The word "purpose" brings a lot to mind and really gets me thinking, especially on late Sunday nights when I should be sleeping but can’t seem to send that message up to my brain.

I believe our purpose in life changes with age. At this present age, my purpose is to bridge cultures, break down stereotypes, make a difference in the community and teach English and friendship to as many people as I possibly can while on the search for the best iced coffee in the world.

I was one of those Americans who graduated university with no real prospects of work in the field I was looking for, but also still not fully knowing what that field was. I didn’t get discouraged. Well okay, yes I did, but I decided to get my TEFL certification so that I could at least be on my way to achieving some of my dreams.

When I was about eight years old, I had started to make a list of all the countries I wanted to visit. Mostly I just chose them based on how cool the name of the country was and I would dream of travelling to these countries while doing odd jobs and making friends with the kids in all the playgrounds. Getting my certificate to teach abroad was my way of honouring little Nicole's dreams in a practical manner.

Getting my TEFL certificate was my way of honouring little Nicole's dreams in a practical manner.

I taught cute, young, and smart students in China and it truly awakened a passion for teaching and getting to know a new country I didn’t know much about. Unfortunately, I didn’t finish the contract due to health reasons. I gave it another try and this time I was headed to some small town in the middle of Thailand to teach high school students, which is where I am now. I have loved my time here; the people are incredibly friendly and the natural beauty of the land is just stupendous.

To add to the excitement of travelling, in March I will be moving to Taiwan with my boyfriend to start teaching at a new school. We’ve been dating for less than a year and now we will be living together in a totally new country. Am I nervous? Heck yeah! I consider myself very adaptable, which is a must if you're going to continuously be miles away from home and getting accustomed to a new way of life. However, I figured my best decisions in life have always been the spontaneous ones, so let’s see what kind of adventure this new chapter will take us on.

In Taiwan, I hope to learn more Mandarin so that I can communicate with the locals and see a progress in the students' English abilities. I also hope to inspire you to visit Taiwan, which is a country known for many great things. For example, their cuisine, beaches, and picturesque landscapes that for some reason are flying under the radar of many travellers. I’d like to also collect as many great stories and even more amazing friends along the way.