MR

Hey Gang, I'm a 23 year veteran of the school business here in Texas. I've been everything from a teacher all the way up to a Superintendent of Schools in that time. I have a real opportunity to head up a private school in Bolivia, one that prepares Bolivians for American colleges. I also have to tell you that my wife teaches here, we just built a new house on our 10 acres, and I have daughters that are 14, 12, and 8 that I have to consider. My wife is on board with the whole thought of gunning for this job, my daughters, not so much. It would be a two year commitment at the most, unless I liked it and stayed longer.

Have any of you lived abroad and/or a long ways from all of your family? Was it tough to be away from everyone? How did your kids handle it, especially if you have girls?

Any advice would be appreciated-

epresley wrote:Hey Gang, I'm a 23 year veteran of the school business here in Texas. I've been everything from a teacher all the way up to a Superintendent of Schools in that time. I have a real opportunity to head up a private school in Bolivia, one that prepares Bolivians for American colleges. I also have to tell you that my wife teaches here, we just built a new house on our 10 acres, and I have daughters that are 14, 12, and 8 that I have to consider. My wife is on board with the whole thought of gunning for this job, my daughters, not so much. It would be a two year commitment at the most, unless I liked it and stayed longer.

Have any of you lived abroad and/or a long ways from all of your family? Was it tough to be away from everyone? How did your kids handle it, especially if you have girls?

Any advice would be appreciated-

I can answer this with a degree of seriousness Elvis. I was away from my family when I worked for the railroad and it is indeed tough. I had to quit the Union Pacific because I was never home. Made shitheaps of cash, but in the end, the family outweighed the Benjamins.

Just because you're wife is on board now, doesn't mean it's going to be a good idea, especially since you have a 2 yr commitment. Think it over, and think it over again and again. That's all I can say to you. My guess is you'll second guess yourself either way, I just hope in the end it works out for you.

As someone who doesn't have a family i'd say go for the job but i would probably have a different opinion if i had a family.

Life is too short to be away from family for years, and I wouldn't try to drag my kids to Bolivia if they didn't want to go there. Keep looking, you'll find something stateside.

Thenightbull wrote:As someone who doesn't have a family i'd say go for the job but i would probably have a different opinion if i had a family.

you dont have a family ?

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

I don't like giving advice. Because I think only you can know in your heart what's best for your family. Having 2 girls myself, I do think that teen girls need their dad around and yours are approaching those years. Just something else to consider. I dont' know your family though, so I hate even to give my 2 cents.

I'm a military brat, so this may or may not help at all, but when my dad got orders to Okinawa, I was 14 and my brother was 10, and he had the option of going alone for 2 years, or we go along for 3, maybe 4 years (ended up being 3 though). It was pertty much no question we'd go with him, and that we did. I think it would have been very, very hard to not have our dad at those ages. It would have been one thing if there were no choice, but there was a choice, and while my brother and I weren't exactly happy to leave our childhood friends at that point, we all ended up having a great time over there. I loved going to high school over there, made some absolute lifelong friends I'm still in touch with regularly all the time.

It's a hard decision, but I think with your kids ages, if you can all stay together, that would be a great thing. JMHO

Behshad wrote:

Thenightbull wrote:As someone who doesn't have a family i'd say go for the job but i would probably have a different opinion if i had a family.

you dont have a family ?

I meant a wife and kids ya dumb a-hole geez

Melissa wrote:I'm a military brat, so this may or may not help at all, but when my dad got orders to Okinawa, I was 14 and my brother was 10, and he had the option of going alone for 2 years, or we go along for 3, maybe 4 years (ended up being 3 though). It was pertty much no question we'd go with him, and that we did. I think it would have been very, very hard to not have our dad at those ages. It would have been one thing if there were no choice, but there was a choice, and while my brother and I weren't exactly happy to leave our childhood friends at that point, we all ended up having a great time over there. I loved going to high school over there, made some absolute lifelong friends I'm still in touch with regularly all the time.

It's a hard decision, but I think with your kids ages, if you can all stay together, that would be a great thing. JMHO

Ahem
Youre a brat period. leave the military out of this , please?

Behshad wrote:

Melissa wrote:I'm a military brat, so this may or may not help at all, but when my dad got orders to Okinawa, I was 14 and my brother was 10, and he had the option of going alone for 2 years, or we go along for 3, maybe 4 years (ended up being 3 though). It was pertty much no question we'd go with him, and that we did. I think it would have been very, very hard to not have our dad at those ages. It would have been one thing if there were no choice, but there was a choice, and while my brother and I weren't exactly happy to leave our childhood friends at that point, we all ended up having a great time over there. I loved going to high school over there, made some absolute lifelong friends I'm still in touch with regularly all the time.

It's a hard decision, but I think with your kids ages, if you can all stay together, that would be a great thing. JMHO

Ahem
Youre a brat period. leave the military out of this , please?

