- Good morning.
It's about 7 am here in Istanbul, Turkey
where I just woke up.
I'm getting ready to go to work.
My name is Lindsay.
I graduated from the certificate program over the summer
and came to Istanbul in August
where I started my job working full time
as an English preschool teacher.
And I'm excited to take you guys along
for a typical Tuesday here.
So I am walking right now to the bus stop.
What's really great is that I don't have to take public
transport to get to work.
My school actually provides a bus for all the teachers.
So, saves on public transport for me.
I just have to do a quick walk
and then I'll be there.
But first I have to climb this.
- So that's school
and I thought I would show you around my classroom.
So we're getting all this stuff for Christmas.
And we have a really beautiful garden in the backyard
where the kids love to play.
Hey everyone!
It's 3:30 here
so the kids have all gone home
and now we just wait for the service bus
to come back
and we go home.
- So I'm back in my neighborhood
doing what I love doing after school,
which is sitting at a cafe having a coffee,
reading my book
and just unwinding.
And because I have a huge sweet tooth,
I got a slice of apple crumble cake.
I saw a lot of questions like this.
I personally found my job on Facebook.
It was on the Istanbul green list page
and it's a really great resource for anybody
looking to teach in Turkey.
It'll help you find the good, reputable school.
You guys are also super interested in the interview process.
So I was interviewing back in the United States.
I saw the ad for this job.
I applied.
My interview was online
and I was actually offered my position on the spot
in my interview.
They were really looking for English teachers.
Yes, yes, yes, yes!
I feel very safe in Istanbul.
Everybody here is so warm
and so welcoming.
Highly recommend.
Of course!
One of the benefits of being a teacher
is you do get time off.
I had an autumn break a couple weeks ago
and I got to travel to Amsterdam
and Copenhagen.
Even had a quick stop in Germany.
And I have traveled to Pamukkale
and other smaller locations around Turkey.
Good question.
Why Turkey?
It's known as where the world meets.
Istanbul is really unique.
It's the only country in the world
that borders two continents.
So I can start my day in Europe
and I can end my day in Asia.
And both sides of the city
have totally different feels.
- So me and my roommate actually,
are on these WhatsApp groups
that meet for brunch every week.
So I'm always meeting new people
and going out to eat,
going exploring.
So it's a really great way to meet new people.
This is a really good question that I wanted to address.
This is my first time teaching full time,
getting paid for it.
I have volunteered in Nicaragua
and Tanzania as a teacher before.
A very different situation though.
That being said,
even with my time as a volunteer in those countries,
I would say the biggest lesson I've learned
is to just be adaptable.
Accept change as it comes.
Life abroad is very different to life in the states.
So, you know,
things will go wrong
and things will go absolutely right.
I personally arrived in Turkey on a tourist visa
and then once I started work,
my supervisor handled everything
from my residency permit to my work permit.
So once you find a job,
they usually take care of it for you.
My school actually put me in an Airbnb
until I was able to find a place to live.
Facebook is gonna be your best friend.
There are flat share pages,
apartment pages,
everybody looking for roommates,
looking for housing.
So you'll be able to find something in your neighborhood
and in your budget.
I love that every neighborhood in Istanbul is unique.
From their architecture to their cuisine,
even to their culture,
you can find something really special
in every single neighborhood.
So that's about it for me.
The rest of my night is just drinking tea,
hanging out with my roommate
and then I'll watch a movie
and go to sleep.
If you have any questions,
feel free to reach out to me on my personal Instagram.
I love talking about my life here
because I love my life here.
So.