Lessons and Adventures From a Nomadic Educator With Michelle Jackson

Get ready for an enlightening journey as we sit down with the captivating Michelle Jackson, a seasoned educator with an insatiable wanderlust. Michelle shares her transformative experiences, moving from the United States to immerse herself in the rich Emirati culture in Al Ain, UAE. She speaks to the joys and trials of being an educator abroad and gives us a peek into the warm and welcoming community she helped foster. Her life in Al Ain paints a vibrant picture of a unique cultural tapestry and the profound impact it had on her perception of the world.

But that's not all; Michelle's thirst for adventure is unquenchable. Fresh from her exhilarating expedition to Zambia and other parts of Africa, she regales us with tales from Victoria Falls and the Makoni Big Five Safari to the adrenaline-fueled thrill of zip lining and gorge jumping. She also addresses the deep-seated respect for animals she discovered in Zambia, a respect that left a profound imprint. Moreover, Michelle tantalizes us with her future travel plans, promising more intercontinental escapades. Be ready to be inspired as Michelle's vivid tales stir your own dreams of trotting the globe!

Connect With Michelle:
www.unapologeticnomads.com
https://www.youtube.com/c/UnapologeticNomads

Teach Middle East Magazine is the premier platform for educators and the entire education sector in the Middle East and beyond. Our vision is to equip educators with the materials and tools they need to function optimally in and out of the classroom. We provide a space for educators to connect and find inspiration, resources, and forums to enhance their teaching techniques, methodologies, and personal development. We connect education suppliers and service providers to the people who make the buying decisions in schools.

Visit our website:https://linktr.ee/teachmiddleeast

Tweet us: https://twitter.com/teachmiddleeast

Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teachmiddleeast/

Hosted by Leisa Grace Wilson

Connect with Leisa Grace:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/leisagrace

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leisagrace/

Teach Middle East Magazine is the premier platform for educators and the entire education sector in the Middle East and beyond. Our vision is to equip educators with the materials and tools they need, to function optimally in and out of the classroom. We provide a space for educators to connect and find inspiration, resources, and forums to enhance their teaching techniques, methodologies, and personal development. We connect education suppliers and service providers to the people who make the buying decisions in schools.

Visit our website https://linktr.ee/teachmiddleeast.

Tweet us: https://twitter.com/teachmiddleeast

Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teachmiddleeast/.

Hosted by Leisa Grace Wilson

Connect with Leisa Grace:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/leisagrace

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leisagrace/

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:27

Hey everyone, welcome to the Teach Middle East podcast. My name is Lisa Grace, it is 2023, 2024 academic year and we are back. Well, we've been back, so you must have listened to a couple of episodes before you got to this one, but this episode is a real treat for me because I get to speak to a YouTuber and a teacher who I've been following for a while and didn't know I'd get the opportunity to speak with her, and it is none other than Michelle Jackson from the Unapologetic Nomads.

Speaker 2: 1:04

You are listening to the Teach Middle East podcast connecting, developing and empowering educators.

Speaker 3: 1:15

Welcome, michelle. Thank you, it is a pleasure. Pleasure to meet you. Lisa, I've heard a lot about you and it's crazy, our paths never crossed, but it is just a pleasure to meet you.

Speaker 1: 1:26

Finally, Thank you. I don't know how we will do a coffee after this recording. For sure, for sure, I'm sure I won't be able to cover everything I want to cover in this and no one wants to listen to a five hour podcast. And thank you for having me. You are most welcome, listen. I want to dive quickly into your story. First of all, what led you to the Middle East? But before we even get there, where are you from?

Speaker 3: 2:00

All right, so I am originally from South Carolina in the US and, wow, I lived well part of my life. I was born and raised in South Carolina and then I moved to Philadelphia, pa, pennsylvania, in like 2002. So half of my life down south, the other half of north, and I travel quite a bit across the United States. And so a bit about me. And of course it is me, my husband and our daughter, wonderful Ayla. You're favorite Ayla. Yes, yes, love her personality, fantastic. It's just so amazing just seeing her grow up just around the world. You know, having that experience, I'm just so happy for her and happy that we were able to do that for her. Yeah, give her that experience.

