Sick in Korea

My first week in Korea and I get sick!

The first 10 days in Korea consisted of teacher orientation in where we had class from about 8am-8pm everyday. There were about about 400 teachers if I'm not mistaken in where I'm sure it's easy to catch SOMETHING from SOMEONE!

I'm not sure if the classes we were in had any mold but I'm HIGHLY allergic to mold and it definitely felt like it :/. The hallways contained a lovely aroma of cigarette smell and smoke, and to top it off, it was FREEZING COLD!!! My body obviously did not like any of this! Including the spicy kimchi I was just getting used to! I love kimchi just not the one served here! Owwieee...my poor roommate had to see me suffering daily. :(

I don't know what got me sick but the point is that I had a 38 degrees Celsius fever (101 F) and so they did not allow me to go on the teacher's trip. They told me "ok, now you have to go to the hospital. Do you know how to get there?" Me: Ehemm, excuse me? Uhh, yea, sure, I guess I could use my Korean mini book to get there" (as I slowly walk away trying to figure out my next step). Turns out the guy at the front desk called me a cab and I had a fellow sicky-poo to join me. He had lived in Korea for a year before THANK GOD!

So the taxi picks us up, 5 minutes later pulls up to the clinic. We go upstairs. I hand my passport (mind you I have no insurance)...2 minutes later they call me by my middle name
"ooookkaaayyyy" and I get up and daintily walk myself in "scooobidoobiidooo". I explain my symptoms to the doctor who spoke very little English and so I used many gestures and pointed to everything I could. He said "ok, go outside". I wait for my buddy and he's out in 3 minutes as well. Check up, 16,000Won which is about $14 U.S. We go downstairs, pick up my drugs for 4 days. Drugs: 6,000Won which is about $4.00 U.S. Thirty minutes and less than $20 later, we are out of there!

What better thing to do than tour the city of Daejon while everyone is having fun? So we went for coffee and walked for a bit. We later on left to rest for the day. I don't know what these Korean meds have in them but I can promise you, I felt brand new by the next day!

Why South Korea?

 

Alright, this is probably one of the first blogs that I should have written (now almost 3 months in) but hey, I've been CRAZY busy! Between moving from one state to another and then to a completely different country to begin a new life for a year, it's been hectic! Can you blame me?

Anyways, to answer the questions that many upon many people have asked me "WHY SOUTH KOREA?" "Are you NUTS?" "Why the other side of the world?" "Aren't you scuurrreeed?" My answer: Because yes, yes, because yes, and yes!

Moving to another country is yes, scary. I’ve been through all of these feelings before living in France: culture shock, depression, hardly any friends, life is completely different, not in your same space as “home”. But who said you couldn’t make your house a home? ANYWHERE you live?!!! What are people so afraid of? Many things happen in your own backyard! Now being a bit older these things have become easier for me to handle.

Here we go:

To begin, I graduated with my Bachelors in Elementary Education and French. After graduating in 2009, there was a hiring freeze in Florida and so I wasn't really able to get a teaching job. I began looking for jobs abroad in Europe and Asia and the jobs with the most benefits pointed to South Korea. I kept in contact with someone through email literally telling me that I could be on a plane tomorrow which bugged me the heck out! No way sir, are YOU CRAZY?! It all sounded a TAD BIT appealing but I didn't feel as if I had enough information. Where was YouTube when you need it?

I was able to apply as a substitute teacher but I wouldn't hear back from them for months! In the meantime I began applying everywhere and I just said "God, it's in your hands. Wherever they take me is where I'm meant to go". And so, I was called to go back into Higher Education which I LOVE after having worked in it for 4 years. I had the opportunity to receive my Masters degree and continue helping students throughout their academic journey. Very weird that I love elementary students and adult learners; very opposite...can I EVER make up my mind! I also had an opportunity to finally move up in the Higher Education field which I always dreamed of and worked very hard for. I love college campuses, orientation, graduation, recruitment, students, all of it!

Once I was done with my Masters, I took about a year off and just RELAXED after going to school for so long yet I immediately began asking myself, "ok, what's next?". I can't ever stay still. I'm here for a purpose and I will accomplish it! And so, I began my doctorate, thinking that Higher Education was something I definitely wanted to stay in. At the same time, I was researching jobs abroad again and trying to figure out what is it exactly that I want to do. I began seeking mentors in my field for advice. Growing up can suck...haha!

Some of my mentors just said that it's important to focus on one thing. How can I focus on ONE thing if I want to take over the world, Pinky?! Rawwrr!!! Either way, it was a very tough year for me trying to figure it all out. A month or so into my doctorate I realized many of my fellow students were already well into their 30's, 40's, 50's and they have had a variety of experiences in the education field. I realized that I wasn't sure what I wanted to do research in yet and I wasn't ready to write a 200-paged research paper on just anything. I felt like I needed more experience and need to be passionate about it and be able to use it in the future to help others. I refuse to sit here and waste my time just to get a few extra thousand dollars on something I will never use. No! Not happening!

Then one day, I had an epiphany when my sister sent me an article. The main words that stuck to me were "You are young enough to believe that anything is possible, and you are old enough to make that belief a reality." I realized that  I’m at a great age to do it. I have no commitments and it’s basically something I’ve always wanted to do since I graduated from my bachelor’s; a dream. I highly enjoy change, adventure and different experiences. I don’t want to die saying “I should have”, “I wonder if I would have”. I realized that it's a good time to have these experiences and build on them for the future. I can always go back. One year does seem long but when you look back, it's almost nothing!

My main focus now is to try to combine my Bachelors and Masters. My dream would be to continue teaching and traveling in other countries or simply just helping others. I will always have a love for different cultures, languages and teaching...and cooking/eating, sports, beach, and working out :)~ 

I am hoping this experience even if it's minor one right now will be a major factor in whatever I am called to do; even if it's knowing 2 words in Korean (안녕하세요). I am learning to trust God and leave it in his hands to use me for a greater purpose...whatever that may be.

I sometimes feel selfish for leaving my family and friends but I know they're all happy for me and also waiting for me to get back! :)

I owe this experience to all of my family and friends for allowing and encouraging me to follow my dreams no matter what! I luffs you muchos!

A small excerpt from Paulo Coelho's "The Alchemist" that has inspired me:

What is a personal calling? It is God's blessing; it is the path that God chose for you here on Earth. Whenever we do something that fills us with enthusiasm, we are following our legend. However, we don't all have the courage to confront our own dream due to four obstacles: 1st, we are told from childhood onward that everything we want to do is impossible so our calling becomes deeply buried in our soul, almost invisible; but it's still there. 2nd, love: we know what we want to do, but are afraid of hurting those around us by abandoning everything in order to pursue our dream. We do not realize that those who genuinely wish us well want us to be happy and are prepared to accompany us on that journey. 3rd, fear of defeats we will meet on the path. We do want it and know that we have staked everything on it and that the path of the personal calling is no easier than any other path, except that our whole heart is in this journey. 4th, the fear of realizing the dream for which we fought all our lives. The mere possibility of getting what we want fills the soul of the ordinary person with guilt. But if you believe yourself worthy of the thing you fought so hard to get, then you become an instrument of God, you help the Soul of the World, and you understand why you are here (Coelho, 1993, pp. x-xii)