Alumni Interview with Anthony DeLorenzo

What inspired you to travel abroad?

Ever since I started reading travel literature and hearing of my friends' experiences living abroad, I wanted to do it myself. It took years to establish a degree of financial stability and self-confidence, but circumstances coalesced in a way that created a window of opportunity for me to go abroad. I felt that I may never have the opportunity again, so I made the decision to just go for it. I had gotten to a point in my life where I achieved a state of financial security and overall stability, but it just felt stagnant. I had a yearning for adventure, and so I decided to follow my gut, resign from my job and pursue traveling abroad.

Why did you choose TravelBud?

I was a full time teacher for three years in the U.S., though I had heard about Teaching English abroad and actually had gotten the certification many years before I actually became a teacher. So, it was something I always planned to do at some point. I found the program by searching Google, reading reviews, and talking to people. I read the large number of positive reviews and spoke with a representative, and it felt right to move forward with the process. I felt more at ease knowing that I would have an organization with lots of experience helping me out.

What was your favorite part about Thailand?

My favorite part about Thailand (I was in the North), was the laid back and simple lifestyle. I'm from the New York metro area, and where I lived in Thailand it was just a totally different wavelength and vibration. There isn't as much of a rush and hustle-bustle feel. You get an opportunity to really unplug from where you came from and connect with the local lifestyle, and it allows a unique perspective and opportunity for growth and learning. I enjoyed the street markets, the peace and quiet of nature, and the challenges of adjusting to the new environment and lifestyle.

What made your experience abroad extraordinary?

I've lived in the U.S. my whole life, looking, acting, and talking like most everyone else. In Thailand, where I lived, I was one of a very small number of westerners living in the town. Ninety-five percent of the time everywhere I went I was the only westerner present. This was certainly extraordinary and totally new to me. At 32 years of age it's interesting to think, how many things can you experience that really put you in a completely different paradigm than you have known your whole life? Not many, and living abroad is certainly one. While this idea initially worried me as I was preparing to go abroad, it turned out that this was such a valuable experience.

How did the local program staff support you throughout your program?

Visa documentation, bank account, phone number/data plan, job placement, accommodation, cultural orientation. This was all invaluable being totally new to moving/living/working abroad. Personally once I got started with my job placement and accommodation I did not need any more support from the program, though they were available if I did need anything. The principal and school staff was very supportive, especially during the first month. They took me and my colleagues on grocery runs and arranged options for our living accommodations.

What's one thing you wish you would have done differently during your time abroad?

Learn the Thai language right away! Or even before, if you can. In my experience, getting settled into the school and living situation and just the radical existential shift moving abroad, having the focus and energy to try to teach yourself a new language is very difficult. Even though it was my intention to learn as much Thai as possible, I was just so overwhelmed that it was easier to get by with a few basic words and using English. Both of my English-speaking colleagues and myself made very minimal effort to learn the language for the first three months or four months. Then, about three months later, I bought a Thai-English English-Thai Dictionary and Phrasebook, and within two weeks I was able to have conversations with locals. The last two months of my experience was completely different and exponentially more rewarding being able to speak to people in Thai. I wish that I had started right away. You can connect with so many more people and you also feel really good that you can communicate with people in a foreign language. People open up more, they trust you and respect you more when they see that you have made the effort to learn their language.

Describe what a typical day in your life abroad looked like.

Monday to Friday: Wake up at 6:30 (roosters next door). Eat, dress, ride my bicycle three minutes to school for a 7:30 start. I taught Kindergarten and Primary school. Had kindergarten in the morning from 9-11. Lunch 12-1. Afternoon schedule was different everyday. Usually 1-2 afternoon classes of primary, one day a week I had no afternoon classes so I got a nice two to three-hour period to plan and prepare for upcoming lessons. At first, it felt like the workday was really long but then once I got into a rhythm I found that it was pretty reasonably balanced. 4:30 go home. Nap sometimes, either cook dinner or go to a local restaurant. Read, listen to music, rest. Bed around 10:30.

