Arabia isn’t actually a country. When I said I planned to hit up Arabia, I really had my eye on Saudi Arabia. That’s the plan. If it doesn’t work out, I’ll consider other options on the peninsula, but I really want Saudi.
Next question then is, why?
- Intrigue: I’ve been interested in Islam ever since hanging out with my best friend, Almin, back when I was like 10-years-0ld. Almin’s Bosnian, but Saudi is just about the most Muslim country I could go. Oh, and it’s technically closed to tourists, so moving there to work means I’ll get a chance to do something I wouldn’t otherwise be able to do with just my passport and visas.
- Salary: Saudi Arabia used to be the highest paying country for EFL teachers. I’m not sure that’s still the case, but it definitely still has some attractive bonuses. As you might recall, I’m trying to raise money for adoption. Part of it can come through sponsors, great. But I’m doing what I can to raise it on my own too, working for it the traditional way (if working in Saudi Arabia still counts as “traditional”).
- Vacation: The working schedule works out to include quite a bit more vacation time than I had in Korea. I’ll get weeks off in the winter, weeks off in the summer, and a bunch of days here and there throughout the rest of the year. On top of that too, the proximity of Saudi Arabia to Europe and Africa, even places like India in Asia, make it a super awesome option for getting around to see the world.
- Fear: Last but not least, Saudi Arabia is one of the scariest places I can imagine living. There’s crazy stuff going on in, say, the Sudan or North Korea or Afghanistan or Somalia or maybe a few other places. But when it comes to cultures that intimidate me, other than moving to some remote hill tribe, Saudi is about as intense as it gets. Or at least that’s the perception. I’m not sure I actually believe it, though – that’s why I want to go, to see, to experience it myself, to do the thing that’s scary, the thing everyone’s saying not to do. 🙂
That’s why I want to move to Saudi Arabia.
