How Long Does It Take to “Make It” As A Freelancer?

By David

When we first set our sights on living abroad, teaching English was the only option we thought we had. It remains a very viable option. Many, many people do it all the time. Alexis is doing it right now. But it’s not the only option.

I planned on teaching English when we moved to Thailand as well, but had a bit of a life-defining crisis the day I got offered a job. I turned it down and that same day created a profile on oDesk.com.

That was in July of 2014.

Work was slow at first. My first paying job was for $2 an hour. I was eager to get some positive reviews under my belt, so I accepted.

Six months later, I am not only making what I would have been had I accepted that teaching job, I am making double that amount. 

Proof

I started freelancing in July but my first paycheck didn’t come until August. I made $516 that month. 

Expat Life Lately: 4 Months in Thailand

By Alexis

At the back of Wat Monthian in Chiang Mai’s old city

Now that we’ve been living in Thailand for about 4 months, I feel like we’re really starting to get into the swing of things. The cultural adjustment doesn’t feel so huge anymore, I’m picking up a little bit of Thai, and it feels like we’re really starting to settle in. We’ve been doing a lot lately, so here are a few updates…

Freelancing: The Pros and Cons and Perception vs. Reality

As I promised last week in my post Working in Thailand, I want to shed some light on the pros and cons of freelancing as well as the perceptions I had going into this type of work and whether those perceptions have turned out to be true.

In general, I am enjoying it very much for the simple most important factor of being in control of what I do with my time. It feels empowering doing something for yourself rather than working for someone else’s dream. Despite the overall positive experience, it’s far from perfect; here’s why:

True Stories From Thailand (part 2)

Teaching a first grade class with one student who’s particulary good with English…
Student [interrupting the lesson]: How do I get the shell out of here?
Me: What??
Student: I heard it in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie…

Helpful (and Free!) Resources for Teaching ESL

Since I started teaching English as a second language (ESL) at an elementary school here in Chiang Mai, Thailand, I have gathered quite the collection of sites to help me in my lesson planning. Recently I’ve found myself using the same handful of resources again and again, so I thought it would be helpful to list those here for any other ESL teachers out there.

I teach English to grades 1, 2, and 3 (focusing on phonics and conversation), so this list is geared toward young learners in those subjects.

Check out some of my favorite resources here!