EDITOR'S NOTE: Seth Schy and his partner Julia write extensively about off-the-beaten-path adventure travel experiences on their blog www.forsomethingmore.com. Based in Hong Kong, they are both teachers abroad. Below, Seth shares his insights into long-term cross-cultural travel and classroom learning. This is a crucial read for any teach abroad hopefuls!

Do you know the feeling you get when you’re at home somewhere? I don’t necessarily mean when you’re in the place you were raised. I’m talking about the feeling of being in your element, in the groove, engaged with what you’re doing and comfortable with your surroundings. That’s the way I feel, broadly speaking, when I think of my experiences teaching abroad. No long-term...