ANNOUNCEMENT! I AM MOVING…

…TO SOUTH KOREA!

But let’s back track momentarily shall we?

The other morning, I stood atop the hills of Marin as I overlooked the view of the image below. It was around 10 AM on a weekday. I had just dropped a {New York} friend off at the airport after a Northern California themed weekend. To my left, the Golden Gate Bridge towered above, glistening in the morning glow.

And I was completely alone.

Which, let’s be honest, simply doesn’t happen at such a tourist destination. But there I was. Soaking in the sunshine, admiring the foggy skyline of San Francisco, and anticipating my future.

I was having one of those periods in life {i mean, i suppose we can call it that}, in which I was feeling lack luster. I had recently left New York City, the city of dreams, and found myself unemployed, living back at home. I had yet to hear from my future school about the possibility of a job offer in South Korea. My personal life was all over the place. Life felt about as foggy as the grey blanket surrounding the city that day.

Overall, I was just sort of bummed out.

But standing there, overlooking the most beautiful, serene landscape I’d ever seen, something came over me. It was as if in that moment, the universe whispered in my ear, ‘It’s going to be okay’. And I believed it. Finally.

Suddenly, the world came into focus again. I felt the fog lift away, literally and figuratively. My mind was clear for the first time in a long time.

And let me just say, it was the most satisfying feeling in the world. The strangest too. It’s still hard to explain how loud that voice in my head was. Like, I know how cheesy {and possibly crazy} it all sounds. Reading this back, I am resisting the urge to roll my eyes as far as they will travel in the back of my skull.

Things have just felt better since that morning. And then! And then, and then!

I heard back from my school in South Korea.

Informing me of my location within the country and start date. I have been {impatiently} waiting for this moment for quite some time now.

So, here’s the deal.

As always, I am constantly looking for ways to live abroad. I have been an au pair in London, I worked in retail in New Zealand, and obtained a temporary working holiday visa in Australia.

I knew there was opportunity out there. The first question became, ‘Where would I like to live?’ Of course, Europe has always on the list. But considering I have only lived in English-speaking, westernized countries, I required a slightly bigger challenge {on a personal level}.

I began my research, and eventually felt content with the idea of living in Asia!

Which, to be completely honest, was a surprise, even to myself. I always figured I would choose to live somewhere in South America, or even Africa, before moving to Asia. But alas, I was drawn to the extreme cultural differences.

Teaching english in Asia is an extremely popular avenue for those who wish to experience a new culture, and live in a new country. Once this whole process is complete, I will write an extensive blog post on the route I took to become an English teacher in Asia. It was a long process. But one that will hopefully pay off in the end.

If all goes accordingly, I will be leaving mid-February to begin my new adventure. I will not only be embarking on a journey complete with new faces, new places, and a completely new language, but a new job description as well.

I have a lot to learn {the understatement of the year}.

But never have I been more eager to take a next step. I want to be a sponge when I touch down in Korea, ready and able to absorb as much as possible.

Over the next few weeks, I will solely focus on preparing for this transition. Spending time with my family, learning Korean phrases, applying for my visa, packing, cuddling my cats, and eating as much Mexican food as will fit in my belly.

I am delighted to share this next chapter of my life with you all here on this space. As always, any and all suggestions, recommendations, and survival tips are welcomed!

Ever since you were a little girl
Your daddy told you, you could run the world
And I knew that when we met that day
When you were sitting in the corner sipping earl gray
You had the sweetest dreams in your eyes
But burned with the fire of chasing sunset skies
As much as I want to hold you, I couldn’t hold you back

There’s no stopping you
Cause your mind’s set to
Where your heart says go
Go on, go girl go
Hope you find me in a stranger’s smile
Hope you hear me in the lonely miles
You gotta do what you were born to do
Cause there’s no stopping you