Jill Dobbe was born and raised in Wisconsin, but always knew she wanted to see more of the world. As young teachers, Dobbe and her husband, Dan, packed up their two toddlers, Ali and Ian, and began a journey of teaching overseas. Their first year out of the United States brought them to Guam. In the beginning, Dobbe wondered if uprooting her young children and moving to an island she had never heard of was the right thing to do.
Soon it became clear that this was her passion. Not only did she get to teach, she learned about other cultures and societies while traveling the world. She was able to introduce her children to other parts of the world. She saw the world through their innocent eyes.
Teaching jobs took the family of four from Guam to Singapore, then to Ghana, Africa (which was their longest teaching contract), to Guadalajara, Mexico. Vacations took them to many other places around the world. Other teachers, their families, and fellow students brought many different cultures into their home.
When Dobbe and her husband decided it was time to settle back in Wisconsin, they faced a sort of reverse culture shock. By now Ian and Ali were preteens and had spent more time in other countries than the one they were born in. They were behind on popular music and trends. At the same time, they were popular among their fellow students because they were world travelers. Both Dobbe and her husband returned to school to gain degrees to work in administration.
After a few years back in Wisconsin, they decided it was time to go again. They will see as much of the world as they can, both teaching and learning.
Dobbe knows this lifestyle isn't for everyone. She is glad she got to teach around the world and got to experience so many different things. If you are thinking about teaching overseas or know someone who is, especially a family with small children, Here We Are & There We Go will give you insight into the traveling life. While most families tend to create roots in one area and stay there, going against the norm has worked for the Dobbe family. Raising children while traveling and working all over the world has shaped each member of the Dobbe family, from the parents to the children, into the people they are today.
Here We Are & There We Go can be found on Amazon.
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