Speaker 1: 2:53

What led you to the Middle East?

Speaker 3: 2:55

Well, I'm an educator by profession and 20 plus years, and so I was teaching in Philadelphia and I noticed how things started to feel like educators started to feel like a business, you know what I mean and there's so many pressures being put on educators like myself, and I just felt like, wow, where are we headed, you know? And I just wanted a different experience. And so I was talking to a really good friend, aliyah. Shout out to Aliyah, back in Philly, and she said have you ever thought about teaching abroad? I said, now, that's a thought. I said, but how do you do that? So she gave me some information.

Speaker 3: 3:32

I did my homework, my research, and talked to my husband first, and he was, you know, ready to go. You know, my daughter was on board. They were both like let's do it, you know so, and what he did was online anyway, so we could just pick up and go. And so we got ready and put out some resumes, you know, apply for a few positions in the UAE, and I got two offers. You know, a long story short, and the rest is history, and this was 2015.

Speaker 1: 4:03

Wow. So your journey took you from South Carolina to Pennsylvania, all across the United States, and now you are in the UAE. You were based in Al Ain. How did you find Al Ain?

Speaker 3: 4:18

Al Ain is a nice, quaint little, I want to say a charm. It's a very charming, a very charming little city and we had a very close knit community there. Awesome experience. I would not trade it for anything in the world. We had a really, really nice community and we had a lot going on outside of school. We had, you know, our children play together and even with some of the local children, and just had a great time. That was a wonderful experience and I just love the community aspect where a lot of us were able to come together and like become auntie you know, the adopted auntie and uncle grandma, if you will and we just took care of each other and just had a great time as a community. My teaching experience there was wonderful as well. Yes, definitely.

Speaker 1: 5:09

What level do you teach? What grade?

Speaker 3: 5:12

So I am certified six through 12. And I've taught six through 12 over the course of my career. So there I taught wow, seven, eight, six, seven, eight in Alayne, and here last year was grade six and seven. I don't know what this year is, you know it's going to bring for me, but just waiting, because we're just getting back. Today was the first day. So yeah, middle and high school is where I kind of, you know, always taught.

Speaker 1: 5:41

Alayne is a special place. We tend to hear a lot about Dubai and Abu Dhabi, but I feel like for teachers who are listening to this and maybe you're not yet in this country, maybe you're listening to this podcast and you're thinking where to be based. If you really are wanting to learn the Emirati culture and way of life, alayne is the best place for that. I find that you really get immersed in the community. You get invited to their homes, to their weddings, to their functions, and you just really are a part of the community and you learn their traditions and culture. It's very different from sort of living in Dubai, where you hardly mix with a local person, or even Abu Dhabi, where you, less so than Alayne Did you find that to be true?

Speaker 3: 6:30

Absolutely, they were so welcoming and inviting. I actually went to, I remember, one of the teachers she just had her baby and invited us all to come and she prepared a meal for us and I'm like wow, that was just amazing, just so welcoming, inviting and just giving. So definitely, I would say. And in Alayne you get to be immersed a little bit more in the culture, because they're very traditional and they love their culture and their heritage and you get to see that and experience it as well. So definitely, I agree, because as amazing as Dubai is, it's very touristy and you see a lot of people from all over the world who come and visit Dubai and sell theirs.

Speaker 1: 7:14

Yeah, no, you're right, You're right. So after Alayne, when I got so familiar with you, you took you know, a lot of teachers say oh, I want to travel the world, I want to come and experience what it's like to travel. But you didn't do that. You didn't just say that you lived that for a while. So I want to know how that came about. What led to you wanting to become nomadic?

