Training Week

I have now been in Korea for one week, and I'm still very glad to be here! It's been a busy week with training, but I'm enjoying myself even with the stress of training, and I've had some great experiences so far - in fact, looking back, I can't believe how much has happened in a week! I'll try to keep it short- 3 bullet points for each, as we say in Model UN (though we rarely stick to it, haha).

Friday (9/11)

• Training orientation and skills tests - I passed, and I like the other people I'm training with
• Went shopping for food to keep in the hotel fridge, since otherwise I'm living on Bibim Bap for every meal, since it's the one vegetarian meal I'm sure I can pronounce and eat!

Saturday - A Fantastic Day (9/12)

• Went to the park nearby and climbed the mountain overlooking Seocho-gu, Seoul. I sat on a bench and read Slumdog Millionaire. It was the most relaxed I've been been in ages.
• Walked to the Seoul Arts Center, where I wandered through the Seoul International Print and Photo Fair for about 3 hours. I saw some amazing artwork, talked to some very friendly and helpful curators, and enjoyed an afternoon completely on my time, in a setting I love: an art museum!
• In the evening, I joined another IC grad who teaches just outside Seoul, and we headed to the FC Seoul game against Jeonbuk-Hyundai. Another IC grad who teaches in Seoul joined us there, and we had a great time with the most hardcore Seoul fans in the loudest cheering section - and Seoul won, 2-1!
• After the game, the 3 IC grads headed to Hongdae, a university area known for its nightlife. The trains stopped running at midnight, and since it was my only chance to experience Seoul nightlife, we decided to stay out until the trains started running again - at 5:30am! I thought I'd be too tired, but we had a nice time, and I got to meet some of their Korean friends, and some foreigners, too. It was a very dynamic area, with so much to see and do, so I was glad I took the time to explore, even though I was tired the next day!

Sunday (9/13)

• Mostly I just relaxed at the hotel and enjoyed my last day before our intense training week, which was a nice contrast with my busy Saturday.

Monday (9/14)

• First day of training. It was overwhelming, but I'm glad this whole week has been so thorough.
• I found out I'll be teaching Listening and Speaking class to middle school students (approx.) and a fundamental English kind of class for slightly younger students/ older elemenatry kids.
• I popped my knee out after lunch, which put a damper in my step, literally. I've been icing it, putting Tigers Balm (like icy/hot) on it, and trying to stay off of it as much as possible - it's much better now, luckily.

Tuesday (9/15)

• Training went well - my trainer gave me mostly positive feedback, and good constructive criticism, so I've been able to improve each day in my mock teaching, which is great.
• Note: A big shout out to MTTP - thank you so much for more than adequately preparing me for this intense EFL environment, because without your training this week would be completely overwhelming!

Today (9/16)

• I accidentally bit into a piece of ham in my potato breakfast pastry, which ruined my morning. I was totally preoccupied with how weirded out I was, which made for a strange morning training section. Luckily, I didn't get sick, and I ate boring food the rest of the day instead of going out to eat just in case.
• Training is getting really intense, and tomorrow we're being assessed. I'm feeling okay about everything, but some of the other trainees don't have the experience (again, thank you MTTP!) in how to teach EFL, so they are really stressing out. It's making for an interesting and occasionally uncomfortable group dynamic, but overall we're all still getting along - it's just tough to be stressed out with strangers in a small space.
• I received word that my train to Busan leaves Seoul Friday at 6pm, so I'm pretty excited for that (assuming the next two days of training don't put me thorugh the ringer)! I can't wait to settle into my own apartment in my new neighborhood, and to meet the people I'll be spending the next year with. It's kind of hard to think about leaving the other trainees, since I like them and I'd like to stay in touch with them, but I'm so glad I'll be settled and I'm very excited about where I'll be living.

So, in sum, all is well here in Korea, and I'm looking forward to the adventures in the weeks to come as I start teaching and adjusting to life on the coast!

Farewell

Warning: this is a sappy entry - I promise I will bring back the comedic relief next time!

