Quarter Life Crisis

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I've decided that I should blog these past couple weeks in my life although it's been fairly mundane around here. But the people around me are all having what I like to call the "quarter-life crisis"...Victoria and Heidi rightfully so because they're approaching this age. Greg, well...he's maybe suffering more of a "Fuck, I'm almost 30 and I've done nothing with me life" crisis.

First, I'd like to say that I sort of came to Korea hoping that I'd find some people who weren't so panicky about what you're supposed to be doing at whatever age - rogues 20-something year olds living a life that society hasn't necessarily dictated for them. However, it seems that even if these were the type of people they were prior to coming to Korea, the dismal and unfavourable conditions of working and living in Korea has inspired a whole new kind of panic. I can't say I blame them.

And as much as I want to just live in the moment and be proud of what I've already achieved, I am especially susceptible to this kind of panic. I'm as calm and detached as I can be from the mania, however it has of course spurred some ideas for what I should be doing next.

This is maybe where I could use some opinions or advice or whatever from friends, family, and strangers alike. Or perhaps this is just a way for me to review my plan options A-Z somewhere more tangible than my fleeting mind.

Plan A - Apply to do my PhD in New Zealand starting in late 2009. There happens to be a community psychology program at the University of Waikato and they also waive international fees for PhD candidates. Still, how I'm going to pay for my life there may be a mystery. Help from my parents AGAIN? Loans? Apply for it and if I'm accepted, worry about it then.

Plan B - Volunteer in the Fiji islands doing some marine conservation for about 3 months, move on to Australia to work for a few months after that. Note that I may only be able to do this before the age of 30, when I'm still eligible for a working-holiday visa there.

Plan C - Write GREs. Go home, work for a year-ish and apply for UBC nursing school starting Sept. 2010. Also apply for PhD in Community and Regional Planning at UBC. Doesn't hurt to apply for comm. psych program in Hawaii either, although probably unaffordable. GET IN! Go live in BC!

Plan D - Do TEFL course in Thailand/vacation for awhile and work another year teaching English in Thailand. Not a heck of a lot of money but who cares, I get to hang out on the beaches of Thailand for a year.

Plan E - Work another year teaching English somewhere more lucrative to save up money. Like Taiwan maybe? Buy more time and apply for graduate schools back home.

Plan F - Go home without a plan and wing it.

Plan G - Stay here without a plan and wing it. NO NO NO NO NO NO! I will amputate my own leg before this happens.

I'm going to the Philippines in a couple of days for vacation. Maybe everything will become clear then.

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