Three months ago I had no idea what "expat" meant and in four days I will become one. In Korea no less.
Most people have one reaction when I tell them I'm moving to Korea for a year to teach English, "What?! Why would you do that?" One wonderful soul said I was brave. In all honesty, Asia had never been on my "to live in" list. I'm ashamed to say the first thing that attracted me to Korea was the job market. I could easily get a job, decent pay, and medical insurance. What?! It's too good to be true! As a degree holder in English, the job market in the States was...well...so small I laughed. I went back to school and got my teacher's license and ended up teaching high school English. I loved it, but it was difficult to find a job in a place I liked, pay was eh, and in my first teaching job I didn't qualify for medical insurance. Talk about a one sided win.
After researching, I found that I was actually really interested in Korea. Now my research was not difficult or shall we say scientific. It was KDramas. I'm not ashamed. Unlike the endless listings of reality TV shows here, Korea has actual sitcoms (and their actually good). I was hooked. I had to move there. Note* other real research was done too. After the school year ended and my desire for grad school in Kentucky (what was I thinking) faded, I found a recruiter and three months later I'm leaving. For Naju. In Korea.
So far, most questions and concerns have been aimed at packing and logistics. How does one fit her entire life into 2 checked bags and one carry on? The answer: she doesn't. She packs what she needs and then gets her parents to mail her the other stuff. Unlike my friends and family, I'm not too nervous about the whole flying to a country where I don't know anyone nor speak the language. My entire life I have dreamed of living abroad (didn't think it would be in Korea though) and in a week that dream is my life. How many people actually get to do that? Screw the language barrier! Get me some soju and live squid so I can live like a local! Ok not really. I don't really want to eat live squid. I named the blog "Cereal and Chopsticks" because I wanted to depict the life of two things that don't go together naturally, but could work. It'll be freakin hard to figure out, but I'm sure you can pick up a Cheerio with a pair of chopsticks. Also, I love cereal. Could eat it for every meal.
I worry about moving to a different country while life moves on without me. In the year that I'll be gone my sister graduates college. I'll miss that. A best friend is going to have her first baby. I'll miss that. Facebook will notify me of the numerous birthdays and anniversaries that occur in my absence and all I can do is send a Facebook message. The home I left won't be the home I come back to. Guess Thomas Wolfe was right; you really can't go home again. Damn him.
To those of you who read this blog because you're my friends and family and have to because I'll ask you about it later, or because you stumbled across it in your frantic search for anything relating to teaching in Korea, know this: this is not a whiner blog or a "let me tell you about each and every bar I visit" blog. The most invaluable resource I found in my Korea research was other bloggers. I want to do for others as they did for me. Allow this to be a source of guidance, laughter at my mistakes as there will be many, and a damn good read. I mean who doesn't love a good story about a girl with loads of gumption and three suitcases?
Definition according to Merriam-Webster
Expat: a person who lives outside their native land
