환영합니다!
April 12th marked two months in Korea for me. Teaching is unpredictable by its very nature and so even after 9 weeks of it, I still don’t feel like I know what to expect from any given day. What I have learned, however, are which classes to be excited about and which classes to…
Continue reading ➞ Korea Month Two: Spring, Co-Teaching, and a Weekend in Seoul
Breaking into a new culture in the workplace is not an easy task. Every job, and office, and company, or any group for that matter always operates under different social expectations even in our home countries. If I started a new teaching job in America it would be much of the same, but easier…
(Warning, this is more just a stream of consciousness that found its way out of my brain rather than a cohesive thought.) In a very bizarre turn of events my culture shock in Korea hasn't been from the food or the language. Most of what has happened, has happened somewhat according to my expectations. I…
After a week of cafe hopping in Seoul, another 8 days of EPIK orientation, and generally way too long living out of my two messy suitcases, I am finally settled into my new apartment! But let me back track just a little bit. About this time four days ago I was frantically preparing my lesson…
Well, we are about a week into orientation and about a week away from my first day of teaching. Which is both terrifying and exciting all at the same time. The biggest news I have is that I found out I will be teaching middle school! This is, in the same way, both terrifying…
I'm counting yesterday as a loss. I arrived in Korea 3 days ago. The first day was spent easily in the company of a good friend whose place I'll be at saying at for a while. She showed me around Samcheongdong, and we went to a cafe where she likes to study. It was easy…
I'm writing this in the coffee shop where I always study. I woke up this morning in my own bed, I ate breakfast while my dog sat on the floor next to me hoping that I'd drop something, and I'm going meet up with some friends during their lunch break. It's almost like nothing is happening. But…
The fear of the unknown is what I imagine most people feel when they are about to move to another country. And while I certainly fear that as well, (I fear not knowing the language, not knowing how to do my laundry, or ride the bus, or open a bank account) what I really fear…
Anyone who has a TESOL certificate knows the amazing feeling of being able to leave the country and theoretically find a job anywhere in the word. It's like your professional passport. But of course that's only the beginning. I am going to Korea in February to start teaching but I had originally planned to start…
Continue reading ➞ The Struggles of Finding a English Teaching Job Online
What you end up missing is not what you expect to miss. The memories will stay with you, the photos will last as long as you care to keep them around, and the people and places you leave will most likely continue to exist in your absence. But what you end up missing is something else,…
Hours and Miles 