Speaker 3: 7:42

Wow, okay. So, for starters, when we me, my family arrived here, we were like so in all, like, oh, my goodness, if you listen to media, you would think so many things that are just not true about different places around the world. We got here, we were like, wow, you know, and it's an exciting, just very peaceful, just amazing energy here. And so back home, you had the naysayers. First of all, when we decided to relocate and I accepted the job, we had people like where are you going over there? Oh, isn't it this or that? You know, I'm like what? All the negative talk? Because we were blown away and I'd done my homework, so I knew it wasn't what they were saying. You know, it was here the climate. And so just to show people the truth in real time, you know, we started doing videos and sending pictures and videos back home like this is where we are, like, stop worrying, we're fine, we're great, as a matter of fact, having a wonderful time. So they were like what you know?

Speaker 3: 8:46

So I remember our first vacation, our break. We had a break-in for spring break. We went to Tanzania, beautiful country on the continent of Africa, and that just changed our lives, it changed my life, and from there we knew that we wanted more. We wanted to see more and more and more of the world, and that's where we started. That was our very first trip outside of you know, being in the UAE, and it was just exciting, you know, and almost like surreal, like are we really here? Yeah, so we just went, like I said, more and more, and from there we just kept traveling. Every time we get a break, a holiday, we're traveling, we're making videos and we're showing people this is what the world looks like right now in real time, because, like I said, if you listen to media, you would think everywhere around the world is so horrible outside of you know, living in the US, and it's so not true, and I'm glad we were able to experience that.

Speaker 1: 9:44

Yeah, no, you're right, and so I've been like on your YouTube channel. By the way, guys, I'm gonna link the unapologetic Nomad YouTube channel in the show notes. You have to go and watch it and I'm sure you're gonna become like me. You're gonna binge watch the whole thing and you're gonna get to learn about the family and learn about, you know, this educator's path that she and her family have chosen to live. So let's dig into some of your favorite places. You've been to loads of places. I'm not gonna ask you for your top one or top two. Just name me some great ones and why you like them. So Tanzania, yes, name me some good ones.

Speaker 3: 10:26

Definitely Tanzania. Been to Zanzibar probably four times. It's paradise, it is Beautiful. And also Darab Salam. We lived there when we did leave, so this is my second bout here in the UAE. We were gone for a couple of years, and so Tanzania, zambia Zambia is awesome. We'll talk about that later. Wonderful people let's see there's so many. Every place is very special, has its own wonderful qualities, different cultures. Wonderful people let's see South Africa, one of my daughter's favorites as well. Let's see. We also lived in Cambodia. Lived in Cambodia for a year and a half. That was an amazing experience. Wow, so many places. I'm gonna leave out any place to be seen when I have one here.

Speaker 1: 11:15

Okay, I will help you, since I am like I've been binge watched your channel. I'll help you out. Tell me about Rwanda.

Speaker 3: 11:23

So we had an opportunity to live there. We lived there for nine months during our travels and just the country itself is breathtaking. The people are so amazing, and so we just felt at home in Rwanda. So we dwelled there for a little while, longer than we usually stay in different places. As no man's, we don't stay in many places very long, but we stay there quite a length of time and just the landscape itself is like, oh, inspiring, it's just amazing. And, like I said, the people. It just made it really, really nice that the people were so warm. It just felt like family, extended family, so definitely we stayed there for a while. From there, we visited Tanzania again and stayed there for about four months.

Speaker 1: 12:12

I've got a quick one for you. When you talk about staying there right, because a lot of people wanna travel and they've got lots of fear. And how do you go about deciding where you stay and how long you stay and where you move to next?

Speaker 3: 12:28

So when we visit a place, so we all we kind of take a vote as a family where would you wanna go next, okay? So we decide we're gonna go take a little vote and okay, let's go. We're very adventurous so we're not fearful people and if the vibe is right we want to stay longer, you understand. So that makes you like I'm saying the people, is it costly?

Speaker 1: 12:53

or not.

Speaker 3: 12:53

Is it affordable? So how easy is it to get a visa? Those things are very, very important to us. And how easy is it to rent an apartment or a house to be in while you're there? So all those things come into play. So we kind of calculate all those things and if it's right, then we stay and definitely the vibe. The vibe has to be great, yeah.

Speaker 1: 13:17

So you don't do hotels.

