I teach English, travel Asia, and write messy, honest stories about all the ways those two worlds collide.
I write to help you explore more: the world, a language, or your own growth.
Hi, my name is Sierra, CC, or Siesel — feel free to call me by any or all of my names. Whether you’re one of my current students, friends, family members, or someone completely new, I’d love to give you an aggressively warm welcome to my blog. My hope is to shrink the distance so I don’t feel worlds away from everyone I care about, students and loved ones alike. I hope you’ll find my life lessons entertaining at the very least, or instrumentally impactful at the very best. Think of this blog as the group chat I wish I could add everyone to — the place where I chronically overshare all my unfiltered thoughts. I never want anyone to feel like a stranger, so if you’re reading this, you’re already part of my circle.
Let’s begin with my origin story. I left to begin traveling Southeast Asia on March 25th, 2025. When I originally left, I pictured myself teaching English abroad — and that’s exactly what I did. I taught small classes at a privately owned education company in Hanoi, Vietnam. Looking back, that experience catapulted me out of my comfort zone in every way imaginable. I honestly believe I grew more in those three months than in the three years before at university. It was the perfect introduction to life in Southeast Asia: living in a local, non-touristy area, meeting teachers from all over the world, and learning how to settle into an entirely new culture.
Very quickly, I realized there was so much more to explore than just Vietnam, and I was eager to keep going. My worldview expanded at record speed, and my values were being both cemented and reshaped into something new. Since then, my favorite part of traveling has been learning from people — the perspective shifts that come from locals, students, and fellow open-minded travelers alike. The constant exchange of language and culture powered me through the hottest summer months in Hanoi.
After my work in Vietnam finished, I set out through Northern Laos and Thailand, continuing to teach English through work exchanges in rural villages. I wanted to test my resilience and adaptability — and wow, what an incredible challenge it was. I had never felt so fiercely independent. I taught myself how to ride a motorbike in remote Laos, supported students with very different cultural backgrounds, studied polite phrases in four languages, and learned how to live off less than $10 a day.
From there, I jumped into hostel repping in Bali, Indonesia — a totally different universe of challenges. Back in the States, I considered myself introverted with minimal charisma, but being a hostel rep who has to befriend every guest and run social events might be the world’s best exposure therapy for social anxiety. I learned to lead conversations confidently and, unexpectedly, became hyper-aware of the privilege of being a native English speaker. Being able to confidently guide conversations, be understood, and even be charming in the traveler lingua franca is something I didn’t realize I had been taking for granted.
In Indonesia, I found a home away from home — as so many travelers do — but I was confronted with the reality that I needed to choose between this new home and returning to my old one. I either had to give up traveling or fight for the lifestyle I’d fallen in love with. It wasn’t easy; I miss the people I left in the U.S. deeply. But I knew I wasn’t ready to stop growing. So, in true stubborn Sierra fashion, I put my head down and decided to find a way to make money online.
Naturally, I went back to what I’m proven to be good at: teaching and communicating. I spent months teaching several hours of free lessons per day, earning very low wages for my paid ones, building my lesson-planning portfolio (yes, I plan all my own lessons), and slowly carving out my niche.
Now, I’ve become a fully fledged Business English coach for more than 40 regular students. The shift from work-exchange traveler to digital nomad has required constant trial and error — but it’s also become one of the most transformative experiences of my life. I’ve learned so much about effective communication, cross-cultural understanding, and the nuances of language from both my students and the content I create for them. Every day feels like a mix of culture, communication, and self-reinvention.
All of this to say: now I’m living abroad with no end in sight. I’m living the dream — but not without the long hours, the uncertainty, the trial and error, and all the chaotic moments in between. This whole journey has taught me so much about language, culture, and lifestyle that I would’ve remained ignorant to if I hadn’t forced myself out of my comfort zone all those months ago.