Teaching Traveling: What are innovative and economical ways for teachers to travel during school vacations? Learn from Grace Persico how she saw China cheaply over the summer!
Grace, tell us about your background.
Grace: I am a 32 year old Long Island (NY state) native but now live and teach in the Binghamton, NY area. I have only been teaching for two years, and I teach in a very non-traditional school. Since completing my first degree in ‘02 have done everything from swimming instruction to working for State Farm Insurance.
TT: Tell us about your recent travels as a teacher during vacation.
G: This summer I was in Beijing, China, visiting a friend who lives in the Chaoyang District and doing touristy things. It was such a lively, interesting place!
TT: Awesome! I also visited a friend in Beijing during a teacher vacation. So, how did you find this travel opportunity?
G: A good friend of mine from upstate New York has been living and working in Beijing for more than a year now.
TT: How did you find the money to fund this travel?
G: Savings… and because I was lucky enough to have a friend to stay with and bought my plane tickets months in advance, it was not an expensive trip. In addition, the exchange rate is good right now with China.
TT: Nice! Tell us one moment from your travels that was particularly powerful.
G: I made dinner for eight people one of the evenings! Going to the different markets to buy food, spices, etc was wonderful. Navigating the expat neighborhood on my own was so much fun. And of course, the Great Wall was awe-inspiring. There are too many great memories to choose from.
TT: I bet! How have your travels impacted you as a teacher?
G: The more interesting your life is, the more inspiring you are to those impressionable young people who sit and look up at you day after day.
TT: So true. How have your travels impacted you as a person?
G: In so many positive ways. I am never satisfied or content unless I know that in the relatively near future I will be able to get on a plane or a boat and go somewhere far away (maybe too romantic an outlook, but there you have it). And travelling so far from my friends and family members strengthens my love for them!
TT: What advice do you have for other teachers who are dreaming of travel?
G: The following is a great site to look at if you know you’ll have to be at Incheon Airport for a few hours: Johnny on the Road. Also a really great site: Around the World “L” Travel Blog.
Check out CDC site and US Embassy, Beijing sites as well. Don’t forget about the potentially long process of obtaining a travel visa for certain countries.
That said, if you’re dreaming of travelling and pining for an adventure, by all means make it happen!
TT: Thanks so much, Grace! Readers, what questions or comments do you have for this traveling Binghamton teacher?
The author, Lillie Marshall, is a 6-foot-tall National Board Certified Teacher of English from Boston who has been a public school educator since 2003. She launched TeachingTraveling.com in 2010 to share expert global education resources, and over 1.6 million readers have visited over the past decade. Lillie also runs AroundTheWorld L.com Travel and Life Blog, and DrawingsOf.com for educational art. Do stay in touch via subscribing to her monthly newsletter, and following @WorldLillie on social media!
Grace
Sunday 3rd of March 2013
Many hours of contentment:)
I'm actually looking for a camera of my own. Something tells me lugging around the Polaroid I was given for Christmas in 1996 during my next trip isn't a great idea.
Does anyone have a recommendation for a good camera?
T.J.
Sunday 3rd of March 2013
My wife is also a traveling teacher. I don't remember ever having any teachers that shared stories of travels outside of our home country. You must be very inspirational to your students!
Grace
Sunday 3rd of March 2013
Thank you to my wonderful cousin Frances for lending me her camera....I had so much fun with it.
Lillie of TeachingTraveling.com
Sunday 3rd of March 2013
It clearly got good use! :)