[ September 2009 ]

I have spent the better part of a decade employed as a paramedic in a rural 911 emergency medical service. In the course of that time I have learned a great deal about the management of evolving medical emergencies, the logistical challenges of prehospital trauma, worked as a team member in a number of capacities, discovered the satisfactions of caring for a community and developed a passion for carrying my career forward in this field.

For the next 2-3 years I am taking a sabbatical from my long term goals so that I may experience another facet of service. I am spending this time learning to teach English to both children and adults in Taiwan and China. My hopes are that the experience of becoming familiar (or rather re-familiar) with the intricacies of my language and learning to communicate this to non-native speakers will provide me with experiences in both education and cultural exchanges. Time will tell.