This blog will talk about what I’ve been up to for the past 9 months and why I decided to live and teach in the Middle East (ME)!

If someone had predicted that I would be teaching and working in Kuwait, then I would have laughed in their face. During my last year in China, both of my friends Shyanne and Ciarra were applying for jobs in Kuwait. I was thinking “wow that’s pretty cool, but umm that could not be me”. Shyanne was telling me how there wasn’t any alcohol there. She went on to talk about the many sandstorms that occurred there. The weather there was also insane, temperatures would reach in the high of 120s. At that time I had no plans living abroad again after China, due to wanting to live back home, trying to make a relationship work, and being closer to my family.

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After my backpacking ventures in Europe, I decided to move out of my mother’s house in Jersey and to Philadelphia, even though I didn’t have a job! NOT THE BEST IDEA, but ehh you live and you learn! I spent a lot of time cooking, reading, procrastinating, and working on a few things.

Eventually, I got a job subbing in Camden County after 3 months. I decided to permanently work at this one school in Camden. There was always an open position there, due to teachers never wanting to come in. I worked there for about three weeks, and I kid you not, I started seeing grey hairs aha! Subbing is usually an easy job, nope not at several inner city schools. You will have to work for every single paycheck. A few teachers loved my dedication and were actually surprised that I kept coming back. “Wow Ms. Destin, teachers never stay for more than a few days!” Some of the teachers were trying to groom me for a full time position, after seeing my determination. They love how the children would open up and listen to me. I seriously thought about it, but the timing wasn’t right! Timing for me is everything, if my heart is not in it, then I rather leave.

Overall, teaching and subbing in the inner city is not an easy thing. I applaud anyone reading this who had or have been doing it for awhile because you are the REAL MVP! Inner city schools need so much more than teachers. They need the parents & administrators to be working hand by hand. These schools also need therapist. A lot of these children are dealing with many problems at home, which has a HUGE effect in their social and school environment. I’ve met so many phenomenal students, who I wish nothing, but the best for in life! I hope that they don’t become a product of their environment. Hopefully they are able to avoid the school to prison pipeline system. The Pipeline to Prison refers to the policies and practices that push the nation’s youth, especially ethnic and racial minorities, out of the classrooms through suspension and expulsion, and onto the streets, leading them all too often into the juvenile and criminal justice systems. This system needs to end ASAP!

Let’s change the subject because that’s a completely different blog post!

Anyways, around March, I was stalking Shyanne & Ciarra’s Facebook pages and felt like I needed to be where they were! Shyanne’s live videos and adventures sold me on the idea of living in the Middle East! I remember watching a video of her randomly walking down this road in Jordan. I believe that she was lost and I was laying on my bed like “omg I wish that I was there right now”! Meanwhile everyone on her page is wishing her to be safe and wishing her to be super careful! After about a week, I discussed with her of how I wanted to teach in Kuwait. She sent me the link and I decided to apply !!!

Check out my next blog to see how my application process went and where I applied!