Help Tom restart his life

Hello folks.  Thanks for taking the time to read my GoFundMe appeal. 

     I hadn’t really planned on finding myself making such an appeal, but then who does?  Anyhow, it is what it is, and what it is, is this:   

     As some of you know I have spent the better part of the past 30 years traipsing around the globe teaching in various international schools in Europe, Asia, Middle East, and South America.  (Oh, and many years ago in the US!)

     The opportunity to not only see and visit these places, but to live in and experience diverse cultures as well as meeting an amazing array of individuals more than made up for the sometimes not-so-great financial rewards.  I realized quite some time ago that likely I would be one of those folks who doesn’t actually ‘retire’ from the world of work but would need to continue developing some sort of income stream until…. well until I cannot.  Fortunately up until rather recently I was able to do so – although there has been a couple of periods when things were looking more than bleak on the financial front.

     I came to Portugal to take a two-year position at yet another international school.  Portugal is a lovely country with an economy based largely around tourism.  After completing my two years, and finding Portugal to be quiet and safe, I made the decision to strike out on my own as a freelance/independent contractor teaching English to children and adults.

     Having a small amount of savings and helped along by a very small pension from the US. (All those years working abroad didn’t count for US social security, unfortunately.) I was pleasantly surprised when it started to work as I had hoped.  I found myself with adult students, high-schoolers, and college students, and was engaged by a large shipping company to provide English language training to their employees. 

     So things looked very positive.  The rent was being paid, there was food on the table, God was in heaven and all seemed more or less right with the world, or at least in my world.

     However…. with the onset of COVID-19 last year, Portugal, like much of the rest of the world, closed up tight.  With the economy in turmoil, private English language lessons were an expense that many, including my private students, decided to drop…as did the shipping company.

     So, where did that leave me?  High and dry so to speak in Portugal which wasn’t such a bad place to be, with a dwindling bank account, and continuing monthly expenses to be paid.  Things went from bad to worse and there was not even a trickle of a financial stream.  Fortunately, the owners of the flat I was renting were not only exceedingly kind and sympathetic but also generous when eventually the rent due, could not be paid.  My financial situation became increasingly dire, and with the travel restrictions imposed globally found me stuck with no work, no money, no options.  It was not a particularly good place to be, although as noted there are worse places to be stuck.  (And my situation, as dire as it's been for me, has not been as difficult as it has been for others, 'dire' being a relative word.)

     The one constant in everyone’s life is, of course, change, and things began to improve slightly this spring.  I’ve managed to restart the English language lessons with a handful of students and have been doing exam proctoring/invigilation with one of the Brit international schools.  But the really good news is that I’ve been offered a job at a language school….in Brno, Czech Republic!  It is a decent offer and will allow me to get my life back on track.

     Which is why I am making this appeal.  Moving is always not only stressful, but also costs a bit of money.  Visas, working papers, the transportation of oneself and one’s stuff, as well as staying in an Airbnb while searching out an affordable abode, and then paying for an abode to rent, all incur financial costs…costs which unfortunately I do not really have presently.

     What do I need?  A bit of financial assistance from any/all who are able and willing to help old Tom out. 

     What can I offer?  Besides a very sincere and heartfelt “thank you”, a place to base your holiday in central Europe!  Brno is indeed in the center of Europe, and while being a very interesting city in it’s own right, offers quick and easy access to Prague, Vienna, and Budapest among others.  It is a university city, with a lot of youthful energy, and a vibrant cultural life.  So, in exchange for your support, you have an invite to stay with Tom.  As an added attraction I can offer myself as a knowledgeable guide, companion, and (as some of you know), a never-ending supply of tales, stories, and anecdotes of people, places and experiences from 30+ years of my nomadic experiences.

     Thanks for reading my appeal.  Perhaps I will see some of you in Brno!