Between 1979 and 1984, I pursued higher education and built the foundation for my career as an educator. After five years abroad, I returned to Minnesota with clear goals to build credentials that would support my family and launch an international career. After moving into my parents' basement in St. Michael, I completed prerequisites at North Hennepin Community College before transferring to the University of Minnesota, where I quickly earned 30 bypass credits for my Thai fluency. I completed a bachelor's degree in international relations with a minor in linguistics in just three years—while balancing the demands of new fatherhood after Joey's birth in 1981, a rigorous academic schedule, and part-time teaching jobs to supplement the G.I. Bill.

My homecoming highlighted family changes during my absence—my siblings had grown and some had married, with gatherings now centered on immediate rather than the extended Heuring and Becker families. My family’s support proved invaluable—Dad helped purchase a car, Mom arranged for our marriage blessing at church, and my siblings welcomed Miam despite cultural and language differences.

My acceptance into the University of Hawaii's graduate program unknowingly placed me in the nation's premier program for teaching English as a second language, which I had selected primarily for the tropical climate that I knew Miam would like. Learning from top notch professors like Dr. Jack C. Richards and Dr. Michael Long, I excelled in theoretical studies and teaching methodology, conducting research on revision strategies in second-language writing that earned recognition. Our family thrived in Hawaii—Patti attended Head Start preschool, Joey played with neighborhood children, and Miam appreciated the Asian environment. We qualified for housing subsidies that made island living affordable, experienced a hurricane, and spent many days at the beach, including during a visit from my sister Sheila and her husband Randy.

With my master's degree completed but student loans mounting despite our frugality, I discovered a pivotal opportunity: a teaching position in Saudi Arabia with the Raytheon Company paying $32,000 annually. This salary could quickly eliminate my debt, so I applied immediately, despite knowing little about Saudi Arabia or Raytheon. Once hired, we departed paradise. As our plane climbed upward with Hawaii and Diamond Head receding in the distance, I felt grateful. graduate school had transformed that directionless young man in Thailand into someone with marketable skills, career direction, and a family depending on him—a foundation about to support unexpected adventures ahead.

Chapter 6 Photo Collage