Confessions from afar

Much of what I post on this blog is filtered.  It's filtered to show all the fun things I've done while I've been in Korea.  But it's time I confess the truth: much of my time here has been unhappy.  I've previously alluded to having a hard time adjusting here, and that certainly was the case at first, but as time goes on, I don't feel like it's gotten much better at all.

I can't say I haven't laughed or smiled while I've been here, certainly, there have been happy moments, and I have made many wonderful friends, but I have found most of my time feeling empty and sad.  And I certainly don't feel like it has been for lack of trying.  Up until recently, I had been taking Korean language classes to try to adapt better to the culture.  As you can see from previous posts, I've gone on many different trips and done many events to try to learn more about and see different parts of the country too.

But as I've now been here for nearly 6 months, I feel that I have more unhappy feelings than happy ones.  I sometimes find myself crying in the school bathroom because I feel so unhappy.  As one friend said to me "that is a red flag".  They're totally right, and it is.  This is not to say that I was particularly unhappy with my school - quite the opposite in fact!  I didn't mind going into work every day to see the kind staff and students.  But work is just a small part of my life, especially when it's not something I want to do long term.  I feel like I am getting to the point that perhaps it's best if I take this experience for what it was, and say "Korea is just not for me".

Korea is an extremely different culture from what I am used to.   I know many people have come here before me, and have dealt with their troubles in Korea in various ways and have learned to love it and went on to stay for many years.  The more that I think about it, however, I feel like I am wasting precious time here.

It's funny what you learn to appreciate when you are without it.  As the song goes "you don't know what you've got til it's gone".  I knew I had a happy life in Ottawa, but I don't think I knew just how great and happy it was until I was here in Korea.  I don't pretend to think that my life was perfect in Ottawa, but I certainly didn't feel like crying every day while I was there.  Maybe that's the lesson I was supposed to learn by coming here?  To appreciate my home and all that comes with it.

I also know many people who come to Korea are trying to run away from a difficult life back home (relationship and/or job issues) and stay in Korea, miserable for X amount of time for those same reasons.  Fortunately for me, I don't have those problems.  While I might not actually have a job waiting for me back home, I believe I will be able to find something.  And I certainly have a wonderful man waiting for me at home.  My friends, my family, my city.  They all made my life very happy - something I haven't felt since being here.

I have done what I wanted to do here:

• I want to move and teach overseas because I want to have a different experience. *CHECK*
• I want to experience living in a different country, in a different culture, with different challenges. *CHECK* 
• I even want to experience culture shock. *DOUBLE CHECK*

So does that mean I should continue to feel sad and stay?  I don't think it does.

And so, I have decided to tender my resignation to the school effective November 1st.  Which means I will be home shortly thereafter.

I am so afraid of people viewing me as a failure or a quitter for not staying the year here.  I don't want to feel like I have let people down.  But, I am sure that there are those who will view it in that way (whether they are here in Korea or in Canada).  I am a person of tremendous self-pride and to make this decision is not something I have done lightly.  I have given it much thought, and a great amount of prayer.  I have talked with so many people and asked for a sign from above.  But I know that ultimately, the decision is up to me.

I'm sorry if you're one of the people let down by this decision, but I have to think of my own self happiness, and, sadly, it just isn't here in Korea.  I will always hold this experience in a very special place in my heart.  I don't regret coming here. While it is not what I expected to be or the result I thought would happen, I have learnt a great deal from it and from those I encountered on this adventure.

The Korean education of Andrea - Part 1

I figure the subject of my learning of the Korean way of life will be something that happens through out my year here, hence my title being "Part 1".

It's been over two weeks since my last blog post.  Much has happened in that time - both good and bad. 

The bad part is: the culture shock hit me earlier than expected.  In some conversations I've had with people before I left Canada, I was told that I should anticipate culture shock really hitting around July when the honeymoon phase of everything had warn off and the novelty of living here had really started to fade.  Since my last post about my apartment, while I have started to find a sense of comfort in my small space, I have started to have developed an sense of anxiety about the life that is all around me.

