this post was submitted on 25 May 2025
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bitofarambler

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Q&A for any and all questions you might have about traveling.

FAQ

are there requirements to be an ESL teacher other than being a fluent English speaker?

nope.

some countries and schools require a TEFL certificate or prefer candidates with an associate's degree depending on the position, but if you want to teach English, all you need is to be a fluent English speaker.

how can you afford to travel long-term?

The cost of living in most countries is around $500 USD a month for transportation, rent, utilities and food altogether; teaching English pays $2000 USD a month with zero qualifications or experience.

every month I taught English, I had a few extra months of my cost of living.

I taught English for about 7 years.

as long as you're making more than 500 USD a month remotely in any job, you can travel long-term.

What's the best country?

Pffft get outta here.

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Panama City: great food, green modern city and domesticated raccoons (crazypeople.online)
submitted 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) by bitofarambler@crazypeople.online to c/bitofarambler@crazypeople.online
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very green city, beautiful trees everywhere.

I just got to Panama City, Panama yesterday, buses are a flat $0.25 regardless of distance and the Metro is a flat $0.50 regardless of distance.

took the train for ~8 mi into town to get to my hotel for $0.50.

ate at a Korean BBQ buffet and saw a bunch of mapaches(raccoons) that apparently live along the Pacific Coast here.

with all the fashionable dress, performing arts theaters and bodegas around, it feels a lot like a casual New York City, moreso than any other central city I've been in abroad so far.

it has that "yeah, we're killing it" vibe.

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[–] FrostyTrichs@crazypeople.online 5 points 3 months ago (1 children)

For an urban space there's a fair bit of green around. Looks like a beautiful place.

[–] bitofarambler@crazypeople.online 4 points 3 months ago

it really is.

I walked around for hours today constantly surprised by the abundant healthy greenery in the middle of a very modern, built up city.

[–] rauls4@lemm.ee 4 points 3 months ago (2 children)

Those look more like coatis, but still cute.

[–] bitofarambler@crazypeople.online 5 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

no long coati claws though, just little raccoon hands.

I also assumed they were a different species since they're so thin, but so far everybody I've talked to says they are mapaches, raccoons, and I can't find any other species online that looks more like these animals than raccoons.

as far as the locals and search engines say, these are sleek Panamanian raccoons.