Behshad wrote:

Melissa wrote:I'm a military brat, so this may or may not help at all, but when my dad got orders to Okinawa, I was 14 and my brother was 10, and he had the option of going alone for 2 years, or we go along for 3, maybe 4 years (ended up being 3 though). It was pertty much no question we'd go with him, and that we did. I think it would have been very, very hard to not have our dad at those ages. It would have been one thing if there were no choice, but there was a choice, and while my brother and I weren't exactly happy to leave our childhood friends at that point, we all ended up having a great time over there. I loved going to high school over there, made some absolute lifelong friends I'm still in touch with regularly all the time.

It's a hard decision, but I think with your kids ages, if you can all stay together, that would be a great thing. JMHO

Ahem
Youre a brat period. leave the military out of this , please?

Dude. Don't talk bad about the military.

I'd say go for it. It's a new experience.

parfait wrote:

Behshad wrote:

Melissa wrote:I'm a military brat, so this may or may not help at all, but when my dad got orders to Okinawa, I was 14 and my brother was 10, and he had the option of going alone for 2 years, or we go along for 3, maybe 4 years (ended up being 3 though). It was pertty much no question we'd go with him, and that we did. I think it would have been very, very hard to not have our dad at those ages. It would have been one thing if there were no choice, but there was a choice, and while my brother and I weren't exactly happy to leave our childhood friends at that point, we all ended up having a great time over there. I loved going to high school over there, made some absolute lifelong friends I'm still in touch with regularly all the time.

It's a hard decision, but I think with your kids ages, if you can all stay together, that would be a great thing. JMHO

Ahem
Youre a brat period. leave the military out of this , please?

Dude. Don't talk bad about the military.

I'd say go for it. It's a new experience.

??
I didnt talk bad about military you fucktard. I suggest you come back here once you learn how to read AND understand English

parfait wrote:


I'd say go for it. It's a new experience.

Isnt that what JasonD told you a while back ?

Behshad wrote:

parfait wrote:


I'd say go for it. It's a new experience.

Isnt that what JasonD told you a while back ?

With which he replied: "not so new for me"

Behshad wrote:

parfait wrote:


I'd say go for it. It's a new experience.

Isnt that what JasonD told you a while back ?

Woah. That's funny...

Who the fuck cares if Jason is gay. Go read a book (meaning: educate yourself), and stop being such a judgmental piece of anal puss. People are different, man. Everyone can't be a ass-for-brain conspiracy theorist.

StevePerryHair wrote:

Behshad wrote:

parfait wrote:


I'd say go for it. It's a new experience.

Isnt that what JasonD told you a while back ?

With which he replied: "not so new for me"

Be nice,, you gonna make him cry,,,,,,again.....

I GOTTA make clear that I would be taking my wife and kids!!! My wife would teach and my kids would attend the school I would be going to run.

epresley wrote:I GOTTA make clear that I would be taking my wife and kids!!! My wife would teach and my kids would attend the school I would be going to run.

Then go for it !! it will be good for ALL of you !

epresley wrote:I GOTTA make clear that I would be taking my wife and kids!!! My wife would teach and my kids would attend the school I would be going to run.

Oh!! No, that wasn't clear It's tough moving girls that age away from their friends. Social lives are the most important to them. But Im sure they could adjust. They wouldn't be the first kids forced to move away from friends. And everyone survives. Better now than when they are juniors or seniors in high school. It really depends on the kids I would think.

Behshad wrote:

epresley wrote:I GOTTA make clear that I would be taking my wife and kids!!! My wife would teach and my kids would attend the school I would be going to run.

Then go for it !! it will be good for ALL of you !

Come on b it would be hard on the kids

Thenightbull wrote:

Behshad wrote:

epresley wrote:I GOTTA make clear that I would be taking my wife and kids!!! My wife would teach and my kids would attend the school I would be going to run.

Then go for it !! it will be good for ALL of you !

Come on b it would be hard on the kids

But they would adjust, and things would work out just fine, especially with good parents. Military and other kids do this ALL the time, and have for decades.

Thenightbull wrote:

Behshad wrote:

epresley wrote:I GOTTA make clear that I would be taking my wife and kids!!! My wife would teach and my kids would attend the school I would be going to run.

Then go for it !! it will be good for ALL of you !

Come on b it would be hard on the kids

How do you know??
It wont be easy at first but It will be exciting too.... Not everyone wanna be stuck in the same place like you, pussy.
I know from my own experience that its great to see the world if you get a chance to and live and experience different countries/climate/cultures !

Behshad wrote:

Thenightbull wrote:

Behshad wrote:

epresley wrote:I GOTTA make clear that I would be taking my wife and kids!!! My wife would teach and my kids would attend the school I would be going to run.

Then go for it !! it will be good for ALL of you !

Come on b it would be hard on the kids

How do you know??
It wont be easy at first but It will be exciting too.... Not everyone wanna be stuck in the same place like you, pussy.
I know from my own experience that its great to see the world if you get a chance to and live and experience different countries/climate/cultures !