First of all, I have learnt that I am really not a big fan of Korean food in general.  Because I had really enjoyed dishes like bimbimbap and bulgogi back home, I had hoped that that would translate into my liking more of the common meals I would find here.  It would seem that, unfortunately, that has not been the case.   I can't really put my finger on what is it exactly I don't like about the food.  I just don't find the flavours work well for me, like so many other Asian cuisines do.    I am certainly disappointed with this, but I do make a continuous effort to try it, as I do eat the Korean lunches offered by my school every weekday.  But, since I do need to eat while I'm here, I will likely just cook most of my own food, to suit my own tastes.  I had a difficult time figuring out how to start/work my gas stove (since I've only ever really used electric before), but my very kind landlady (who doesn't speak a lick of English) physically showed me how to do it.  She took my hand and demonstrated on a tea towel how I had to gently press the knob, before turning quickly and letting go slowly before lowering the temperature.  I have also been introduced to the foreign markets in Seoul which are 1.5 hours door-to-door from my place in Incheon.  I am able to buy so many of the foods I would normally cook at home, everything from Thai sauce mixes to cheese to pasta to chili beans.  I will be able to eat well, it will likely just be not very Korean.

The other culture shock issue I've been dealing with is the language barrier.  While I am SO GLAD I learnt to read and write Korean before coming here (it has made such a difference for me), speaking it has been extremely difficult.  I have a very hard time getting even basic things like garbage bags (we need to buy special garbage bags here and I was completely denied to buy them by a local store clerk because I couldn't clearly express to her what I wanted).  Since then, my Korean phrasebook has become my best friend; although, admittedly, my friend does sometimes fail me.

Last weekend, for whatever reason, I felt culture shock hit the hardest.  I sent an email to a few friends back home who had experience living in a foreign country asking for their advice.  It wasn't a pretty email - quite negative in fact.  But, I'm very glad that I did.  Their support/advice/encouragement was so helpful to me.  I thought about exactly what was getting me down here.  I think it boiled down to 3 things: 1) the food (as mentioned) 2) the language (again, see above) and 3) the fact that I'd like to have my social life be expanded to outside my apartment, but not straight into a bar. 

So, I looked at these three problems and thought "how can they best be addressed?"  Number 1 was fixed by going to the foreign markets and learning how to cook at home.  Numbers 2 I plan to fix by joining a local language exchange club, where I can improve my Korean and help some one else improve their English.  Number 3 was addressed by doing the same thing I've recommended to other people who have moved to a new city/country: join groups in meetup.com  Next weekend, I plan to go to a meetup for something I've been looking at since another English teacher turned me onto it a couple weeks ago: Temple Stay.  You spend a day or up to a week at a Buddhist temple learning all about the Buddhist way of life.  You learn about different aspects from meditation to bowing to food to lotus-lantern making.  It should be an experience so far out of my comfort zone, but I look forward to it!  Last weekend, I went to Seoul with a few fellow Incheon-ers to check out the Lotus Festival parade and the other events kicking off the week of celebrations for Buddha's birthday. In the coming weeks, I also hope to find a yoga class I can partake in.  Even if it's all in Korean, I should be able to follow the moves, right?  I figure these are all great ways to get me out of my apartment to meeting new people & making new friends, and (not necessarily) getting drunk while doing it.

I think by going out and doing as many of these unique things as I can, I will help combat my culture shock and perhaps even learn to love being here.

This weekend (May 17-19) has been a long weekend here in Korea due to the holiday celebrating Buddha's birthday.  Since we have very few official long weekends this year, I decided to come down to Busan, Korea's 2nd largest city to celebrate and check out some new sites.  These two weekends have been the things that have been the good parts of my last two weeks here.  Despite my culture shock, I've met up with many great people to experience different parts of Korean life & culture, and everything in between.

