I didn't sign another contract at my international school, so I will be unemployed as of this Friday.
Besides the working conditions,* the biggest factor for my decision was that I wanted more time off. I would have had just a month to go home and see friends and family in the States after being gone for over a year, which is what I had to do last year. It's not enough time to spend with everyone and slow down before a whole 'nother year round of the work grind.
I need a bigger dose, and more frequently distributed. I'm trying to find the balance. This year I'm gonna go home for two months.
Which means I had to quit.
I can afford to take a few months off, especially because I'll receive my last month's salary, a contract completion bonus and a fat tax return all at once.
But I have no idea what I'm doing next, and it's kind of scary.
I keep reminding myself to relax, that I'll be good, and to live in the moment and enjoy this time off with others. But not knowing what's next and when all this should end is putting me on edge.
I'll come back to Taiwan in October. My alien resident card has been extended for 6 months, so they won't kick me out any time soon for not having a job. I still get the health insurance.
It would be easy to simply work at a cram school again. Less pressure than this past gig, but still a grind. But I've been there, done that.
I could teach online again. I didn't make nearly as much money, but it was way more enjoyable talking with adults from all over the world. And I could make my own schedule.
But maybe I don't want a schedule. Maybe I don't wanna do anything!
I can't just stay in vacation mode forever. Plus, I want to work. I enjoy making money and working hard and being useful. Nothing I've done so far in my random careers has shown me what I want to do for the rest of my life. Nothing has lasted more than a year, and that's really only because I had to sign a year-long contract.
What should I do? Should I take these personality tests and determine what job best fits me? Should I make profiles on these freelance websites and start applying for random projects? Should I go off into the mountains in search of my self and meditate for a few weeks in a cave?
I should remember that I'm in a great position right now. Not only do I get to take a break from work and routine for a few months, but then I get to start something new. Most people are stuck for years at a time without an easy way out.
Not me, I'm already out. But how do I get back in?
I was always told not to quit a job until you've already had the next one lined up. But if you want to take some time off, how do you know how long you want between jobs? Why not take your time and figure it out later?
Because of how I'm feeling right now. It's stressful not knowing when the next paycheck will come in, and from where.
Either way, I want to challenge myself to find something new, something I haven't done before. Yeah I could always fall back on my old gigs, and that could keep me afloat if I absolutely had to. But I can do better.
I'll figure it out!
* To read more about working at an international school in Taiwan, click here.
To go back to the blog click here
To go back to the main page click here
Enjoy!