In their mid 50s, Judy Smith and her husband, Roger Cristofoli, reached a financial crisis. Although loaded with university degrees, technical training and years of experience, they were not able to find employment anywhere in Canada. At the brink of losing their home and going on welfare, they happened across an advertisement for English teachers in South Korea. This led to a 10-year adventure from a cockroach-infested hovel in Korea to the incredible architecture of old Krakow to a posh 2- living room villa in Oman. Judy left behind most of her hearing in Thailand while trying to control a mass of screaming children. In China, they learned what is precious about Canada and what is possible to glean from Communism. They met people from all over the globe, made lasting friends with some and learned to tolerate others. They learned to survive, learned what is required to live simply, and most of all learned about our own culture: what to hold on to and what to discard.