help. It is hot and humid and you will smell lots of people's body odor, but around October the weather starts to cool down and is just beautiful with averages in the 80s. After a while you'll find yourself thinking that temperatures in the 60s feel as cold as you remember winter to be and you will see people in full on winter coats with hats and gloves.

On teaching abroad:
I can only offer my totally biased opinion on this since I have only worked at one school abroad. This is my first time working at a private, for profit school, all of my time teaching in the States was in Title 1 schools. Both have their pros and cons. I've experienced more parent involvement here, which again, has its pros and cons, and has taken some adjusting to. As far as the children, I love them all and would rather spend my days with kids over adults any day, that goes for American as well as international kids. My work commitments and working hours are a lot more here, we work from 7:30 to 3:30 and are required to do an after school activity for 18 weeks out of the year, but my take home pay is about two times what it was in the states. Most teaching contracts here are two years, so that allows you the potential to save (and spend) a lot of money.

On how to find a job abroad and what to expect if you're offered a contract:
So if you're thinking of teaching abroad you're probably wondering where and how to get started. My journey started after reading an article on pinterest about the top five places to teach abroad, which led me to Teach Away, an education placement company. Some of my friends have also used Search Associates to find other jobs abroad, but since I have no experience with them I can't elaborate on the experience. Setting up a profile with Teach Away is free (I've heard Search charges) and they have counselor who will interview you and help you by sending your resume out to schools that fit your interests. I was assigned a counselor named Una who helped me so much, especially during that stressful time when I was in limbo after I found out I would not be going to Qatar. She answered all of my questions, gave great advice, and has even checked in with me from time to time to make sure that I was/am doing well and happy with my decision. Aside from working with a placement agency, there are also job fairs specifically for teachers looking to work abroad, but they aren't really publicized and it helps to be working with an agency because they will be able to tell you exactly when and where the job fairs are. Most schools overseas begin their hiring process in early January and finish up around March, which is different than in the states, so be aware and plan your time accordingly.

After you interview and are hired by a school you will be offered a contract that will most likely include your salary, health insurance, annual flight home and housing accommodations. Some contracts also include signing bonuses as well as shipping allowances to help pay for moving your stuff from point a to point b, but it really depends on what school you're hired by and sometimes whether or not you ask for it. Most contracts have a clause that tells you not to speak about your salary with anyone else, so I won't give specifics, but if you want to know a ballpark range of what you should expect feel free to send me a private message.

Part of the hiring process will include an authentication of your documents, which is basically just you submitting paperwork to prove who you are and what your qualifications are. It will be extremely helpful and prevent a lot of stress if you have these documents authenticated sooner than later. The process varies by country, but I had to have my college transcripts, degrees, and teaching license verified before I could get my residence visa. I became intimately acquainted with my local post office and spent a ton of money getting it done, looking back I would advise you to save yourself the time and headache by using a courier service and having them do all the legwork for you.

On having a social life:
I'm an introvert by nature but I've challenged myself to get out and do and see more now that I'm here. Living abroad is the perfect excuse to try new things and reinvent yourself if you want to. Abu Dhabi has a huge expat community so there are always new people to meet and explore with. It's like you bond over being new in this foreign place and make friends much faster and easier than you normally would, like college. You can meet people from all over the world here, but what has been most surprising to me is how many people from close to home that I've met. There are so many things to see and do here, it is nearly impossible to be bored. From sports clubs and matches to clubs and bars to cultural events you could fill your calendar with things to do every day of the week, and yes, we do have most of the same restaurants and foods that you have in the states. We don't have Chick Fil-A but I've survived.

One thing I would suggest doing if social activities are important to you and you plan on moving abroad is to sign up for meetup.com and search for the city/country you plan on moving to. Meetup isn't a dating site, it just puts you in contact with other people who have similar interests to you. For example, if you're into dancing, there are meetup groups that plan or go to events around the city. You can talk to other members before going so you can get to know them so that you don't feel completely alone when you go to the event.

You can have an active social life whether you're single and looking to date, or you have a family and want to find other families to do things with. Dating in a muslim country is a little bit different because there are rules and laws against men approaching women to talk to them or ask for their phone numbers in public, and pda is frowned upon, so having a hobby or going out to try new activities will help you to meet people. I have three friends who have met guys and gotten engaged since being here, so the rules aren't that much of a barrier if you're really looking to date.

Maintaining relationships with friends and family can be a challenge when you're living abroad, you definitely need to have a plan for how you will keep in touch with loved ones. Thank God we're no longer in the times of having to buy and load calling cards! Once you get past the major headache of getting a SIM card for your cellphone, you can pretty much talk to your loved ones as often as you want. The only down side is that being halfway across the world means that I'm 8-9 hours ahead of my family on the east coast so when I'm going to bed they're waking up, so it makes finding a time to call a little bit of a challenge.

On how to dress in a muslim country:
No, I don't have to wear an abaya when I go out, and yes, we do have many of the same stores that are in the states. Abu Dhabi is actually pretty liberal when it comes to clothing, the only exception is during Ramadan and other holidays when you might be asked to leave public places if you're dressed in clothes that are too revealing. I would say that 99% of the time no one will look at you twice for wearing shorts or sleeveless tops, I have gone out in both and not had any problems. But I do try to make sure that if I'm wearing a sleeveless top I keep my legs covered or vice versa, and I always make sure to keep a scarf in my purse to cover my shoulders if I need to. Oddly enough, I have started to like dressing more conservatively. Maybe its totally a mental thing, but I feel like people look at me more respectfully when I do. I've even started covering my hair from time to time when I go out and have noticed the same.

On being a black woman and maintaining your hair abroad:
First things first, stock up on hair products and be prepared to purchase all new styling tools. My natural hair definitely went through a state of shock when I first moved here. The water is desalinated but still very salty and therefore drying to your hair and skin. Your skin and nails will inevitably peel, and your hair may shed or break more, so your first major purchase should be a shower filter. Even with that maintaining moisture will be a daily struggle and finding hair products will be next to impossible. This is where that facebook group will come in handy because sometimes people post products from home for sale or trade. Your other option is to have things shipped from home, but shipping is expensive and amazon does not deliver here. Thankfully, I had family come to visit and had them bring me hair supplies so I have a pretty good stash built up. Most people wait until they go home to the states and bring their hair products and other things they can't get here back with them. Another thing to keep in mind is that the outlets here are 220v which means your electronics will at the very least need an adapter to work properly. I have burnt out many appliances even with the adapter, so you're better off just buying blow dryers, flat irons, etc., here.

On living in the US vs living abroad:
While living close to home has its benefits (familiarity with your surroundings, being close to family), and living abroad has its risks (distance from family, potential safety concerns), for me the benefits of living abroad far outweigh the risks. I know that the media paints the picture of the middle east being undeveloped and scary, but those things couldn't be farther from the truth. Abu Dhabi is probably one of the safest places you could hope to live, crime is almost unheard of and the people are generally helpful and friendly. When I was living in the states I had to choose between the things I wanted to do and needed to do with my paycheck, but here I don't have to. I've been able to travel to other countries, shop and treat myself to bi-weekly mani/pedis (I'm trying to cut back but its hard, the struggle is real), and also save a lot of money and pay off several credit cards. I've had a more active social life than I ever did back home and I find myself happier on a day to day basis. I do miss my family and friends a lot, but with skype and facetime I can see and talk to them as often as I want. And I'm allowed to be in the states (for tax purposes) for 30 days per year so I get to see them about as often as I did when I was living in the states. So if I had to decide whether or not I'd extend my contract for another two years today, I would definitely be signing on that dotted line. I've got more places to see!