I lived in Venezuela (not in Valencia but a similar-sized city) and my husband is also from Venezuela, so we go back often to visit.

The pros: You are a short drive away from truly incredible beaches. Travel within Venezuela is almost impossible without having the proper visas and access to currency, which you would have, so I see it as a great opportunity to travel a hidden gem of a country. You will have a relative amount of freedom in your school to teach how you like, and Venezuelan parents are generally supportive and grateful that you're there teaching their children. You will also be able to save a ton of money in dollars as the cost of living is quite low due to inflation of the local currency (the dollar is very strong... you can buy lunch for about $1 or $2).

The cons: You are in a country on the point of economic collapse. It works in your favour if you earn USD (which you would I think) and if you are not picky about having imported food or luxury items you can get by just fine. The news stories you see about people waiting in line for hours to get food are for the subsidised government grocery stores, but you will be able to afford to shop at a regular supermarket. You'll have all the produce you can imagine as well as other basics. The electricity blackouts are unavoidable but hopefully not permanent as the country runs on hydroelectric dams and rain should be coming soon....

Venezuela is an amazing country. I am so grateful for the time I lived there, even with blackouts, shortages, and government instability. You will be able to skate by most of this if you can stay cool under pressure and go in with an understanding that Venezuela is not a developed country and does not operate like one. Be patient and try to enjoy the experiences, even the crazy ones. I hope this helps!

Hi fellow teachers,

My husband and I decided that next school year will be our last in our current school. I began making a Search profile hoping that I could work on it over the summer, but I see that we need the 3 letters of recommendation to activate our profile. Is May too soon to ask for a letter?