Sure, Why Not?

Andrea and I are a lot alike in our desire to become like Rick Steves.  If you don't know who he is then you probably don't want to be like him.  A lucky man, Rick has the best job in the world - travel through Europe and tell people about it.  Not to mention it's a paying position.  Andrea has been my "travel daydream friend" since planning our college trip to Europe.  Our solution to most problems life throws at us is to plan a trip somewhere.  In our dreams we've traveled all around the world... twice.  This time was no different.  

"Hey Andrea, want to quit your job and go somewhere with me?"  -me

"Sure!"  -Andrea

Perfect.

After days of planning our escape to "a Spanish-speaking country," I brought up the idea of South Korea.  Intrigued by the possibility, we decided to add it to the maybe list.  Praying through the list was definitely a good idea and as we soon saw - God works very quickly.  Two days after attending the university seminar, where I initially learned about the Korean opportunities, I was eating lunch in the teacher's lounge and talking with a co-worker.  "Blah, blah, blah... I don't know what to do with my life...blah, blah... South Korea."  Turns out, this teacher was stationed in South Korea for the military a few years back where he met his now wife who was teaching English outside of Seoul.  Korea soon jumped off the maybe list and floated right to the top of the next phase of my life list.  By Friday of that week, we were mentally packing our bags.  

Searching for a job in Korea is an interesting endeavor.  With so much opportunity right now (thanks to President Lee Myung-bak) schools are popping up all over the country.  There are a few routes one can take when applying for a position, but because this is not a how-to article I won't be getting into all that.  Andrea and I decided to go with an agency who could provide us with the most support during the process and ensure a reputable school.  Not all schools are created equal and we wanted to avoid blindly accepting a job with one on the Hagwon blacklist. A Hagwon is an English language school and a blacklist is not something you want to be on.

Following the advice of wise people everywhere, we decided not to put all of our eggs into one basket.  We sent out resumes and applications to three agencies and sent a prayer hoping for the best.  By the next day, we had received our first job detail.  

In the meantime, I met the teacher from school and his wife at a Korean restaurant here in Austin for some authentic Korean gossip.  I had tons of questions fluttering through my brain and nerves tying up my stomach.  I wasn't nervous about the company, but about the food.  I'm not too much of a picky eater anymore since eating three meals a day on a college campus for four years, but I have seen National Geographic.  I wasn't sure what to expect besides rice. Turns out, my first Korean food experience was delicious.  Dolsot bi bim bap.  A dolsot is a hot stone pot and bi bim bap is a mixture of white rice, vegetables, and beef or chicken.  The dish is topped with a fried or partially cooked egg which is then stirred in with the rest of the food. The dolsot continues the cooking process so salmonella conscious people need not panic.  Just like the food, the stories my friends told were flavorful.  

Hooker Hill.  The demilitarized zone.  Complete meals that are cheaper than a bottle of beer.  4 seasons (living in Texas doesn't allow for more than 2 - hot and less hot).  Natural hot springs turned baths.  A U.S. military base with thousands of other English speakers.  Lack of personal space.  Tiny apartments with bathroom configurations that would've cost any American designer his/her job.  A metropolitan population of 23 million.  Private karaoke rooms.    

Be careful what you ask for - in my case an adventure - you just might get it!