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Teacher sets off on mission to visit 30 countries before her 30th birthday

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Meghan Ramsey. (Photo: CATERS/WWW.MAGAZINEFEATURES.CO.ZA)
Meghan Ramsey. (Photo: CATERS/WWW.MAGAZINEFEATURES.CO.ZA)

She plans on exploring the world before she turns the big 3-0!

Meghan Ramsey, 29, from Washington, U.S., has travelled to 27 countries so far and is aiming to reach 30 countries by the time she turns 30 years old in eleven months’ time.

With having six weeks off a year as well as weekends, the 29 year old says that travelling has made her a better teacher because she’s able to learn about new cultures, which helps her do some self-reflection.

“I have pretty much always known I wanted to be a teacher,” said Meghan.

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“My first job was at an afterschool program. I loved helping children and knew it was something I wanted to continue to do for the rest of my life.

“I teach primary school children and I cover all subjects including maths, reading and writing. I also taught during summers spent in Zambia and China.

meghan ramsey

“While I was in university I volunteered at a shelter for homeless children and students taken into foster care, and I saw major disparities between the education I received and what they were receiving. This gave me a huge passion for helping children of all backgrounds and that’s why I continue to teach to this day.

“I believe education is the way to a brighter and better future, no matter who or where you come from, an education can make all the difference.

“As a child, my family did a lot of trips to states like Colorado and Arkansas, which made me love exploring and getting outside. It’s always stuck with me as something I love.”

To fund her exotic lifestyle, the teacher also babysits and is a part-time professor.

READ MORE: How to get paid R1.7 million to live in a luxury hotel for a year

She earns approximately R1.2 million a year and is able to plan her trips in advance as she knows exactly when her school holidays will commence.

Apart from visiting 27 countries, Meghan has also made weekend trips to 44 of the U.S's 50 states.

“In school, I used money from my job to go on a trip to Italy and to Mexico twice. Then at university, I worked over 40 hours a week while studying so I could go to England, France and Uganda. Once I got my full-time job, paying for trips became much easier and I could travel more often.

“Travelling has always been a priority for me, that’s why I’ve been able to go to so many places.

meghan ramsey

“I have a few favourite destinations, but my absolute favourite trip was probably my trip to Peru because it’s such a diverse and wonderful country.

“Another personal favourite is Italy. I know it sounds cliché because that’s what everyone says about Italy, but it’s such a beautiful country with so much to offer.

“As a teacher, I actually think it’s fairly easy to find the time to travel. Yes, you work extremely long hours as I do 50 hours a week, but we do get holidays off and at least six weeks for them.

“All our breaks are planned out, so we can prepare for them. By June, I know what days off I have in December,” she said.

Meghan wants to encourage others, of any profession, to travel more and to reap the awards of it.

READ MORE: Why do some millennials lie about their holidays pics?

“Travelling has taught me a lot about myself, the world and how we as humans operate in general,” said Meghan.

“Travelling is always worth your time and the experiences you have will leave you wanting more time in a place or with the people you meet. I’ve never felt like travelling was a waste of time and I always leave a trip feeling like it was well worth it.

“If you make travel a priority in your life you’ll stop talking about where you dream of going and you’ll gain some amazing experiences.

“I feel like so many people make excuses for why they don’t travel when what you’ve got to do is make it a priority and make a budget for it.

“You can find a way; your best moments are those in which you take a chance and so you should just go for it.”

Source: Magazine Features

Pictures: CATERS/WWW.MAGAZINEFEATURES.CO.ZA

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