Speaker 3: 13:20

If we're going to, we usually like Airbnb and we book through booking, so mostly homes, because this is where a family of three and it's a lot easier to go that route. So you tend to find, because hotels can be costly, very pricey in different places. But if you're doing a long term stay, let's say a month or more, we do like Airbnb home stays.

Speaker 1: 13:42

Awesome. So when you think about what you want to see, how do you plan an itinerary? Maybe Rwanda, for example? How do you plan what to see, where to go, that kind of thing, Because people just want to know where to start.

Speaker 3: 13:57

OK, so I love researching, so I would get online or we all get online and like things to do, places to visit in whatever the places are Rwanda, as an example and I'm like, oh, I want to go there. Ok, I want to see Lake Kivu, I want to go to the Genocide Memorial, I want to. So we'll see different places online and we're like, ok, I'm intrigued, I want to learn more about this. And we just go, we just go. And while we were there, also, there were a few companies, or tour groups, if you will, that reached out to us and they were also followers of the channel subscribers and they, at times, we go different places. They offer to take us on a free tour in exchange for promoting their business. So it all works. So we get to see even more of what. Maybe we missed something. They know some other interesting places to visit and we go from there.

Speaker 1: 15:00

Yeah, I think one of the things I want people to leave the podcast with is a renewed sense of adventure, because a lot of our listeners are teachers. They're from other parts of the world. They come over here and sometimes we can get sort of like pigeonholed in the regular destinations, that everyone wants to go to Paris, type of thing, and everyone wants to go to Amsterdam. Nothing against those places. Everybody wants to go to London. I'm not going to knock London, I grew up there but when we think of adventure we should sort of like think outside of the box. You've been to Zambia and I want to spend a few minutes talking about Zambia, because Zambia is very near and dear to my heart. I'm just coming back from Zambia. I spent a few weeks there, going between Zambia and Zimbabwe, on the border with Botswana as well, and really exploring Livingstone such a fantastic country and a fantastic town, because I can't call Livingstone a city really, but it is magical, just it's very charming. It is, and it's the simplicity that sells it. What did you think of Livingstone?

Speaker 3: 16:15

Livingstone is my favorite place in Zambia. I'm going to be honest. I think my husband said the same thing and it is small.

Speaker 3: 16:23

But it is so shocking. There's so many things to do and see Examples. So of course, that is where you get to see. Masutunia, in the local language, is Victoria Falls, which is the largest falling sheet of water, the waterfall, biggest waterfall in the world, and of course, I got emotional Because the power coming from it was so amazing. A very spiritual person, so the power from that water. I'm looking and like, oh, my goodness, this is fantastic. We're here looking at this with our own eyes, and then to be there at the border of another country right there is Zimbabwe across the bridge so just to be able to experience that, have the water falling on you this is God's creation, you know. It's like wow.

Speaker 3: 17:17

Also, you have the Makoni Big Five and we did a safari there as well, just to see animals in their natural habitat, just roaming and just being at peace and just. There's nothing like it. Also, we do the safari. Oh, something very interesting happened when we were driving down one of the main streets in Livingstone. We're driving on a safari that day and we stopped and there is a zebra crossing the street. That was so fantastic. So just to see that, how people respect nature and let the animals just dwell and just be a part of what's going on. That is fantastic. We also experienced some adrenaline style adventures. Oh, my goodness, I know you saw the video with my husband and daughter doing the gorge jumping. Yeah, it's like jumping off a cliff, yeah, and it scared me half to death.

Speaker 1: 18:17

I saw that. I even watched this summer Some people doing it and I was like I'm good, but more power to you that I couldn't do.

Speaker 3: 18:26

But I ziplined and that for me a lot of people were like I don't even know how you did that, it was so far across the gorge. But once you get out there, you're like, okay, nothing can stop me, I'm good, I'm good, this is such fun. So we had a great time. And also going to the local market, seeing the artisans with their goods, their handcrafted things, and just oh, wow, it's just. I'm like this is Africa, it's amazing, yeah.

