I spent a total of 14 years teaching English overseas. I taught in China, Vietnam, South Korea, Thailand, The Sudan. I spent the most time in China ( 9 years). I had my ups and downs in the ESL industry. I traveled to many places and met man nice people. In 2013 the bottom fell apart for me. I quit a teaching job in China I thought I was so smart that I could find another one quickly well I was wrong dead wrong! I went to Kenya to live cheaply and to find a teaching job from the internet. I lived off of my savings for 4 months. I had a lot of promises for a teaching job but none never came. In one last desperate attempt to find a teaching job I went to Turkey again a lot of promises but no job. I was running out of money so I went to The American consulate in Istanbul to help me get back to America. I had not been back to America for 9 years. I was told by the American consulate that before I could get another passport I would have to pay back $1600 this included the airfare back to the US and hotel fees paid by the consulate. I arrived in San Diego California on October 31st 2013. I had $100 in my pocket and no where to go. I hitch hiked from San Diego to Florida it took me about 12 days to get there. Many people gave me rides and treated me very kindly. I have had to stay in homeless shelters in Florida, Ohio, and Omaha Nebraska. Now it is August 2015 I don't have a job because employers won't hire me because I was away from America for so long. I am 55 years old and my age doesn't help either. Teaching ESL was the best time of my life! The students, The classes, the teaching material are distant memories savored for long nights when I can't sleep.