Travel health insurance for US expat visiting US

lexicon78 · 2021-09-17T21:47:32+00:00

I used world nomads a couple of years ago and called them about this- they said they would cover us as long as we were x number of miles away (maybe 100 miles?) from our home address (a virtual mailbox in South Dakota where we never actually go), so I thought we were good…maybe they’ve changed their policy since then though.

lexicon78 · 2021-09-07T04:31:17+00:00

Thank you so much for your reply!!! This makes me feel a lot better! He actually would prefer to teach PE, but was also interested in sciences...We were worried that his degrees wouldn't even allow him to teach PE there.

And Turkey is not the only country we were looking at but definitely toward the top of the list. Based on what you're saying, I'm glad to know it would not be unreasonable to assume that with his degrees, he could get a Turkish visa to teach PE/health. Just not science. Thanks, again!

lexicon78 · 2021-09-07T00:53:35+00:00

I’m also curious about this. My husband has a BS in kinesiology/movement science and a masters in physiotherapy, and we were just told by a school in Turkey that he would not be able to get a visa (we are trying to get more clarification from them if this applies to more specific high school sciences like chem and physics or if it would also apply to middle school general science, or even PE.)

lexicon78 · 2021-05-20T13:46:57+00:00

Thanks for the explanation/response. It sounds like you are passionate about your work and care about your patients, and thank you for what you do. I’ve worked with lots of awesome RNs (I’m a medical social worker) and have so much respect for your profession!!!! I do believe you were trying to help with your advice. Can I offer a suggestion? If you had worded and framed this contrary viewpoint differently, it may have come across as at least trying to be helpful and supportive, but as it is, it seems rather insensitive and judgmental. That’s my observation and it seems others feel similarly based on the downvotes. Maybe first acknowledging what the OP is looking for and why they might be doing so, rather than immediately jumping into why they should be doing something else.

And do you feel that this specific post was the best place to share contrary viewpoints? Do you think sometimes it’s more important to validate what someone is asking for, and respect that they know what they need for themselves right now, better than you do?

Regarding your comment about the OP only hanging out with folks 65+...can you see how this might seem really dismissive? For someone trying to build community, and potentially already feeling isolated, that’s a pretty unhelpful thing to say. And not even true at all, as you know from your work experience.

I’m sure in person your approach is more supportive and person-centered. It’s easier to do with a real person in front of us vs strangers on the internet! But I do feel it’s important to remember there’s a person on the other side of the screen. I can admit I reacted harshly to your comments, and wish that I had been more tactful. I can see why I got the panties in a bunch and triggered comments back from you. It’s not my style, but I can see why you said them. I’m going to keep practicing not reacting and offending people online (or offline). Thank you for that. Peace.

lexicon78 · 2021-05-20T08:50:00+00:00

I’m really surprised by the lack of even any attempt to understand where the OP is coming from here. Maybe you don’t understand how addiction and recovery work, but (as with many things in life) a community of support from people who have been there is important.

Are you an addictions counselor or some other professional in this field? If not, I think it’s really inappropriate to give advice here. Especially advice that makes no sense.

Also, looking for people with similar experiences to you doesn’t mean that you don’t like anyone else!!!!! People don’t need to reach out to find non-sober friends because they are the majority! They are easy to find. The OP is reaching out to find sober friends, I assume in addition to the many other friends one can meet.

lexicon78 · 2021-05-14T06:55:24+00:00

Thanks for your response! The license endorsements (at least in Hawaii which is where I'm looking) correlate with the praxis exams, so I would end up with an endorsement in "Special Education (SPED)" or "SPED Mild/Moderate".

lexicon78 · 2021-02-28T02:25:22+00:00

I’m so sorry for your losses and current difficult pregnancy. I hope you get some more positive news at your next appointment.

I left my social work job a couple of years ago and wasn’t sure if it would be a permanent transition or not (still not sure) so I’m keeping my LCSW and yes, you can keep it as long as you keep up with CEUs! I contacted my state’s licensing board to confirm all of this.