Speaker 1: 18:55

Yeah, loving stuff.

Speaker 3: 18:56

This is nice. We met so many wonderful people and got to share in advertising for different people's company in exchange for them taking us different places, and this is fantastic. I can see myself going again. You have to Zambia, definitely, definitely beautiful.

Speaker 1: 19:15

Zambia is a very, very wonderful country. I just I have the best time when I go there. This was my third trip, yeah, and so I'll tell you offline why I keep going there, but I love it. And one of the things I really love is that when us, as Africans in the diaspora as we call her names, you know, because it's hard, it's hard to say that we are from Africa, you know, but we are Africans, we just weren't born there. It's nice to sort of see us going back and really enjoying it and really shedding a light on what's really going on there with, you know, sort of the lifestyle that we don't normally see in the media, we don't normally know that this is what. This is what it's really like when you're on the ground. How do you manage to sort of capture everything and film? How do you balance all of that?

Speaker 3: 20:15

So we use different things. So you know phone cameras are also in these days. You know we used to have the Canon, you know carrying the big, weighty camera and whatnot. But then you know it's like, okay, you know what we can do the same and have great quality using our phones. So we do that. And my husband taught me how to edit. He was the editor at first, editing videos and whatnot. He taught me, and now I know how to edit videos and so we kind of share the load, if you will, if we don't go live, that is. So going live is pretty simple. It's just already there. You capture it in the moment. So that's how we do it, so we kind of routine. So yeah.

Speaker 1: 20:51

So in order not to like make this podcast like super long, because I could just talk to you forever and ever, I want to know, now that you are back in the UAE and you are looking to maybe travel from here to different places, maybe on your holidays because now that you know teachers, you know we have several little holidays jotted into the academic year what's on your list?

Speaker 3: 21:18

Oh, okay, not sure right now, but we definitely would love to get to other continents, if you will. I'm itching to get to South America and even to visit, like Australia, different other places, and there's so many other countries I want to visit on the continent of Africa as well, and so I guess I'm going to have to. We got to figure it out at the top.

Speaker 1: 21:42

I was watching recently that your daughter she's now 18 and wants to in the United States. What's that like? Know that your three will come to.

Speaker 3: 21:53

I miss her but she's doing. She's awesome. She wanted to finish her last year of high school in the US and she is with family, so she is in great hands and you know we don't want to take that from her, you know. So the experience is going to the prom and taking your senior pictures and you know those things and she's doing a great job. She's really intelligent young lady and we're proud of her, you know.

Speaker 3: 22:18

So at first I'm like baby, but her dad and I were like you know what, okay, we get it, we get it. So a little sad, but also happy for her, so yeah.

Speaker 1: 22:31

I'm sure she'll be able to join you on some holidays and you guys can track off over. What advice would you give to people who are sort of listening to the podcast, wanting to go and explore, but are a little bit timid? What would you tell them?

Speaker 3: 22:48

So I always say things that you want to do, you know. So I think, seeing things for yourself. A lot of times we take advice from people who have probably never traveled. Sometimes people I've found on the channel given advice to people and they've never even left their state, that's more the country. So I think that, just you know, be brave about it, but do your due diligence, research and figure out where it is you would like to go and just go, you know, push the button, just go. You know. So you would be surprised at what the world has for you to see. This world is so amazing, it's very vast and it's very beautiful, and I don't regret any of our experiences, all that we've done, and I just want more and more and more. So I say just you know, just do it, you know, and just see for yourself. You know we can't always live through what other people are saying to us trying to give us advice, and a lot of times they might not be good advice. So just go.

Speaker 1: 23:51

I love that. That's a very good place to end the podcast. Just go. If you want to explore, just go.

Speaker 3: 23:57

Thank, you, thank you. Thank you for having me, lisa. Thank you so much, and it's awesome to finally be able to talk to you and to see you.

Speaker 1: 24:05

Thank you.

Speaker 2: 24:08

Thank you for listening to the Teach Middle East podcast. Visit our website teachmedaleastcom and follow us on social media. The links are in the show notes.