I'll do a proper post on Busan and my weekend in Seoul another time, but for now, I'll say a big thank you to all of those who have helped me through this difficult transition in this new country (you know who you are).  I can't tell you how much it has helped me!

Pop goes my world

This past Tuesday, our long days of orientation finally came to an end.  We were going to meet our Korean co-teachers and be taken to our new homes and finally unpack.  Living out of a suitcase for 3 weeks isn't as much fun as it sounds (and it doesn't even sound that fun) and I was quite keen to put all my stuff away and set up my new home.

I think every one in the hotel conference room was very nervous, both the foreign and Korean teachers.  Who were these people we are supposed to work so closely with?  Will they make our lives great or miserable for the next year? 

And there was still the question of where are we living.  They say all good things come to those who wait.  Finally, after months of anticipation the moment had arrived.  As mentioned previously, I knew that my school was near Inha University.  I didn't know, though, if that meant I would be living near there too.  We were told some teachers may have to commute up to 40 minutes to get to their school.  It turns out my commute is a 10 minute walk up the street.  Which I think I'm pretty happy about, though ask me again when it's raining or freezing cold.  The neighborhood seems to be very trendy; a very university type area with lots of cafes.  To be honest, I haven't had a chance in the last few days to explore the area more but I hope to do so with one of the other teacher who was place near me.

So great, a good area (although not particularly close to the "going out spots" in Incheon, but cabs are stupid cheap here so it shouldn't be too much of a problem, right?), but what about the apartment???  Well...like I said, the area is good. :-P

My apartment, or should I say "apartment" is very much a traditional Korean apartment - the kind I saw on Youtube videos in the past.  Meaning, it's teeny tiny.  When I arrived, with my two 50-lbs bags, I had a small bed in the corner (with no bedding), a wardrobe closest (with no shelves or hangers) a desk that wasn't set up and both a bathroom and kitchen sink that leaked.  Needless to say, I wasn't thrilled.  I still had to go and visit my school and register with the Immigration office, but all I could think about was all the things I was going to have to get in order to make this place a home.  Thankfully, my co-teacher brought me to Homeplus (Korea's answer to Walmart) and I loaded up on the essentials: bedding, toilet paper, hangers, etc.  Sometimes previous teachers will leave lots of useful things for the new teachers that are taking over the apartment.  I had no such luck.  He left me with next to nothing: no plates, forks or glasses.  All I had was a pot, a pan, a cutting board and knife and a toaster (and I don't even like toast).  I had no place to put my folded clothes and both the bed and computer chair were/are wildly uncomfortable.  So, I made a 2nd late night run to Homeplus (thankfully, they close at midnight).  It's amazing what a little organization can do for the mind.  Once I bought things that started to make me feel more comfortable (ie bags unpacked and put away rather than in the middle of the floor), things started to take a better shape.

Here's a quick tour of my pad:

The bed area

The entertainment/work area

Sitting on the bed looking into the "kitchen" & apartment entrance

The "kitchen" - if you're asking "where's the fridge?", please see previous photo

Bathroom & laundry doors

The bathroom/shower

The laundry closet

I won't lie here.  Once I was alone in my new apartment that first night, I cried.  I felt so overwhelmed and alone and scared.  Thankfully, I had internet access in my apartment so I was able to call Fabian and my mom to have them help relieve my anxiety and tell me that it would be ok.  I was seriously this close to saying "Nope, sorry, I can't do this".  But with the help and support of the other foreign teachers who are having the same experience as me, in addition to my family and friends back home, my confidence is coming back that I can in fact do this.  I was thinking about it the other day, and in some strange way, I feel like I am doing this for my future kids: so that I can focus on them and not have a nagging thought in the back of my mind "I wish I had done ____ when I was younger"; so that I can share my worldly experiences with them and enrich their lives; so that when they are going through hard times in life, I can tell them about my hard experiences and help them through their troubles.

