In the history that is my life, the days before I leave to live in another country are chock-full of bittersweet goodbyes. These last three weeks have been especially bitter when it comes to goodbyes. After having a tough year of being laid-off and trying to re-establish myself in society, I finally gained speed. I figured out what I wanted to do as my career (teach English as a second language), I was working at jobs that I did not only love, but also gave me the experience I needed, and I was working forty hours a week. I was feeling less like a leech and more independent, prideful even. Also, living in Sacramento for five years has allotted me a network of loving friends and family, who were there for me through the good times and the bad.
I'd been talking with a recruiter every now and again about teaching English in South Korea but I got the impression that I had applied too late to go teach there any time soon. My recruiter set up an interview and I thought it would be good practice. An hour after the interview they offered me the position. They gave me one day to look over the contract and give them an answer. If I were to say yes (which I did), they wanted me there by November 1st. It was October 8th. Talk about going from 'gaining speed' to Mach 3 in less than an hour!
Teaching English in South Korea is an amazing opportunity for me. This is the sweet. The bitter is leaving the life that I have built in Sacramento. It has been really difficult for me to say goodbye to all the people in my life knowing that I will not see them in a year, and some of these people I might not ever see again.
But you have to accentuate the positives, right? The goodbyes are almost at an end. It is the time now to focus on the hellos.
Hello South Korea.
My Visa Photo
