So why Slovakia?

So I'm asked this question a lot and it's a reasonable one.

Many people aren't entirely sure where Slovakia is, so perhaps a bit of geography is in order. The Slovak republic is one half of the former Czechoslovakia and has been an independent nation since 1993. It borders five countries: Austria to the west, the Czech Republic to the north-west, Poland to the North, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south. From the capital city of Bratislava, where I'll be working, you can get to each of four the countries within a couple of hours and it takes about eight or nine hours to make it to Ukraine in the east. Having spent the last couple of years living in America, having this kind of international freedom and variety of cultures so close to one another is really exciting to me.




I decided to make the move to a teaching career in EFL because I needed to find work that interested me, see more of the world and experience new cultures and people. I have to thank several friends in America for starting this desire in me. Courtney sparked the idea of rekindling my travelling side, Tim got me hooked up with the job in Bratislava, my best friend Emily has always been behind me and was even more so on this change in my life, Megan was really helpful with giving me ideas and everyone else I know has been nothing but supportive of me. My family were also so great to me while I was in England taking my CELTA training course for teaching.

I got the idea of Slovakia from a good friend of mine, Tim, who I met in Washington DC through a mutual hobby. His wife is Slovak and he taught at the language school in Bratislava where I'm now working. It was thanks to his contacts and recommendation that I got the position where I am now.

I've long been interested in the different cultures in Europe as it has so many countries packed in next to one another. A huge amount of world history has happened here and it's fascinating to be able to visit places where momentous events occurred and get a feel for them in person.

Already I've come to love the sound of the (very difficult to learn) language, the people here, the fascinating blend of medieval and communist-esque architecture in Bratislava, the challenge of learning a language while teaching one, and the sheer excitement and novelty of experiencing a new culture.

So that's the short story of why I am in Slovakia for at least one year :-)

More thoughts and experiences still to come.

Pete

Another reason for Slovakia is the beer and the Bryndzové Halušky