"young buck"

"Certainly, travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living" -- Miriam Beard

So, the moment I've been waiting for...I finally got my notice of appointment!! I will be living in the province of Gyeongbuk, sounds like "young buck" but I'm sure that's not correct lol :) Still don't know the city...I'm assuming it will be listed in my contract (which I should receive in the mail in a couple days) but I do know that I will be in the south east part of South Korea. I did a little research and there are 10 cities in that province and I'm not too far from a few beaches. :)

And even better, they've already booked my flight for me! I leave from Austin on Wednesday, February 16th @ 6:45AM (eh, a little too early for my liking lol) and I fly to San Francisco, California to switch planes. I will end up in Seoul around 4:30PM, the next day. The total flight time is 16 hours. I really hope I'm able to sleep on the plane!

My final step of the official paperwork is to go to the Korean Consulate, which is in Houston, to apply for my work visa. I only wish that was the last thing to do on my "to-do" list!! I've been packing up my apartment and sorting through my "stuff" for an entire week. I took most of my clothes to Goodwill, gave away a few things to friends, and threw away junk. Now if only some magic "moving fairy" could appear and take care of the rest! Wait, that would be my brothers who are coming this weekend to help me haha :)

This was my last week of subbing, and I only have two more weeks left of working at Pluckers! YAY!!!

So, people have been asking me if I'm excited or nervous and here's how I break that down:

I am NERVOUS about:
* my crazy to-do list that I still have to do
* leaving my family & friends :(
* the possibility of forgetting a piece of paperwork
* figuring out what to pack!! (and the luggage weight limit haha)
* my super long flight & getting everywhere I'm supposed to be on time
* orientation and making lesson plans (I haven't done that since college!)
* working with a co-teacher
* which city I will live in and how many different schools I will work at (some people work at more than one, depending on the size of city you live in)
* using public transportation all of the time
* getting my life situated over there (cell phone, apartment, internet, bank, etc.)

I am EXCITED about:
* a fresh start & new opportunities
* experiencing a total different culture & lifestyle
* seeing my apartment
* meeting my students (I haven't worked with little kids in forever!)
* getting settled into a somewhat familiar routine
* meeting new people & making friends
* travelling & taking lots of pictures (hopefully I can buy a professional camera soon!)
* sharing stories & pictures with my family & friends back home
* working on my poetry
* trying new foods (yes, I know I'm a picky eater but I'm trying to change that!)
* learning the Korean language

I am definately looking forward to seeing all of my family & friends @ my "going-away party" on February 12th!

Amanda