My Story

My name is Wes Thompson and I am originally from the state of Florida, where I grew up, went to college, had a few exciting adventures, and served as a teacher at two large public high schools for ten years.

I enjoyed my job well enough, which also provided great opportunities to travel in the summers, but something kept pushing me toward wanting to embark on a larger adventure.

I had always been intrigued about the possibility of going to Vietnam, because I had heard so much about it on the news from the time in my younger years. Unfortunately, the news was rarely good, focusing of course on the war.

I suppose like many people, I am a bit haunted by what happened in Vietnam when I was only a small boy. I was too young to take part in the war, but old enough to remember hearing some pretty disturbing things. For many Americans, Vietnam IS the war.

But I always knew that Vietnam was much more than that. I knew that it had to have it’s own history, and that people had their real lives and stories to tell, some happy, some sad. I knew there was much more to see and learn there. I knew there had to be good news there as well.

So, after much thought, in 2006, I decided to visit Vietnam with a Vietnamese friend who I met while dining in his restaurant in Florida. I think I was forever changed by this trip.

We traveled through southern Vietnam, but also went to China and Thailand. I returned to work the following school year but enjoyed my first visit to Asia so much that I returned the following summer and visited Vietnam and Thailand for a second time and also Cambodia.

After the second visit, I knew I was hooked and that there was no way I could pass up the opportunity to live in Southeast Asia on a long-term basis. I had fallen in love with the area! I didn’t want to just come to visit for a few weeks; I wanted to make one of these countries my home for awhile.

So, I returned to Florida, went back to work teaching for one more year, but then resigned from my job, packed my bags, and headed back to Saigon, where I soon began working as an English teacher at an international school.

I worked there for 10 years and served as a teacher, program coordinator, and assistant principal. There were many ups and downs and some frustrating days. But, in all honesty, I would not trade a single day of working there for a thousand days anywhere else.

Since 2008, I have traveled to many places in Southeast Asia, as well as to China, Japan, and Europe.

I feel extremely fortunate to be able to live this lifestyle and I certainly do not see any reason to stop doing so anytime soon. Living, working, and traveling in Southeast Asia has been an indescribably awe-inspiring experience.

About this Website

A Teacher Traveling was created to help visitors plan their adventures to Southeast Asia! Also, upon arriving, it serves as a straightforward and no-nonsense guide to finding the best things to do, the safest ways to travel, the best areas of the cities to stay in, and the most delicious foods to try in each country.

My blog is meant to tell my story, both in words and in photographs, during my time traveling and living in this fascinating part of the world. I share tips on how to get the most out of your travels so you can enjoy your adventures to their fullest extent.