Now that the bubble of orientation I had been in for the last week is gone, reality has taken over.  It is scary, certainly, and there are times where I feel like I can't take it.  The culture shock has already started to hit me.  I will rely on you, my friends and family and general readers, to help me keep going through this wild adventure.  All supportive comments are greatly appreciated!

A farewell to home

Today is the big day!  Today is the day that I leave Ottawa for the next 14 months!  Filled with excitement, nerves and the worry that I've forgotten to do something, I've been up since 4am.  After a 5 hour packing session on Friday, I am ready to go, but as always, I have that dreaded "I feel like I forgot..." feeling.  Of course, all of my to do lists items are checked off, but I suppose it's inevitable.  Today, Fabian and I will take trains, planes and automobiles to get us to our first stop on my journey to Korea: Switzerland!  (yes, I'm taking the long way 'round)  Stay tuned for beautiful mountain scenery!

This past weekend was filled with both tears and joy.  In addition to it being my last weekend in Ottawa, it was also my 30th birthday.  Both of these reasons were, of course, enough for celebration, but add on my recent engagement, and you've got yourself a great happy birthday/going away/engagement party!  I am grateful to the 40 or so friends who came out to celebrate with me!  I will miss them all very much!  In particular, I am thankful to my Fabian for helping organize the event, and to my great friends Allison and Chris, without whom the party would not have been as awesome as it was!  A highlight of the night for many was the photo booth that was set up.  Thanks to Allison's seemingly bottomless tickle-trunk, many great moments were captured!  See for yourself:

A night full of laughs, and even a couple "special guests"!

Gangnam style! 

Lucky me, even Psy made an appearance!

With the good, must come the bad, I'm afraid.  I cried many times this weekend while saying goodbye to so many special and important people - my mom and family who came up for a birthday brunch, and my many friends. I know I will see them all again soon, but it's always hard to say goodbye.  Thank God for Skype!  I'm not convinced I would be able to do this adventure without technology.

As I take this next step in my journey, I have thought about some of the things I feel that I will miss.  Obviously my family and friends are at the top of the list, but I realized the other day that I will also miss some of the even more basic things of my life like asking a shop keeper where to find a particular item.  I don't know how to say "where's the toothpaste?" in Korean.  Or sitting in a waiting area and understanding what people around me are saying.  These are the things I both look forward to experiencing and dread all at the same time.  It's a strange feeling.  And of course, the food.  I will miss our food.  Sure, I like bulgogi and bibimbap, but those that know me well, know that when I love a certain dish, I stick with it. Sadly, there will be no midnight poutines in Korea.

I will miss my home here in Ottawa, with its history and culture and small town feel, with big city amenities, but I know I will be back.  In the meantime, I am excitedly looking forward to new views, new places and new experiences!

Love & marriage & kimchi

In my last blog post 2 weeks ago, I talked about the many changes going on in my life: the passing of my cats, the ending of my job, the moving from my home.  Little did I know I should have waited another few days to post that write up of big changes because another big change was about to happen.

Fabian liked it, so he put a ring on it!

Fabian proposed, and of course I said yes!  We had been talking about our future for quite some time and we've both thought from very early on in our relationship that we were the right ones for each other.  We have so much in common (from both hobbies and interests, to the important things like beliefs and values), but when we differ on things we are always able to respect each others differences and find a compromise where we can both be happy.  I knew that an engagement was coming at some point, but I really didn't know exactly when.  Not being one for surprises (I'm too much of a planner to enjoy uncertainty), the knowing it was coming, but not when was fine for me!   He did a good job too: a romantic trip to one of our favourite little inns in the area and just before going down to a very nice dinner, he asked me to be his wife.  I couldn't stop smiling the whole night.

And of course, the ring!  It's a vintage style, with an emerald as the center stone, surrounded by diamonds.  It's so elegant and delicate but unique at the same time.  I just love it!

