In Bothell

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Hey there friends and family and friends of family,

I've got just under one week before I leave Olympia, Bothell, Seattle, Tacoma, Puyallup, Port Angeles, Sequim, Portland, Vancouver, and all the rest to go teach english in South Korea.
I'm leaving the 21st early in the morning and arriving the 22nd at night time their time.
I'm very excited to have this opportunity. I can't wait to go, and I wish I could just magic myself there even though I know when I'm there I'll hit a block where I wish I'd stayed a little longer before leaving.
One of my friends from The Evergreen State College is going to be a coteacher of mine; I initially started my search to teach english abroad months ago, and decided I would contact my friend Amelia since I remembered she was in Korea. Since Asia was where I'd intended on going I figured I'd touch bases and see how she's doing and when I found a host school that was somewhere in Asia I'd go visit her. Turns out there was an opening at her school, I did the paperwork, and that's where I'll be going! The school is called Kim's College. It is located in Mokpo, South Korea, which will be my home for the next 12 months. The more I hear about the city the more I can't wait to see it for myself.

I've never been to Asia, or off of North America except going to Hawaii. So this is a pretty big change for me, and I'm excited I can go.
I picked up a "Lonely Planet" phrasebook for Korean and intend on learning the language a bit when I get there.

I quit my job and have been spending time with family and friends and taking care of my odds and ends before I leave. It wasn't until I started boxing up my belongings from my apartment; deciding what to donate, what to get rid of and what to keep that I really felt I was going. I'd been busy with obtaining paperwork for my visa and going through my belongings that the time I took off work to take care of these things has seemed to pass in a flash.
Sadly I won't be home for Thanksgiving this year. Initially I was to leave right after thanksgiving, on the weekend afterwards. That changed, and I'll be back next year for Thanksgiving. Besides, I'll have a little bit of cash coming on my first paycheck instead of having to wait a full month after getting there to be paid, so there's some good. I view it as a week early to get settled in from what I initially anticipated. I'll start teaching the first Monday I'm there, so hopefully I won't be too tired from travel to make a good first impression.

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Comments

[Mika]

Good luck
Good luck man. I can't wait to start reading about your adventure in South Korea. Where are you going to be on the 20th? Bothell?

[CarlF]

Actually the 20th I'll be in Olympia, then head straight up to seatac later that day cuz my flight is super early in the morning the 21st.