My reasons for going to Thailand were manifold. And it wasn't my initial choice, either. Far from it, actually. I was working a job I hated, had no interest in, and honestly felt was far below me. I read The Magus by John Fowles at some point in September or October of 2009 and was incredibly inspired. My ex had left me for a younger, blonder girl about three months prior to this time and I just needed to get out. Out of the country, out of my funk, out of my life.
The book is about a man who is unhappy with his life: his boring job, his needy girlfriend, and England in general. One day he comes across an advertisement for a teaching job in Greece. He applies and then is accepted. He leaves dreary England for a remote island on Greece and magical, sexy, mysterious action ensues. I flew threw the six-hundred-something page book in no time. "That's exactly what I need," I thought. I did some research, got in touch with a few American women living abroad in Greece, and started my TEFL course. One woman in particular whom I corresponded with had gone to Greece to teach and wound up marrying a lovely Greek man. How romantic. How dreamy. Exactly what I wanted.
Soon after completing my course I realized that teaching in Greece, or anywhere in Europe, for that matter, would be nearly impossible. Due to the unionization of Europe, European countries only want to hire British English teachers. What luck. Regardless, I was no longer complacent with my life. Complacency is a concept that crossed my mind frequently then and still does now. The word itself is similar to contentment, but different in so many ways. I was in no way complacent, nor satisfied or content. Going abroad was a form of escape.
Soon after realizing Greece would never happen with my American citizenship (believe me, I tried, I was even willing to change my citizenship to Latvian because I have Latvian ancestors, but didn't do so because Latvia was part of Russia when my great grandparent immigrated here and therefore this would be impossible). I applied everywhere I could think of. The people in Turkey didn't get back to me, nor did anyone in any other European country.
I saw a job listing for Thailand and immediately thought of the movie, The Beach. Similar idea to the book. Well, not really, but sort of. Leonardo's character goes to Bangkok as a tourist and winds up on a remote Thai island completely apart from the rest of society with likeminded people. Maybe something interesting and romantic like that would happen to me.
I spoke with a bunch of people who had been there. They all loved it. The cost of living was cheap, there was a lot of fun to be had, and the weather was beautiful. I made some contacts there, got a job acceptance and was on a plane much faster than I ever expected. The Thai school year starts in May. There was a point where I thought I may not secure the job I thought I would. The company I was going through suggested I try South Korea. I declined this idea because that is such a popular destination for people who do what I do. I wanted to be different. To make my mark on the world. I wasn't happy to be just like anyone else. I am me, I am unique.
But most of all I wanted to get out of this country, stat. Boston had become an eerie and haunting place for me. Every corner of ever street, whether in the city itself, or in the meager suburbs held a memory of past lovers, friends, and my fleeting youth. The idea alone alleviated some of the asphyxiating feeling I had had for a while.
It would also get me away from the building in which I worked. It would get me away from him. Far, far, away from him.
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