I'm grateful to him for proposing before I left.  While it would have been very romantic to have done it while we were in Switzerland or touring Hagia Sofia, we're now able to celebrate this moment with all of our family and friends.  Celebrating a year later, while doable, would have kind of sucked all the newness and excitement out of it.  

One idea I had had about my upcoming time in Asia was to have a wedding dress made while I was over there.  I mean, the tailors in Hoi An alone are famous for their work.  But I also wanted to have the quintessential mother-daughter bonding moment of wedding dress shopping.  So, thanks to Fabian's proposal timing, I asked my mom, grandmother and great aunt to come to look at wedding dresses with me and just get an idea of what looks good on me (often what looks good in a picture or on a hanger looks very different when on a body).  After trying on a few different dresses, I tried on one that changed everything.  It was elegant and glamorous, with just the right amount of drama and sexy.  As my mom said "Andrea, it's just so you".  Even though it was nothing as I imagined it to be in my mind when I thought of my wedding dress, I knew it was the perfect dress for me.  My mom asked me how I would imagine Fabian reacting to seeing me in it, that's when I started to cry.  That's when I knew it was the right dress - I knew he would love it.  After we all cried a little (yes, that does happen in real life, and not just on "Say yes to the dress"), I made the very extremely impromptu decision to buy it.  I was in a state of shock for the rest of the afternoon.  Who plans to move to a foreign country in just a few weeks but buys a wedding dress as a last minute purchase?  Crazy ol' me, that's who!  Of course, since I know Fabian reads this blog, I can't post details about the dress, but I promise in due time to post proper pictures.

So I suppose you're wondering, how does this all change your plans for Korea, Andrea?  Well, to put it simply, it doesn't.  I am still going.  The proposal was not Fabian's desperate ploy to try to get me to stay.  It is a show of our commitment to each other and to making this work.  Now, whenever I am feeling sad and alone and am questioning the 10,000 km between us, I just need to look down at my hand to be reminded of  the wonderful man I have waiting for me, patiently, at home.  And when I go to leave and say goodbye to the (hopefully) many wonderful friends I make while in Korea, I will also look down at my hand to have those feelings of sad goodbyes replaced with the excitement of my reunion with him.

So while some of the wedding planning is underway (we have a general idea of where and when - details TBD), our engagement will be a bit prolonged because of my trip.  On the bright side: lots more time for planning! Coincidentally, one of my favourite hobbies!

Why Korea? You don't even like kimchi!

In my previous post, I talked about what prompted me to decide to move to Korea.  My job of 8 years was coming to an end, and I felt I wanted to experience something different.  Having been in the same job since I graduated university, I felt that I learnt all that I could from this position; I didn't feel challenged by it anymore.

Don't get me wrong, I loved the job, my place of work and heck I even loved my boss!  But when I can fill out a travel claim in my sleep, it's time to try something different, don't you think?  I knew working for another Senator wasn't an option.  Not only would it mostly be doing the same things, I'm not sure I would have found a Senator that was as great a boss as my previous one.  No offence to the many great Senators I've gotten to know over the years, but my old boss was a truly great man.  I think they would agree with me too - every one always loved him.  Over our near decade of knowing each other,  we had gotten to know each other and our families quite well.  He certainly has become like a father figure to me.  I have tremendous admiration and respect for him and I know that that won't go away now that I no longer work for him.  I will always be grateful that he took a chance on a very young and inexperienced fresh-out-of-school girl to essentially run his whole office.  It was a big leap of faith on his part, and I hope that I did my best for him.  I certainly hope that I can one day come back to the Senate under a different role in administration because it has become like a family to me.  I will miss walking into Parliament and feeling the history and privilege of just being there.  But just as a baby bird must someday leave the nest, I had to spread my wings a try something new.

