From Paperwork to Planes
The main question that people ask me is "Why did you go to Korea??" Well that isn't really a simple answer. You see I started my college experience in the nursing program...yes I was going to be a nurse, but I just dreaded every day of it. So while I was drudging through anatomy, physiology and chemistry, I was also taking literature classes. Literature is what really appealed to me, so after graduation (I have a bachelors in health science, with a minor in literature) I tried to figure out how I fit into the health care community, and you know what I didn't!
So here I am in a field of study that I hated, bored out of my mind and can't find a job. SO what does one do in this state...well you pick up the paper and look for a job. I was reading through the paper and came across an ad. This ad said "Teach english in Korea, all expenses paid" something jumped inside of me, maybe this was what I was looking for. I called the number, and recieved a call that night. The woman that I talked to explained the good and bad, but it still appealed to me, so I took the giant leap into the unknown.
The whole process is very complicated, but I will try to explain how it works. I recieved a call from a Mr. Lee in Korea. He works for Inteko Foreign Language institute. He explained to me what I would need to do, and how to go about the process. The paperwork for teaching is fantastic, but don't let it intimidate you. First I had to get my passport, an original copy of my diploma, a letter of intent from Mr. Lee, and many passport photos. I was told that in my case Mr. Lee would take care of the paperwork, so all I had to do was go to Seatle, Washington to the Korean Consulate (by the way I lived in Portland, Oregon) and fill out more papers. Of course this paperwork also requires a fee. I was getting my visa to work.
I filled out all the papers, got a copy of my diploma stamped, and sent this all to Mr. Lee in Korea (which was also a fee for the express mail). I waited about a week, then recieved my paperwork. I had to make one more journey up to the consulate to get my passport stamped, then I was on my way.
The next big thing in my life was saying good-bye to my family. I had never been away from home, so it was hard. I am 25 years old, but extremely dedicated to my family. Saying good-bye to my family wasn't as hard as I thought it would be, but as I later realized, I was in shock for about a month. Leaving home was hard, but I did it. I stepped on that plane and made the trip to Korea. I will never regret my decision, and will always cherish my life that I now have in Korea. If you are brave enough, and love adventure, it is all worth the process.