Ever since I was in high school, I’ve known that I could never handle a typical 9-to-5 job or standard career. It’s just not my style to stay in one place for very long, especially when there’s a vast, expansive world out there to explore. So I put in my time earning some solid teaching credentials, and then promptly moved overseas to teach English in lots of exotic places. After only a short while, I became hooked on the freedom and mobility, and decided this was what I wanted to do.

The only problem with moving from country to country the way I do is the lack of steady benefits from employers. My work contracts are short-term, generally lasting from 1-3 years, which means I’ve had to set up things like retirement accounts and global health insurance on my own. I consulted a financial planner to set up my retirement fund, and I make sure to contribute a substantial amount to my portfolio every month. That was relatively easy. Getting global health insurance, on the other hand, took a bit longer and involved a bit more legwork.

There are many different providers out there that offer global health insurance policies to expats and frequent travelers. I was very careful about researching as many of the top companies as possible so I could make a more educated decision. Of course I wanted global health insurance with affordable premiums that wouldn’t take a huge bite out of my salary, but I also wanted great coverage. I have to admit that it was harder than expected to find a good balance between price and benefits.

In addition, I had to make sure that my global health insurance would be recognized and accepted in whatever country I happened to be living in. As someone who has already spent significant time in such diverse countries as China, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Italy, and Peru, I can’t afford to risk not having the coverage I need when I’m sick or injured. I’ve seen colleagues and friends turned away from various hospitals for not having a recognized worldwide provider, and I definitely didn’t want that to happen to me. So that was another factor in my search for the right global health insurance policy.

As it turns out, I was indeed able to find a policy that fit my needs. My current global health insurance premiums are affordable, the policy provides excellent coverage for a wide range of preventive and emergency procedures, and I’m covered regardless of my current location.

Now that I have global health insurance, I’m truly free to continue my nomadic ways and wander around the world to my heart’s content. Maybe I’ll change my mind and want to settle down sometime in the future, but for now I’m just having too much fun doing things my way!

Technorati Tags: country to country, global health insurance, health insurance

Traveling through the great continent of Europe is a dream for many people in the United States as well as other countries. There is something magical and eternal about Europe, though it is not necessarily the best place to travel, the appeal remains. The question for many is how, exactly, to travel while in Europe. Sure, there are flights within Europe that will take you from place to place. But there are other modes of transportation as well.

Europe seems pretty big from way over here, but the number of places you can go to is incredible, given that the continent is not that much bigger than the continental United States. For that reason, I suggest traveling by train whenever possible, instead of the flights within Europe. Unlike in the United States, train travel is still considered an entirely viable if not preferred method of travel. For that reason, train travel is often faster and more comfortable in Europe than the United States, as well as more affordable. Backpacking through Europe is usually done via train, not plane as it is easy for anyone to jump from city to city and country to country.

Traveling through train has any its other advantages over flights within Europe as well. Train travel allows for you to see out the window at the European countryside. You get a better sense of the lands you are traveling over when you travel through them, rather than fly over them.

Perhaps better than train travel and flights within Europe if you can afford it is to rent a car. Renting a car can be tricky as a foreign citizen, but few experiences are more enjoyable as a tourist. Unlike a train, you can stop anywhere you please, for as long as you want. You also get the benefit of taking any route you wish, going where tracks or planes do not.

Of course, flights within Europe might be the best option if you are low on time and want to get to certain places in a hurry. Train travel can have more lay-overs and transfers and connecting trains than flights within Europe.

Regardless of how exactly you travel, seeing as much of Europe as possible is certainly a great thing. Yes, there are flights within Europe to help you get around, but consider what you are there for and you may see that flights within Europe may or may not be your best mode of transportation.

Technorati Tags: country to country

Nowadays, teaching English as a second language in foreign countries is a popular job because in some ways it�s more like a vacation. You get to travel abroad, you get a place to stay and you�re getting paid. It can also be pretty easy to get a job teaching English in a foreign country�you�re guaranteed employment in some programs if you simply graduated from a university considered prestigious, and you don�t even need teaching experience. But before you enroll yourself in an English teaching program and jump on the next plane, you should understand what the job really entails.

First of all, if you�re going to teach English abroad, you have to be committed. Most programs will require you to stay for a minimum of 1 year, so you have to be willing to devote a considerable amount of time to the position. Also, you might be getting paid, but that doesn�t necessarily mean that you�re getting paid a lot. Teaching English as a second language isn�t a job you go for if you�re looking to save up a lot of money, but earning some money is better than earning none, and some programs are said to pay up to $75,000 a year. However, there�s usually a price to pay for a big salary�the program might be located somewhere undesirable, like a secluded area without any nightlife, or the cost of living might be expensive. Conversely, you�re likely to be paid much less in places where the cost of living is cheap.

On the plus side, teaching English as a second language can be an extremely rewarding cultural experience. It�s a chance to see what life is like outside of your home country, to see new places and learn foreign languages and customs. You might also meet a lot of great people in and out of your program who all come from different walks of life. Most people who come back from teaching English abroad describe having a positive experience, and often find themselves being foreign-sick afterward.

But English teaching programs also receive their fair share of criticism. Certain programs have been accused of racist employment�for example, some programs in Asian countries will automatically hire teachers who are white on the sole basis of their race, even over other Asians. Others question how educational these programs really are. Rather than teaching English to foreigners, teachers might be learning more about foreign culture.

The truth is that overall, the experience of teaching English as a second language varies from country to country, and what teachers get out of the experience will largely depend on which program they choose. Thus it remains a viable option for individuals who are looking for a cultural experience with some pay on the side.

Technorati Tags: country to country, foreign language, second language