Oh, Korea.

For those of you who are new to my blogg, here's a quick summery of what this blogg is all about. I'm an American currently living in Seoul, South Korea, teaching English to children. While I never saw this becoming my life I have quickly grown to love it. Living and working abroad has its ups and downs but its an experience that's definitely worth it. I've previously lived in Budapest, Hungary, for a study abroad semester but I never imagined how much more difficult it would be to both live and work abroad.
I'm not exaggerating when I say every day is a challenge. The most mundane things we do one a daily basis become challenges when you add the language barrier. A simple trip to the grocery store is always an adventure. Or a headache. Mostly just a headache. Thankfully I don't cook much! Not only are the majority of groceries in Korean, they're also just plain strange. I've come across shrimp flavored potato chips and seaweed flavored ice cream before, and those aren't even the strangest. After being here long enough these things just become the norm and you don't really notice it anymore. Acclimating to Korea, like most Asian countries, is definitely a tough thing to do. It's the hardest thing I've ever done it my life yet I wouldn't take it back for anything. After you think all the hurdles have been thrown, and hoops have been jumped through, you realize there's still more. Good thing while you're going through all those things you meet some of the most amazing people!
I've met a bunch of people here who say they enjoy living in Kore despite the challenges. Whereas, I enjoy living in Korea because of them. If you're the kind of person who loves meeting new people, learning a new language, immersing yourself in a new culture, and making a decently amount of money while doing these things than ESL teaching in South Korea would be perfect for you. However, it's not all peaches and cream. Work can be exhausting and a 12 hour work day is normal for a Korean. Fortunately most English teachers here don't work 12 hours a day, but occasionally working overtime is expected. Plus, working with young children eight hours a day is wearing even under the most ideal of circumstances. If you're the kind of person who doesn't have a whole lot of patience I highly suggest looking for a teaching job for adults.

The life of a Korean expat is always exhilarating. The expat community is much smaller than I previously thought and everyone seems to know everyone. This is great for making connections and meeting new people. There are tons of expat groups created to bring people with similar hobbies together. There are groups for photography, art, museum outings, language exchange, and so much more. It's a great way to broaden you're horizons and do something you may have never done before. I've recently joined a rock climbing group! This is something I never would have thought to do back in the states, but am so happy I pushed myself to do here. Being an expat gives you a great opportunity to push yourself beyond your comfort zone and do things you would never have done back home. Meditate with Buddhist monks in a mountain side temple? Checked off my list. Pet tigers and ride elephants in Thailand? Yeah, did that. Visit the most highly militarized border in the world (the DMZ)? Checked off the list too. Needless to say, a life of traveling is a life well spent!