When beginning my research into teaching abroad, one of the first things I looked into, was getting a TEFL certificate.  While some people I spoke to said it was unnecessary  I thought it was important for a few reasons:
1) Having no experience teaching made me nervous.  Sure, I've done lots of public speaking and am very comfortable talking to people, but having to create and execute an actual structured lesson plan? Nothing.  So, while not as in depth as an actual teaching degree (by far! this was only a 60 hour in-class, 40 hour online program) I thought it would be a good "crash course" on how to teach.
2) Both of the programs I was looking into offered help with finding an overseas teaching job for all of their graduates.  From everything that I saw and read, finding a job in Korea (or anywhere for that matter) is stressful at best and extremely overwhelming.  Job boards are filled with ads and it's difficult to know exactly where to start.  So if some one was going to offer to help me, of course  I'd take them up on that offer!
3) Usually having a TEFL certificate, again while not being a Bachelor of Education, shows the employer you're serious about the job and will help when you get hired when you have zero experience, and might even push you to a higher pay bracket.  Of course, for some people doing this, money isn't everything.  Not that it is for me either, but a girl's got bills to pay!  Being able to live decently and have a bit of money to put aside at the end of the month was important to me, so this little piece of paper just helped me that much more.

After a few weekends this past summer, I had my certificate in hand and was ready to start the official job hunt.  But where did I want to go? China? Japan? Korea?  The answer was still a question mark at that point.  I had been on vacation in China the previous summer and really loved it so it was high on the list.  I had been to Tokyo briefly and thought it was an interesting option too.  To make a decision, I had to ask myself why I was actually doing this.  Why did I want to give everything up for a year, and move to the other side of the world?  This was an important question and one I've had to remind myself of the answer many times over the last few months as the nerves have started to set in.

I want to move and teach overseas because I want to have a different experience.  I want to experience living in a different country, in a different culture, with different challenges.  As strange as it sounds, I even want to experience culture shock. (Please remind me of this statement when I am sad and questioning my decision to move overseas and want to come back early!)

Of course, all of the countries would easily meet all of these criteria.  I was interested in each of their cultures, although admittedly, I love dim sum and sushi far more than I like kimchi.  In the end, my choice of country boiled down to the benefits.  Each country will fly you there and back.  China and Korea both provide free accommodation to their teachers, Japan gives you an allowance and you're on the hook for the tab which can eat into your savings when you're in one of the most expensive countries in the world.  China pays about half of what Korea does, so in order to save a bit more money, Korea won the battle for my new home.  Since the decision was made, I've done all that I can to embrace the Korean culture: taking language lessons at the Korean Embassy, dinners out at local Korean restaurants, and had a 4 hour marathon karaoke session Korean-style (isn't karaoke the national sport over there?).  I hope that doing these things to prepare will lessen the severity of my culture shock that I know is inevitable.

Every one I've talked to who has gone over, and everything that I've read online, has told me that there is a pattern that happens when some one moves to a foreign culture:
Phase 1 - the honeymoon phase, where everything is exciting and new.  I've been told this may last for the first few months after my arrival.
Phase 2 - culture shock hits, you're alone in a strange land and all you want is to be home with everything familiar.  I've been told to keep myself busy when this stage comes, as sitting at home sulking will only make it worse.  I've also be advised to avoid alcohol and becoming a regular at the local ex-pat pub during this time as some who have never left this phase congregate there and will try to bring me down with them.
Phase 3 - acceptance of the life and culture of this new land and the ability to enjoying it for it is: a beautiful experience.

I fully expect to go through each of these phases, and I'm sure it won't all be easy or pretty.  I hope you, my friends and readers, will all be there to experience the highs and lows with me!

Back...with a vengeance!

So, it's been over 2 years since my last post on this blog.  I've traveled lots in that time (China, Hong Kong, Switzerland, Alberta and BC) and many things have changed, but one of the biggest change is still yet to come!  I am moving to Korea!  The city of Incheon, to be precise.  I will be going there for a year to teach English, the age range of my students is still TBD.