What did you enjoy doing in your free time abroad?

Personally I enjoyed just getting outdoors, resting, reflecting, meditating. I was fortunate that there was a national park with a waterfall only 40 minutes away (by bicycle, 15 minutes by motorbike), and for some strange reason, nobody went there! My colleague and I would go every weekend, and have the whole park to ourselves. Beautiful nature, it felt amazing to go there after a long week of work. He and I would often share our experience living abroad and the natural environment seemed to elevate our conversations. I was also fortunate to find a local pickup basketball game every Saturday and Sunday night, and this was great for me. I love playing, and it gave me an outlet for exercise and for making friends. Other than that, I did take several weekends to travel and see some other places. During our New Year’s break, I went to the island of Koh Chang, which was absolutely beautiful. I highly recommend it. Although it was only five days, it was a major highlight of my time abroad.

What type of accommodation did you have? What did you like best about it?

I had what we would call in the U.S. a 'studio' apartment, meaning there is no kitchen, just one room and a bathroom. However, it was very spacious, and I was able to make a little makeshift kitchen in the corner using electric cookware, which the landlord approved of. I was really lucky in that my apartment was a corner unit with two big windows, tropical trees and a mountain view, so I felt very blessed to have gotten the place. I could leave the windows open all the time and had total privacy while looking out at the scenery. Bathroom was fine, of course it's not as fancy as most western amenities but totally up to decent standards. I was not uncomfortable at all, and actually felt pretty much the same level of comfort as back home.

What is one thing every future participant should know about your program before their program begins?

Learn Thai language right away would be my No. 1 advice as I said earlier. You should know about visa re-entry fees and permits if you're someone planning to base yourself in Thailand and travel to other countries often. Know that most participants will have to do a visa run before three months. To be fair, this was something that the program did not make me aware of until I arrived in Thailand. This entails traveling to a neighboring country and staying there for three days to get your visa renewed and then re-entering Thailand. Didn't bother me, and in fact I had some of my best moments going to Laos as I made a five-day trip out of it and had an awesome experience staying there. However, I noticed a number of people in the program were upset about this when we found out. For the one-week orientation or three-week training you have to pay for the hotel accommodation that is provided, it's not included in the program fee. I think the program makes this clear from the start, but just keep that in mind.

Would you recommend TravelBud to others? Why?

Yes I would recommend the program to others. For me, it took away a lot of the stress, pressure, and uncertainty of getting settled into living and working in a foreign country. I got to make some great friends in the process and had support when I needed it. The staff was very friendly and supportive. There is a feeling of ease, welcoming, and a level of knowledge and experience that allows you to relax and trust in the process. It gives you a great network to branch off from on your journey.

What do you feel is the biggest benefit of traveling abroad?

I think the biggest benefit is the personal growth and development that is likely to occur. This, of course, will be different for everyone. But aside from the excitement and fun and the ups and downs, what you walk away with is personal development in a way that may not be replicable in any other circumstances. In my experience it's not just about the moments when everything was great and I was having the time of my life, but the difficult times were equally valuable and perhaps contributed greater to my personal development.

Now that you're home, how has your time abroad impacted your life?

I think it will take some time before I can really get that perspective, since I returned home so recently. It's strange but I don't really think about my time abroad that much, I don't know why. In fact, doing this interview has helped me start to unpack some of my experiences. But it has made me realize that you can break from the status-quo standard path and try something different and come out of it not only safe but enriched. The greater self-awareness that my experience helped to catalyze will be with me forever and as I continue to navigate my life's journey.

What does meaningful travel mean to you?

To me, it means learning new things, connecting with people, cultures, places and nature. Getting to know the world more, expanding the field of experience. Becoming a stronger person from it, a person who is able to offer more to the world and to the people that they interact with in their life. Meaningful travel for me is travel that enriches my experience of life and what I can share with others. It also means having an opportunity to share myself with people from different places, to bring something of my past experience and offer that to those I meet while traveling.