Life takes an unexpected turn to Thailand, mesmerizing 'land of smiles'

People often ask me why I chose to move to Thailand. My first response is always a laugh and a "Why not?!"

Of course, my real reasons run deeper.

At the end of my study-abroad year in Japan in 2006, I took a short vacation to Phuket, an island in southern Thailand. (It's pronounced "Poo-ket." Phuket was one of the areas of Thailand that was devastated by an unexpected tsunami in 2004.)

After less than a week on the island, I was captivated by the culture, mesmerized by the natural beauty and drawn to the kindhearted people. It didn't take long for me to understand how Thailand got its nickname, "the land of smiles." Everywhere I turned there were smiling faces, helping hands and always someone interested in a friendly chat.

When my short visit was over, I placed some Thai money (called "baht") in my wallet and vowed to return. I didn't know when and I didn't know how, I just knew I wanted to go back, to learn more, see more, to experience Thailand as more than a tourist.

An opportunity to return came sooner than expected. After teaching in a children's ESL (English as a Second Language) program in Hawaii in 2007, I found I had a knack for teaching but recognized that I needed some proper training.

I searched for ESL teacher certification programs and quickly realized that the high cost of living in Hawaii plus the expensive program fees added up to an amount far beyond my means. If I wanted to take the course, I would need to find a lower-cost option in a place where the cost of living was also significantly lower.

My research turned up several programs in Thailand where I could live on about 150 baht (less than $5) a day! I applied to a four-week course, booked a one-way ticket, sublet my apartment, packed my bags and headed for "the land of smiles."

Uprooting and relocating have never really fazed me. Foreign places and foreign languages may understandably cause a great deal of stress for some people, but for me these things represent challenges that lead to unimaginable rewards. I have never been afraid of going to new places on my own.

So I was indeed shocked by the feelings I had on the day of departure. I had imagined that I would be bursting with the excitement of new beginnings and adventures unknown. Instead, I found myself overwhelmed by anxiety and a sense of fear that I had never felt before.

Did I make the right decision? What if I run out of money? What if the program turns out to be a scam? What if I don't find work? Should a young American female really be traveling alone to Thailand?

As I stood in the security line at the airport, hands shaking, stomach in knots, I wondered if perhaps I should just turn around and go home. Maybe this was one of my wild ideas that had gone too far. Who really just packs up and moves to Thailand?

I do. Or rather, that is exactly what I did!

I never intended to really move to Thailand. I simply planned to take the four-week certification course, which was to be followed by a four-month teaching contract in a Thai government school. At the end of my contract, I imagined that I would head back to Hawaii and return to working as a (newly certified) ESL teacher.

But everyone knows life doesn't always work out the way we plan it ... and sometimes it is better that way! It is often the unplanned events that lead to the truly amazing, unforgettable moments of our lives.

For me, four months in Thailand turned into six, six turned to eight, and now more than a year later I still can't seem to tear myself away. And why should I? I have met some of the kindest people, taught some of the most enthusiastic and respectful students, seen some of the most beautiful temples, eaten some of the most delicious food, and experienced a life that I had before only read about in books or seen on TV.

So my humble advice to you is this: The next time you embark on a new adventure, big or small, and you feel a bit of anxiety, find your hands shaking and your stomach in knots, don't turn around. Keep moving forward.

Sure, the unknown can be intimidating, even downright scary. But in it may lie something unexpected, unplanned, some of those truly amazing, unforgettable moments.

Ashley M. Fitzgerald is a 2000 graduate of Harrisville Central School and a graduate of Middlebury (Vt.) College. She lives on Koh Phangan in southern Thailand, working to set up a school for others interested in becoming certified TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) teachers. You may send your questions and comments to her at afitzgerald@wdt.net.