But before I go on about my future, I suppose I should fill in about my past.  Since my last post from Uruguay back in 2011, I have had the great fortune of having a new love in my life.  Fabian and I have been together since July of that year and I have to say I can't remember when I  have clicked so well with a partner.  To have found some one who loves and respects me just as much as I do him is something that I cherish and will work to keep...which will be no small feat while we are 10000km apart!  I write this on my blog for all to see because a) when you're in love you want to shout it from the mountain top b) you'll be hearing a lot about him (and likely the relationship) over the next year of blog posts (so best I fill you in before you start asking who the heck is this Fabian guy she keeps referring to?) and c) I'll  probably have the long distance relationship moments where I'll look back on it and be reminded of why I am committed to making it work.

As I said, there has been lots of changes that have taken place over the last two years, but most of them have happened in the last few months.  The catalyst for my moving to Korea was that my job as an assistant to a Senator was coming to an end.  My boss was retiring at the mandatory age of 75.  After 8 years of working for him, and a total of 10 on Parliament Hill, I felt the need to try something different.  Clearly, I've always been interested in travelling (and my case of wanderlust has only worsened with age) but living in a foreign country is not something I've ever had the opportunity to do.  You have a completely different experience when fully immersed in a different culture for an extended period of time.  The longest I've been away from Canada for one stretch of time was 1 month in Australia.  Hardly extended and hardly shocking. (Don't get me wrong, I loved Oz, but it's very similar to Canada, only with more beaches, tropical climates and taps that serve pre-mixed rum and coke *ew*)

I knew well in advance my job was coming to an end, so I had ample time to decide what my next move would be.  Work for another Senator? Find another job in government? Move to the private sector?  All very responsible, grown-up options.  One day a year ago, Fabian and I were talking about what we wanted for the future.  We both love to travel and don't have any kids, so why not take advantage of it now?  I threw the idea of teaching abroad out there, fully expecting it to be rejected.  But to my surprise, it wasn't.  We talked about it and it sounded like a decent option to look into.  Over the next few days, the idea sat with me, and the longer it did, the more I realized that this is what I really want to do.  It just felt right.

Over the following days and weeks, I researched places, requirements, schools, and a whole gamut of information to see how I could turn my dream into a reality.  After hitting a few of the same roadblocks, it became clear that if I wanted to continue down the path of moving overseas, it would have to be something I would do alone.  You see, Fabian is from Switzerland, and therefore, does not have English as his first language, nor has he done any of his schooling in an English-speaking country, both requirements for most of the countries we were interested in teaching in.  We looked into him teaching French abroad, but we ran into even more problems with that option.  We finally came to the conclusion that he would not go.  He would stay in Ottawa.  I thought about if that's what I wanted to do too.  But every time I thought "I should stay here", there would be something in my gut that said
that that was the wrong decision.

When I told Fabian about my decision, he fully supported me.  He understood that this was my dream and he did not want to stop my from achieving that.  This is why he's a great boyfriend.  He has been nothing but supportive and encouraging to me.  I'm not sure I would be able to do the same if the shoe was on the other foot.  That's what makes him an amazing boyfriend. It was never a question of "are we going to break up?" it was always simply "how are we going to make this work?".

From that point on, I've worked on doing what I needed to do to be prepared for this: I took a TEFL course to get a basis on how to teach; I've taken Korean lessons to understand the language a little bit and perhaps (hopefully) lessen the amount of culture shock; I've gotten all of my affairs in order - tenants to rent out my condo, storage locker for my things, etc.  I even had a "Korean night out" with friends and enjoyed Korean food and karaoke.  If that won't get me ready, nothing will!

I'll go more into the job hunting process in another post.  I have just over a week left in my job before I am unemployed, then a month of sleeping in and visiting family and friends before jetting off to far and distant lands.  I plan to post more in that time too to get every one fully caught up.  But I think this giant post will suffice for now!  Until then!