So I'm flip-flopping between being thrilled about this trip and being torn about leaving when this has been such a wonderful summer. It's always amazing to reconnect with family and friends, and it's hard to be as far away as I already am from the people who surrounded and supported me for the last four or five years. So in the brief moments of sadness and anxiety, I think of all of those amazing people and how much I will miss them. Almost instantaneously, though, I am also overcome by excitement at knowing that those people all believe in me, and do things like drive across the country to tell me that (thank you M and D). They know as well or better than I do that going abroad is the right decision. In the end, as I'm counting down the hours until I leave this country, I'm flooded with gratitude for the supportive and caring people in my life. Thank you all for loving me even though I keep leaving. I already miss you all.

"Drove to Chicago..."

Yet another visit to Chicago that didn't go as I'd hoped, but turned out to be well worth the trip.

Last night I finished packing my life into luggage. This morning I rearranged for weight. Twice. I was prepared to get to Chicago, have the consulate say, "Why yes, your visa is ready early!", call my travel agent to book an immediate flight, say a teary goodbye to my parents, and depart for my new home in Korea. As my travel agent told me the night before: "You're trying to do the impossible." I was hoping the world would somehow be in sync with me and that everything would work out.

I stayed up all night, thinking that I could sleep during the 14 hour flight. I rode in the car filled with anticipation and adrenaline. I called the consulate as we were arriving in Chicago to see if my visa was ready early, because they told me it might be. My visa was not ready early.

So the deal is this: I need to arrive on a Wednesday to start my training for work. No flights after 3pm would get me to Korea on Wednesday. Instead, I need to wait a week and fly out next Monday to arrive in Korea by that Wednesday. Thus, I am in Madison for 6 more days.

On the not-so-bright side: my life is all packed away and I'll be living out of my suitcases for a week, only to have to repack them; worse, this means one more week of my kids having a substitute teacher and me not bonding with them.

On the bright side: I ended up having another fantastic day in Chicago with my parents! On Friday when we went for my visa interview, we visited the Museum of Contemporary Art, which was great. Today we visited the Art Institute of Chicago and Millennium Park. There was a free music at noon at the park pavilion, and the band was great (JT and the Clouds).

I'd been telling my parents that I thought the art museum was where there was a gallery of miniature rooms, but we couldn't find anything that said for certain if that was true. We headed in and were pleased to see that it was the place! Despite having been to Chicago to other museums a number of times, apparently my parents had never been to the Art Institute of Chicago. I'd gone on school trips, and had fallen in love with the miniature rooms. My interest in interior design and history is sparked by the intricate and painstaking detail of these tiny models. It was great to share the experience with my parents. For the rest of the afternoon we had a wonderful time wandering through the museum. It certainly beat sitting on a plane!

So, even though I've now had two crazy, unplanned days in Chicago, they both ended up being much more fun than anticipated, and helped remind me that there is a real beauty in spontaneity. I often forget to appreciate the decisions we make in the present, and the value of appreciating those moments, because I'm so concentrated on what's coming next and planning the future. It's been amazing to have two great days of appreciating the present with my parents, and I'll definitely treasure these memories once I finally get to Korea!

Decision Made

Today marks day 1 of what I hope will be a year of learning (more than teaching) in Korea. I accepted a contract with a Hagwon on the West Coast of Korea, about 2 hours from Seoul. I'm excited to be in a smaller city, near the coast of the West Sea (or the Yellow Sea, as it is known outside of Korea). I've heard the area is beautiful, and there are nearby National Parks to explore. I considered a job closer to Seoul, in Suwon, but decided to take my chances on the coast. I've added a link to the city's website (in English) for anyone interested in knowing more about the area.

Now that I've signed the contract, it's visa time. I have tons of paperwork to get processed and sent before I can make the move. Still, everything goes very quickly with the process of applying to and accepting positions, so I'm sure this will fly by as well.

While I wait on all of my paperwork, I'll be packing my life up again. I'm still not nearly finished unpacking from my move back to Wisconsin from New York, and now I have to rush through unpacking and repacking as quickly as possible. Even a month early seems like I'm cutting it close - though I'm trying to remind myself that I packed up my life in Ithaca in just under 72 hours, so I'm sure I'll manage. Besides, I have a couple of great lists I came across to help prioritze my packing, so that will make life easier.

All in all, I'm looking forward to the coming year overseas. I have had moments, just in the last 24 hours, of anxiety and fear, but those moments always pass and are replaced with anticipation and excitement. I'll try to keep this updated as often as possible, for myself as much as for all of my friends, family and the complete strangers who happen upon it. Here goes!