To Bolt or Not To Bolt

So my journey began actually at the beginning of August.  I had been praying God would drop a job into my lap so that I knew where He wanted me.  Nothing had been working out.  I finally got an interview, but I left feeling that I had been less than satisfactory.  I went up to Human Development at my college looking for a friendly face to talk to.  I ran into a sweet lady who said she knew someone trying to get a teacher to teach English in South Korea.  She asked if she could give that person my name and number.

I agreed.  Nothing else had worked out.

The next day as I was driving home, I received a phone call from that very person.  I had the job, he told me what it would be like, I learned the paperwork I needed to complete.  It was very simple.  I freaked out... sorta. Okay, I didn't freak.  My thinking processes intensified and I began praying and thinking really hard.

Praying, I began to be impressed that this was a really good idea.  The biggest challenge was convincing family members that it would be okay if I took off halfway around the world.  Kept praying.  Friends kept encouraging.  Finally it felt that the pieces were all on the table and I should go.

I got a copy of my diploma apostilled.  I got two copies of my transcripts.  I got my passport (after I got my birth certificate).  The background check was the surprise.  I didn't realize it had to be done by the FBI, assuming the one for my student teaching certificate was enough.  Realizing my mistake, I hurried to get that moving along.

My home church has a special blessing for me.  Later they threw me a farewell party.  My college church family sang the song "If You Say Go" during song service for me.  My friends let me bother them every free moment I could come spend the night.  My brother and I found reasons to hang out.  I began patching things up with my mom that I had allowed to deteriorate.  I made memories to cherish for the coming months.

During this time I kept in constant communications with the person who set me up for the job as well as one of the English teachers already in South Korea.  Both encouraged me and gave advice.  Finally it was decided by the principle I should come on over and the background check could follow later.  Didn't sleep that night or the next: too excited and nervous.

So I went to the airport, bid fairwell to my grandparents, flew out of my beloved Kansas.  Had a 3.8 hour layover in Chicago.  Then flew 14 hours north into Canada, over northern Alaska, into Russia, south skimming the western side of Japan, and into the Korean peninsula.  Entered Seoul.

Met a neat guy as I left the plane who is also an English teacher.  Exchanged e-mail addresses.  Was met by the same fellow who got me the job as well as a friend of his who is a pastor.  They and more of their friends took me out for supper.  Amazing food.

Supper consisted of several kimchi including one that is called water kimchi.  All of it good.  There were other small dishes, vegetables, and pasta.  The main dish... let me describe it!  You have a surface with a trench around the surface.  The surface you place marinated meat on to cook.  The trench has a sauce and you add mushrooms of various kinds, garlic, spinach, etc.  Both cook for awhile.  Then you take some meat and place it in your bowl.  There was a small dish of mustard (looked spicy) that you could dip it in.  Then you could take stuff from the trench.  Eventually all the meat moved there anyway.  You could spoon liquid from that trench to add to your bowl.  Many choices.  All was good.

Stayed in a suite.  Very fancy and nice.  Got up the next morning, went to the train station.  Had breakfast at McDonalds (American!).  Took a train (KTX) to Daegu.  Then from there went to Gyeongsang (G said like a  K and the y is silent).  The principle, a teacher, and the guy who is in charge of us foreign teachers met up with us there.  Took us to lunch.  This time sat on the floor around the table.  Yes, my legs fell asleep but was tolerable.  Another table full of many small dishes with each end having their own entree.  Beef again but precooked and ready to eat.  Then they brought to the school and to my apartment.  I have a teacher living in an apartment on either side of me.  The staff are very friendly and helpful.  One teacher kept me company (I really wanted English without an accent as well as a friendly face) while I unpacked a little and tried to make sense of my life.

I almost bolted.  So many things are different.  Most of them are small things.  Some of them are big things.  I'm constantly worried I'll offend someone.  The overwhelming emotions... they are just now hitting me.  The teacher keeping me company took me on a tour of the academy, and that was the trick needed to calm me down.  Wonder how I will remember faces, much less names.  Should make flashcards ;)

I have to unpack the rest of my bags.  I'm going to breakfast at 7:10am.  Jetlag is still a slight problem, especially when trying to sleep.  Hopefully that will not be so bad in the next day or two.

Everyone has been really friendly and helpful.  I'm going to decorate my room sometime with color.  Anything to make it more friendly.  More like home.  Okay, it won't be home.  But I will make it personal and at least a retreat.  And I have my Bible and my drawings.  I'll be okay.