A Lot Can Change in Three Years

Three years ago, I had no idea how I would change my life. I was working as a technology coach at an international school in Prague, living as an ex-pat, involved in a challenging long-distance relationship. If you asked me then, I would have said my life was fine, trying to ignore my belief that fine is not a ringing endorsement. Eventually, the niggling discomfort was impossible to ignore.

Taking a Career Break

I was tired of the repetition of my job. It felt like an uphill battle on too many days. And as schools added more tasks and expectations to the role of technology coach, I could not find a vision to sustain me. I like to look at the forest before the individual trees and too often, I couldn’t even find the forest. That summer, I was unsettled, trying to decide what to do. I needed a break, some time to think and decide what next. When I was a child, I wanted to do and be many different things. So why did I feel like I needed to do the same job forever? The age of forty was a few years away, so it was the perfect time for reflection. If I saved carefully for the next school year, I could afford to live without a job for the next year. I had a plan!

Where To Live

Since the first time I moved from Canada, back in 2005, I’ve always moved for the job. If I wasn’t working, did that mean I had to return to Canada? I love living in the centre of Europe, in Prague. While I don’t fantasize about living here forever, I didn’t want to give up the chance of continuing to leave in Europe for a few more years. I was dating a guy living in Finland but I was not prepared to move away from my friends for a relationship that felt very uncertain. I’ve found over the years, that I tend to overthink things, so I started using the “why not” strategy. Why not stay in Prague. The biggest barrier was paperwork.

My residency papers were tied to my job at the school. I discussed the options with a relocation expert and hired her to help me get residency for a year on a trade license. This would give me a year of breathing room. In that time, I could learn Czech in case I wanted to take the next step and apply for permanent residence (since I’d lived in the country for 5 years).

What to Do

I spent about four months visiting family and friends, taking online classes, thinking about and deciding what I wanted to change. Did I want to study? Did I want to work? How much of my savings did I want to use?

At first, I thought I’d remain in education. Perhaps I could do technology training for teachers. I had a few sessions that I got paid for and I enjoyed the training part. But I found the marketing so hard. I had not made a lot of connections with principals and other decision-makers during my career. How passionate was I about this? Was I doing it because I wanted to or because it was familiar? I decided that I was sticking to what I know as a safety measure, and I challenged myself to do something different.

For my trade license, I needed to make a minimum amount of money for the year. I did some supply teaching in Czech schools, which was difficult and stressful. When you go into a school where the students don’t know you, and where you don’t know how things work, you’re a walking target for misbehaviour and disrespect. I only lasted 4 or 5 days before I found alternate work doing editing for a major online retailer in the Czech Republic. I could work from home and had flexible hours. That would let me continue to take intensive Czech classes to be able to take the Czech language test for permanent residence.

Around eight months after the end of last job, I decided it was time for a new job.

Change in Three Years

A lot can change in three years. I changed careers, ended a relationship, turned 40, gained Czech permanent residence. I work from home, with occasional impromptu office setups in coffee shops around the city. The podcast I envisioned in many incarnations over the years is now a reality. Now, at this time, I am staying at home like most people in the world. My sister is living with me and the time we live together will be the longest I’ve lived unbroken with anyone since I left home at 23. And these are only the top of the list changes that I made in my life. The list goes on.

Wow, when you stop and think about it, we are capable of tremendous change. We have inbuilt immunity to handle so much that life throws at us, and to throw some things back! So often, we have a choice and only need the courage to act on that choice.