Joe Packer
English teacher
Bore a phrynhawn da! Joe is a Welsh native who grew up in Norfolk, England. He graduated from the University of Essex with a BA Hons in American Studies and during his degree studied at the University of California Santa Barbara, lived and worked in British Colombia (Canada) and spent a semester working at the White House as a reporter in Washington D.C.
Upon completing his degree, he moved to New York and participated in the Mountbatten Internship Program working for the Royal Bank of Scotland Global Banking. This led to over five years working in the finance industry (banking and pensions) in New York and London. In 2014 Joe decided to change career and follow his passion for teaching. He completed a Post Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) at the University of East Anglia (UEA) where he met his future, Colombian wife.
After visiting for 3 weeks in 2015 (where he proposed in Tayrona), he moved to Bogota in June 2016. During his first few months he obtained a CELTA from International House. Since Jan 2017 Joe has been enjoying working at Externado; especially putting his business knowledge and experience to good effect helping the students.
Joe loves life in Colombia and never plans to leave! He and his wife have two lovely young daughters. Joe considers himself a bit of a connoisseur who loves to cook and is happiest in the kitchen with a good gin and tonic pottering away. Joes other passion (apart from his family) is travelling. He has been to every single country in Europe and every State in America. He´s looking forward to seeing Japan with his wife, but on the agenda for the next few years is exploring Colombia and showing his children their amazing country, especially the Llanos. He arrived with horrendous taste in music, 80s power ballads and Neil Diamond. However, one of the best sides affects of living in Colombia is a rapid improvement in his music taste.