Why did I leave the United States to live in China?
The answer is actually quite simple. Student loans are a bitch and I got rejected from my first choice.
To be serious, I finished my BA when I was twenty as a first generation college graduate. After getting my degree I wanted to set out on an adventure all on my own.
Pair this longing for independence with the low cost of living and relatively high pay of “white monkey” jobs in China and it made it an easy choice to set out. However, this wasn’t always the plan.
Before the Decision to Head Out
I was poised to graduate university in June of 2019. However since November 2018 I was in the process of applying for the JET Program, a Japanese teaching program that brings in foreigners to teach at different locations all throughout Japan.
I already had two years experience as an ESL tutor at my college. I thought I was a shoe-in for the position. I was six months into the application and worked painstakingly to present myself in the best light.
Then one day on my internship computer I opened a precarious email that would change my life. It read, “Thank you for your continued work in this application process but unfortunately we cannot offer you this position”. Shit, that stung.
I had put all of my eggs into one basket those six months. After being rejected I was practically having a quarter life crisis.
After I finished my day’s work I headed to a party my friend was hosting. When the group found out that I was rejected one friend spoke up. “I have a friend who owns a school in China, wanna go there?”.
So Why Did I Say Yes?
My thought process for applying for the JET program was to go out while I was young and learn about myself. I hadn’t come to the realization or factored in how bad my loan situation was as a first generation student. Upon more research of what the job in China would be like, it painted a clearer picture on how beneficial it would actually be to make the move.
In my hometown near Seattle, rent for a relatively decent one bedroom apart is about $1,100. A phone bill could be around $90. Mix this with a young adult male’s auto insurance and car payments and I would have been shelling out cash like nobody’s business. This is without factoring in if I got hurt or sick, dental appointments and the like.
Whereas in China the rent is exponentially cheaper. I have a two floor apartment in the center of downtown Qingdao for the equivalent of $515. Group this with a $10 phone bill, no need for a car due to great public transportation, practically non-existent medical bills due to my job’s free health insurance and depth-bottom food prices.
The cost of living in just about every facet was (and still is) exponentially lower than both the United States and Japan. If I decided to stay in the United States or move to Japan and followed the financial plan I set for myself I would still be paying my loans well into ten years later even with a higher pay grade job.
Here in China I can comfortably set aside 90% of my entire check each month to send back home to feed into my loan. Even with sending away this large amount of money I am able to go out on weekends, have a few drinks, and even buy some cool clothes off of Taobao.
Instead of having to scrape by in the US and risk large financial hiccups from things like auto accidents or health emergencies I decided to move to China where I can live comfortably financial wise.
Of course it wasn’t all rainbows and butterflies adjusting to living in China. My first job saw me nearly going to court for arbitration over a labor dispute, but that’s a story for another time.
Besides just the financial gains I was also infatuated with what China was “really like”. Living in the US we are blasted with news stories and hot takes about China whether we want to or not. I’m never one for blindly listening to others, so I saw moving there to be a wonderful opportunity to experience the culture and country for myself.
So Are You Saying I Should Move to China?
This isn’t necessarily what I’m saying. I love China for the experiences that it has granted and will continue to give me. I’ve learned a lot about myself and the world around me through this journey I’m on. However, China is not for everyone. I plan to expand on this further in the near future.
What I am suggesting is not completely blocking off the possibility of moving abroad. I know the “American Dream” is to graduate university, get a great job in the US and be the poster child for success in your family. However, this is not always the only, or best, option.
Instead, entertain the idea of uprooting your life and resettling in a new place. If not for the experience consider it for the financial benefit (after doing the math and conversions of your destination).
Of course I’m not saying that settling down at a nice job in the United States is a bad thing, if you believe that’s the best option for you I absolutely support you. But for my expat friends I met along the way and myself it wasn’t the option we wanted to take.
There are unbelievable and life changing experiences that are open to you in other countries as long as you‘re willing to take the plunge. I encourage all of you to at least let these opportunity cross your mind.
Through the past three months I’ve gathered numerous stories with topics including Chinese history, culture, food and alcohol, news, and expat life. If you want information from INSIDE China drop a comment down below to let me know what YOU want to see. You can also check out my Instagram for more updates.
