World Class Educators

Home

What Winter Break Really Looks Like for Expat Educators

6–9 minutes

read

As we prepare to wrap up school and the year winds down, winter break starts to feel almost tangible. The countdown is real. For international school teachers and expat educators, winter break abroad often comes with familiar questions: should we travel or stay put, rest or explore, go “home” or enjoy life where we are?

For most of my expat life, our answer has been consistent. We usually stay.

Since getting married and having kids, our family has returned to the United States for winter break exactly twice. That surprises some people, especially those new to teaching abroad, but for us it has been a deliberate and grounding choice rather than a default one.

Want more information about how to get a job at an international school? Check out these posts:

Choosing Stability Over Long-Haul Travel

One of our core values as an expat educator family is stability. Even before we had children, we noticed a pattern: years with long-haul travel in the middle of the school year felt less restful, not more. Jet lag, dramatic time zone shifts, and the emotional whiplash of moving between worlds made it harder to return to school feeling recharged.

Initially, our decision not to return to our home country every winter was largely financial. Living within our means meant we could realistically afford only one trip to the U.S. each year. At the time, we were living in Timor-Leste, which meant over 40 hours of travel each way…a uniquely taxing journey. Over time, we realized that staying in our host country during winter break abroad also allowed us to prioritize travel during spring break or summer. This choice supported our long-term savings goals while still letting us enjoy a rich and fulfilling international teaching lifestyle.

Instead of crossing oceans in December, we celebrate Christmas at home and then typically travel locally for a few days or a week. The destinations have varied with each job: in Southeast Asia, we visited Bali or Bangkok; in the Middle East, we explored Yas Island in Abu Dhabi or traveled to Bahrain. Staying closer to home has also allowed us to explore our host countries in ways that aren’t possible during the busy school year.

Camping trips, day trips, and slower travel have become some of our most meaningful winter break memories. And when we stay put, we are never without community. Every year spent celebrating the holidays abroad, we find people to share meals with, celebrate alongside, and explore with. Community tends to show up when you leave space for it.

When Going “Home” Is the Right Choice

The years we did return to the U.S. for winter break were meaningful in their own way. Cousins had time together. Family reconnected in the middle of the school year instead of waiting until summer. Our kids experienced truly cold weather for the first time and even saw snow, which felt almost magical after years abroad.

What those trips taught us was not that one option is better than the other, but that long-distance travel during the school year comes with its own rhythm and needs. We learned quickly that our trips went best when we intentionally protected time for our own family unit. Moving from your own bed to an air mattress while jet lagged is a real adjustment, and acknowledging that made the experience kinder for everyone.

One year, we rented an Airbnb in western Massachusetts with a close friend who met us from Canada. We watched movies, cooked simple meals, and played outside in the snow. Another year, we drove to Washington, D.C. and spent a few quiet days as the four of us, wandering museums and visiting monuments at our own pace.

Stepping away from extended family for a night or two felt counterintuitive at first, but it consistently made the entire trip more enjoyable. When large, dispersed families come together, there is a lot of joy and a lot of energy. Building in space to reset helped us show up more present, more rested, and more connected, both with each other and with the people we traveled so far to see.

Redefining What “Enough” Looks Like

In the early years of parenting overseas, I worried we weren’t making the holidays feel like “enough.” Enough traditions. Enough magic. Enough memories.

Then one year, sitting in a hotel room in Bali surrounded by friends and family who had flown in from South Korea, it quietly clicked. We were doing exactly what we were meant to be doing.

We were resting and reconnecting with people we love in ways that honored our values, energy, and financial reality. Over time, the traditions we have built as international school teachers and expat parents have helped us savor both the season and our stage of life, rather than rushing through it.

As our kids get older, future winter breaks may look different. Perhaps one year it will be Christmas markets in Europe, another year skiing in the Republic of Georgia, or maybe something we haven’t yet imagined.

For now, we focus on making the best choice each year, trusting that the memories we create are enough because they are rooted in intention and connection.

Practical Advice for Expat Educators Planning Winter Break

If you are navigating winter break decisions as an international school teacher, a few f you are navigating winter break abroad as an international school teacher, a few intentional questions can help guide your planning, whether you are traveling, staying local, or visiting home:

  • What will genuinely help you rest, not just impress others or look good on social media?
  • Does long-haul travel mid-school year energize you, or leave you drained?
  • Would staying local create more financial or emotional space later in the year?
  • If visiting home, how can you protect time for yourself or your immediate family?
  • What traditions or rituals can travel with you, no matter where you are?
  • What are your personal vacation non-negotiables this year?
  • Which family traditions from home matter most, and which can be simplified or released?

There is no single “right” way to spend winter break abroad as an expat educator. Staying put, traveling locally, visiting family, or doing very little are all valid choices.

An educator’s life is rarely dull, and winter break doesn’t have to be extraordinary to be meaningful. Sometimes the most powerful choice is to rest, reconnect, and do what best supports you in this season of life.

And that is more than enough.

The Insider Perspective

I’d love to hear from you:

  • How are you spending your winter break this year?
  • Are you traveling, staying local, or visiting home?
  • What strategies have helped you make the most of winter break abroad?

Share your plans and tips in the comments below. Let’s inspire one another with creative ways to enjoy winter break abroad, wherever in the world we are teaching!

Want more information about how to get a job at an international school? Check out these posts:

Discover more from World Class Educators

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

, , ,
, , , , , , , ,

Leave a comment

Discover more from World Class Educators

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading