We're considering going home (the U.S) after this school year. We've been overseas for 10 years and have loved much of our time as international teachers, but there's something very attractive about sharing our home, culture, friends, and family with our children who can't remember ever living where they were born.
Just looking for advice, warnings, recommendations, etc from anyone who has ever done this, is planning to do this, or planned to and changed his/her mind.
Going Back Home
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shadowjack
- Posts: 2140
- Joined: Sat Oct 06, 2012 9:49 am
Re: Going Back Home
Do you have jobs to return to? Subbing? A property to move back into? Renting? Long term plan?
I know people who returned home but could not find work and within a year burned through a huge chunk of money, went late recruiting and got a position. Others who have returned home, landed work and are solidly back in the US teaching mode.
Are you ready for the fact that many of your friends might have moved on, and that, your summertime visits aside, they have their own lives and things don't go as you expected? (we had this with family when we moved to be closer to them, especially seeing how our kids were treated by my in-laws as opposed to the nieces and nephews (which was one reason why we went overseas in the first place).
Make a plan. Have a budget. Talk to each other about your expectations for the move, both personally, as a couple, and for your kids. Plan for both of you working, one of you working, neither of you working, but with subbing. Start applying for teaching jobs back home and work your teaching colleague/former admin connections to see what is out there.
Most of all - good luck! We've been overseas 11 of the past 16 years, but did a 3 and 2 year stint back home in between a one year working experience in a different country. There is no telling how it will work out until you do it, but if you go into it with a plan and your eyes open, you'll do ok!
I know people who returned home but could not find work and within a year burned through a huge chunk of money, went late recruiting and got a position. Others who have returned home, landed work and are solidly back in the US teaching mode.
Are you ready for the fact that many of your friends might have moved on, and that, your summertime visits aside, they have their own lives and things don't go as you expected? (we had this with family when we moved to be closer to them, especially seeing how our kids were treated by my in-laws as opposed to the nieces and nephews (which was one reason why we went overseas in the first place).
Make a plan. Have a budget. Talk to each other about your expectations for the move, both personally, as a couple, and for your kids. Plan for both of you working, one of you working, neither of you working, but with subbing. Start applying for teaching jobs back home and work your teaching colleague/former admin connections to see what is out there.
Most of all - good luck! We've been overseas 11 of the past 16 years, but did a 3 and 2 year stint back home in between a one year working experience in a different country. There is no telling how it will work out until you do it, but if you go into it with a plan and your eyes open, you'll do ok!