Farewell, Korea (better late than never!)

Once again I’m writing from 35,000 feet. This time I’m coming at you from above China. If you know me well you probably know that I’ve left Korea. If not, well… I’ve left Korea. I left my job early, and contrary to popular belief it wasn’t because I hate Korea! I actually grew to really love and appreciate the culture, aside from a few things. I made some excellent friends, whom through the travel bond (those of you who have lived abroad know what I mean) I’m sure I will be in contact with for years to come. I actually have plans to see one of them later this summer in her hometown!

I decided to leave solely because of my job. One day I was talking to my friend Alicia complaining about my job and things I hated… so she said, “Well, leave.” Those two little words stuck with me for days, and I bought my ticket a week later. She was right, I would NEVER be able to change the things that made my job miserable, so instead of being unhappy, I chose to go home. This doesn’t mean I would discourage other people from teaching abroad. Quite the opposite in fact, I think it’s a wonderful opportunity. Just be sure to thoroughly research the school you will work for before signing on the dotted line. I thought I had my bases covered in that department, but management changed when I got there, and the problems stemmed from that. I consider this a growing and learning experience, one that I am thankful for having.

Trying to figure out what to say to wrap up living in another country is nearly impossible. I know from living abroad before that inevitably people will ask, “So, what was it like?”

How do you summarize an entire culture and experience in a few sentences to someone who may have never been more than 200 miles from home? I could make them sit though thousands of photos I took and hours of stories… but, obviously that’s crazy talk! I feel like no matter how I explain it, people won’t get it.

If someone asks you, “What is being shot like?”
You could reply, “Well it hurts.”
“Well, how much?”
“A lot.”
There is a description of being shot, but do you actually understand what it feels like? No.

So, when asked what it was like, I’ll probably just smile and reply, “You had to be there!”