Cynthia Steele said she is heading overseas for two years to re-spark her teaching career.

“It would be a great experience,” said the former Starline Elementary School art teacher. “I’m 48. I need to do something before I hit that crest and I need to do something that encourages my teaching for a long time.”

Steele heads off — alone — to the United Arab Emirates in about a month to teach English for two years.

“You get that excited feeling about a position,” she said. “I was actually looking for the Middle East. I don’t like cold at all. … I’m excited. I think it’s going to be a great opportunity.”

Steele heard about the Canada-based Teach Away, Inc. in December 2009, started completing paperwork this past spring and accepted a job offer in June. She said her daughter, who was stationed near the country while serving in the military, spoke highly of the country.

Steele requested to teach in a rural area of the country and will be leaving her husband, children, and grandchildren behind while she explores a new world.

“I have been a mom since I was 17,” she said. “It has been family, family. I’m getting to a point where mom needs something exciting. What a great opportunity. If I would have said no, I would have wondered forever… .”

Teach Away, Inc. recruits teachers across North America to teach English in at least 11 countries worldwide, according to its website.

Messages left with the company late Tuesday afternoon were not immediately returned.

Steele said she’s picked up language translators and is in the process of elongating her skirts so they reach the floor. She has to wear tops that cover her arms and her neck.

Steele said she expects it to be hard to adjust at first from her life dedicated to her family to a life on her own in a new country.

“It’s probably going to be pretty shocking,” she said. “I absolutely love my family.”

Steele said her family could visit whenever they want to, and she will have the opportunity to fly back several times a year. She said her new wage is nearly double what she was making within the local school district and the opportunity should help the couple retire a little sooner than expected.

Her husband, Brian, who teaches the automotive classes at Lake Havasu High School, stands behind her.

“It will be hard, but I think it’s going to be great, a great opportunity,” he said. “A great experience.”

The desert country, slightly smaller than Maine, borders the Persian Gulf and Saudi Arabia, according to the Central Intelligence Agency website. The country is a federation that is home to 4.9 million people, the website states.

On Tuesday, an airport in Dubai registered 100 degrees with 27 percent humidity, according to the National Weather Service website.

You may contact the reporter at jleatherman@havasunews.com