How many countries have you been to, B?

parfait wrote:

Behshad wrote:

Thenightbull wrote:

Behshad wrote:

epresley wrote:I GOTTA make clear that I would be taking my wife and kids!!! My wife would teach and my kids would attend the school I would be going to run.

Then go for it !! it will be good for ALL of you !

Come on b it would be hard on the kids

How do you know??
It wont be easy at first but It will be exciting too.... Not everyone wanna be stuck in the same place like you, pussy.
I know from my own experience that its great to see the world if you get a chance to and live and experience different countries/climate/cultures !

How many countries have you been to, B?

Ive lived in 3 countries,,, but have visited 10 countries

Behshad wrote:

parfait wrote:

Behshad wrote:

Thenightbull wrote:

Behshad wrote:

epresley wrote:I GOTTA make clear that I would be taking my wife and kids!!! My wife would teach and my kids would attend the school I would be going to run.

Then go for it !! it will be good for ALL of you !

Come on b it would be hard on the kids

How do you know??
It wont be easy at first but It will be exciting too.... Not everyone wanna be stuck in the same place like you, pussy.
I know from my own experience that its great to see the world if you get a chance to and live and experience different countries/climate/cultures !

How many countries have you been to, B?

Ive lived in 3 countries,,, but have visited 10 countries

That's not too bad. Born in ..., raised in Sweden and living in the states?

parfait wrote:

Behshad wrote:

parfait wrote:

Behshad wrote:

Thenightbull wrote:

Behshad wrote:

epresley wrote:I GOTTA make clear that I would be taking my wife and kids!!! My wife would teach and my kids would attend the school I would be going to run.

Then go for it !! it will be good for ALL of you !

Come on b it would be hard on the kids

How do you know??
It wont be easy at first but It will be exciting too.... Not everyone wanna be stuck in the same place like you, pussy.
I know from my own experience that its great to see the world if you get a chance to and live and experience different countries/climate/cultures !

How many countries have you been to, B?

Ive lived in 3 countries,,, but have visited 10 countries

That's not too bad. Born in ..., raised in Sweden and living in the states?

Born in Iran, raised in Sweden,,, living in US ..... yes, I visited your homeland and its pretty much like Sweden Great summers, crappy winters,,,

Behshad wrote:

parfait wrote:

Behshad wrote:

parfait wrote:

Behshad wrote:

Thenightbull wrote:

Behshad wrote:

epresley wrote:I GOTTA make clear that I would be taking my wife and kids!!! My wife would teach and my kids would attend the school I would be going to run.

Then go for it !! it will be good for ALL of you !

Come on b it would be hard on the kids

How do you know??
It wont be easy at first but It will be exciting too.... Not everyone wanna be stuck in the same place like you, pussy.
I know from my own experience that its great to see the world if you get a chance to and live and experience different countries/climate/cultures !

How many countries have you been to, B?

Ive lived in 3 countries,,, but have visited 10 countries

That's not too bad. Born in ..., raised in Sweden and living in the states?

Born in Iran, raised in Sweden,,, living in US ..... yes, I visited your homeland and its pretty much like Sweden Great summers, crappy winters,,,

Kind of like Ohio......

StevePerryHair wrote:

Behshad wrote:

parfait wrote:

Behshad wrote:

parfait wrote:

Behshad wrote:

Thenightbull wrote:

Behshad wrote:

epresley wrote:I GOTTA make clear that I would be taking my wife and kids!!! My wife would teach and my kids would attend the school I would be going to run.

Then go for it !! it will be good for ALL of you !

Come on b it would be hard on the kids

How do you know??
It wont be easy at first but It will be exciting too.... Not everyone wanna be stuck in the same place like you, pussy.
I know from my own experience that its great to see the world if you get a chance to and live and experience different countries/climate/cultures !

How many countries have you been to, B?

Ive lived in 3 countries,,, but have visited 10 countries

That's not too bad. Born in ..., raised in Sweden and living in the states?

Born in Iran, raised in Sweden,,, living in US ..... yes, I visited your homeland and its pretty much like Sweden Great summers, crappy winters,,,

Kind of like Ohio......

no much much worse,,,
I dont mind the cold weather and the snow as much the DARKNESS in Scandinavia,,, When I lived up north in Sweden, the sun would come up around 10am and go back down around 1pm,, way too depressing ....

No worries,
Im sure once I get , I will also move to Florida

Do as you will, but since you asked everyone...my 2 cents is, I would go for it. We all can learn things from books and film but to really get a better understanding of the world, different people, cultures and landscapes...a better understanding of life, in general..... is to experience it/them first hand. Right now your children only have an understanding of their parents and the small Texan world around them and what the media feeds them that they've seen, so, although it may be hard at first to let go of the comfort zone of what they have known, it will be good for them to expand their horizons and a good lesson in how to change and adapt and become less fearful of change and other parts of the world which they don't know of yet. I would look at it as an opportunity for them to become more well rounded, more "cultured", more educated through experience.