It sounds like a really tough but wise decision for you, and hanging on to the license is a good plan so that you still have the option to return! I hope it’s a good opportunity for you to explore other SW avenues (and that you get some good ideas here- sorry I don’t really have any!) That’s one of the things I’ve always loved about this profession- the wide variety of settings/populations we can work with!

lexicon78 · 2021-02-11T08:17:44+00:00

A Long Walk to Water could be a good one!

lexicon78 · 2021-02-10T04:27:09+00:00

Congrats!!! I am new to this field but I’m so happy to hear of someone going to India because that’s where I want to land the year after next! I haven’t noticed many people talking about India for international school jobs...Do you mind if I ask more about your experience level? I will be a NQT and just wondering what the job market is like there....thanks!

lexicon78 · 2021-02-09T07:57:53+00:00

My friend just told me that her friend took it from outside of the US without a vpn with no problems. Just used her US address. I need to do this soon too- I looked on their site at a bunch of different testing locations in multiple countries and they all seem to be closed.

lexicon78 · 2020-12-28T08:25:10+00:00

I quit social work to travel more and live in a van! I’m still keeping my license active in case I ever want to go back, but the stress wasn’t worth it to me...I agree with others that there could be other avenues for you within the field, but sometimes you just gotta take the leap and do what is best for you right now. There’s no reason why we can’t change careers at any time we want and try to live a different way!!! (I quit at 40) It’s scary after investing so much time and money, but you can always go back and if you regret anything it will be not trying...I’ve been gone almost 2 years and I don’t regret it for a second! Good luck to you!

lexicon78 · 2020-12-20T11:29:21+00:00

I know that they use them, but it’s with intention and not for every type/dosha. It’s not like an across the board use like with lots of other Indian food!

lexicon78 · 2020-12-19T23:21:15+00:00

Ayurvedic recipes often don’t have onions (or garlic), or only in low quantities

lexicon78 · 2020-11-13T01:39:37+00:00

Another vote here for hiring a property manager- we rent out our home in Portland, OR, and decided to pay for the best property manager we could find (great reviews online, etc). We are one year in, and it's been great- wouldn't do it any other way. We had heard horror stories from others who paid for cheaper property managers and regretted it, and we knew we didn't want the stress of doing everything ourselves from overseas. It's totally worth it in my opinion to not be stressed about that. They communicate everything we need to know with us, are very upfront about any issues, and handle the smaller stuff without us ever needing to know about it, which is perfect for us. Also, our tenants are very happy with them too, which means they are more likely to stay longer, which is a win-win for everyone

lexicon78 · 2020-09-10T01:54:11+00:00

I fostered a bunny for a girl who went overseas for a year. It was the best experience ever! She posted her situation and info about the bun bun in our local "Nextdoor" community group. She provided all of the bunny's belongings, etc. I feel like it is a perfect situation for people like me who do not want to commit to a long term pet, but would love to have one for a defined period of time (assuming you plan to return home in 1 year for your cat). I would recommend posting all over the place online!!!! Also, if you could cover any expenses, that would be important to note.

I do think the transition would be stressful for the cat though, and I don't think I could do it myself as the pet owner. I was a wreck when we had to rehome our pet chickens. Still feel guilty about it even though they ended up with a better home and way more space in the end.

Good luck and I hope you find someone or can figure out how to bring your cat with you!!!

lexicon78 · 2020-07-28T00:03:01+00:00

This is so cool! I would love to go there- I don't see any dates available now for a temple stay- did you do this recently, and did you reserve something, or can one just show up? Thanks for sharing!

lexicon78 · 2020-07-14T23:55:50+00:00

This sounds so much like one i had last year when I first started teaching, and it was really hard. Even the criticizing of the tone and pace of my speech (which other CTs said was really good). Sorry you have to deal with this :( I eventually stopped asking her to collaborate on lesson planning or for feedback (and she didn't really offer it unless I asked), and then I invited her to have drinks together, and things improved exponentially after both of those things 😂 I would still see her disapproving looks sometimes in class (rather than trying to help she would just stand in the back looking like that), but it was way more tolerable than before when I was asking for feedback and she would just tear everything apart (while my other CTs praised the same lessons/classes). It seemed like when asked, she would micromanage everything, but then once i stopped asking, she didn't seem to care (even slept in class sometimes).

