Welcome and why would I do such a thing?

Welcome to my blog.  The reasons I started this blog are threefold:

1.  Keep my friends and family (mainly my mom) updated on my forays into South Korean culture and other various travels.

2.  To help anyone who is planning on teaching in South Korea.  It's been very helpful for me to read other peoples' blogs who are currently living and teaching in South Korea.

3.  A record of my experiences and travels for myself.

Since deciding to teach in Korea I've delighted in answering the same questions posed by interested parties about teaching in Korea.  Now for the first time, I will be able to answer all (most?) of your questions in one fell swoop.  

Who?

ME going to teach in South Korea...  Also, I used the recruiters Canadian Connection to help me with the whole process.  I definitely recommend them to anyone, even people who are not Canadian, as obviously I am not.  

What?  

Yes, that's right, me going to teach in South Korea.

When?  

I leave August 30th.  I just finished most of my paperwork and have sent everything in to get my visa.  Last thing on the list is booking a flight which I should (hopefully) be doing in the next couple weeks.

Where?

I will be teaching English to South Koreans in Incheon, South Korea.  Incheon is a city of about 2.5 million people located outside of Seoul.  Basically, it's like a suburb of Seoul.  It is also where the international airport is located.  I will have my own (very small) apartment.

WHY?

This is probably the most important and most asked question.  Let me attempt to explain.

Around January of this past year I decided that I needed a change.  I LOVED teaching at Red Wing High School for three years, but with the looming gas prices, I could not continue to drive from St. Paul to Red Wing each day.  I realized I needed to find a new job.  At first I was considering looking for an English position in the Twin Cities area.  Then I thought a bit more about it.  I realized that if I was going to make a change, I might as well go all out.  I'm not getting any younger and realized this is probably the last time I can live somewhere else before I need to start settling down.  

After deciding to look for a job abroad, I seriously considered somewhere in the U.K. because my love for London knows no end.  But, sadly, the U.K. is so expensive and it can be difficult to find a job.  So I looked at places where I would like to live, that pay teachers well, and where it's fairly easy for foreigners to find jobs.  My search led me to South Korea.  The school district will pay for my flight, pay for my apartment, and will give me extra money when I finish a year of teaching.  I have never been to Asia before and look forward to experiencing life not only in South Korea, but traveling around other Asian countries as well.

Overall, I am very excited for this adventure to begin.