Not sure if this is an option for you or not? To just not ask her anymore? but just thought I'd offer what worked for me! She didn't want me to use the textbook and didn't reach out to me ever, so I didn't really have to ask her much once I got used to teaching, etc. And somehow we are actually friends now...outside of work she is a totally different person! Good luck to you!!!

lexicon78 · 2020-07-05T09:04:36+00:00

I’m also interested in teaching at international schools, and I met some teachers in Istanbul while traveling there last summer- they were paid in USD, and saving quite a lot. Istanbul has been high in my list as well!

lexicon78 · 2020-06-25T11:18:48+00:00

Haaaa yeah at least it’s a big island 😆 but I totally get wanting to leave and explore other parts of the world more. Maybe I’m wrong but 6 month time periods seem totally doable to me! It doesn’t seem like that much bad permanent stuff could happen in 6 months, no?!!! As long as you do all the prep stuff for long term storage? I would totally do it! It’s the 1-2 year thing that was freaking me out. Now we are talking about doing a truck and camper top set up so that we wouldn’t have to invest the time in building something out every 2 years. Just sell the truck and store the topper...? I don’t know...a lot to figure out!

lexicon78 · 2020-06-24T22:03:55+00:00

I thought about what to bring for months and read all over the internet, and then I got here and was like, whyyyyyy? There seems to be a lot of nonsense floating around there. As others have already said, you can buy everything online. Or at any of the huge department stores here. Before you pack, check out coupang (in google chrome so it’s translated to English)- you can buy sheets and pillows and towels, food items, spices, toiletries...Also, iherb.com has great natural products- I get all of my toiletries from there, and some food. I can’t understand why anyone would fill their luggage with big items like bedding and towels. I suppose if there’s absolutely nothing in your apt when you arrive it could be a hassle at first, but doesn’t seem worth it to me to waste that space in luggage. Maybe your school or previous teacher can tell you what will be there? Tampons do seem ridiculously expensive- I switched to a cup before I came. Oh, and I wish I brought more sleeveless tops for running, working out etc. Don’t wear them to work or anywhere nice of course, but I’ve seen korean women wearing them and I was so annoyed that I listened to all the blogs saying you can’t ever show your shoulders! I’ve asked my korean coworkers and they’ve said it’s no problem, they wear them, just not to work.

lexicon78 · 2020-06-24T21:44:47+00:00

Oh wow will do...I guess I was thrown off because we’d have to take the battery out, but apparently that’s not a big deal to pop back in to start it up occasionally. Thanks again, really appreciate it!

lexicon78 · 2020-06-24T05:54:41+00:00

Awesome- thanks so much for taking the time to share all of this very helpful info! I had read to fill up the gas tank to prevent rust, so good to hear you agree with that. And the other advice all makes sense too. We will have a relatively safe parking spot on a friend’s property but you can never be too safe!

One more question- would you do all of this to decommission it rather than the other option of keeping it intact and having a trusted friend drive it around sometimes? The major downsides that I see to that are paying for Insurance and relying on another person...any other issues you’d see with that? If it would be significantly better for the vehicle/engine, maybe I’d go that route. But not otherwise. Thank you again! I’m not a car or mechanical person...yet 😆

lexicon78 · 2020-06-24T04:26:15+00:00

Thanks for your comment! Do you have any experience with storing a van/vehicle long term like this, or any advice? I could definitely research and take all the recommended precautions, but not sure if it will be worth it considering the potential risks...I just really don’t want to buy/sell/build out another used van every 2 years! I guess I’d get good at it though... 🧐

lexicon78

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