We're Going Back!
Greetings!
If you are reading this, then you already know that we are heading back to Korea in August and I am so excited to be starting a new blog to tell you all about our adventure! Some of you may also know that we were in Korea in 2011 and know that it was very challenging (to say the least) so why would we go back?
First of all, we went to Korea when we were 23. It was the tail "end" of the recession, we had just gotten married in June and 5 months later we were on a plane to a foreign country for work, our first like, real jobs as "adults". So, there was a lot going on. Plus, it was a brand new school, I had not taught in a classroom before, it was only the two of us for the first month, plus there were many cultural nuances we were not prepared for. But, we muscled through, met some really wonderful people that we are still friends with today (and get to see again!!), made a very special connection with the Korean and Asian culture that we want to be a part of again. We have learned a lot since our time there. We have grown as adults, as teachers, as parents, as well as continue to appreciate and embrace what makes all cultures special.
We are looking forward to going back for several reasons. One of the main reasons is since we have been there before, bringing our kids will be "easier" since the learning curve for us won't be quite as steep and we will be able to focus on integrating them more which I find totally exciting. Showing our kids the world is something I am so grateful and proud to do. One of our goals before we became parents was that we wanted our kids to be good at traveling and able to adjust to new and difficult situations. What better way that diving into a completely different culture?! Besides a great opportunity for the kids, it is also great for us.
Since we have gone through the process before, we kind of know what to expect as far as getting all of our documents in order but that doesn't mean it's easy! There is so much to get done at this point: Brett and I need fingerprinted background checks, we all need new passports, we need to submit transcripts with notarized diplomas, a health check, not to mention we actually have to go to the Korean consulate and the closest one is in Seattle. Lucky for us we will be in Seattle in June so it works out perfectly! It's an involved, expensive process but the school will be paying for our flights (round-trip if we stay 2 years), they will also for housing, half our health insurance, pay into a pension, as well as provide free education for the kids! Meanwhile, we will be renting out our house back in Boise through a property manager.
The extra nice part about this school this time around is that it is more like an actual school. While it is a British curriculum, it is not a hagwon (Hagwon is the Korean-language word for a for-profit private institute, academy or cram school prevalent in South Korea). Our previous school was a hagwon that held classes year round with intensive sessions in the summer-another thing we were not aware of or prepared for. British Education Korea, the British Prep in Gangnam, is where we will be teaching but the kids will be at Namsan House. Kind of a bummer we won't be at the same school but so far that is the only downside to the whole thing. They are working on arranging a shuttle for them to take to school every day which is on the coolest commute every day. I know they won't really understand how cool it is so I am excited for them! I mean, they get to cross the Han River into Seoul to their school that looks like it has an amazing view of Namsan Tower! We will get regular vacation times: Christmas vacation, Korean holidays, as well as time off in the summer. Literally, at our old school, we worked at least part of the week for all 52 weeks we were contracted there. Can you say burnout?!
I am so excited to keep everyone up to date on all of our adventures! Thank goodness for technology right? You can also follow us on Instagram @lofgrengangnamstyle for probably a lot of pictures of food, cats, and cityscapes :)
Also, we do not know much about our apartment at all, only that it is fully furnished but that is also unclear. However, we would love to have visitors! We will for sure show you a memorable time!
Last but not least, I have discovered my favorite YouTuber... does that confirm that I am a Millennial?! Here is our favorite video we have found so far that gives you a really good feel for Seoul 24 Hours in Seoul.
If you are reading this, then you already know that we are heading back to Korea in August and I am so excited to be starting a new blog to tell you all about our adventure! Some of you may also know that we were in Korea in 2011 and know that it was very challenging (to say the least) so why would we go back?
WHY
That's the first and most common question I hear: some form of "Why Korea?" "Why go back when it was so hard last time?" and "Why not try somewhere new?" So here are my answers to those!First of all, we went to Korea when we were 23. It was the tail "end" of the recession, we had just gotten married in June and 5 months later we were on a plane to a foreign country for work, our first like, real jobs as "adults". So, there was a lot going on. Plus, it was a brand new school, I had not taught in a classroom before, it was only the two of us for the first month, plus there were many cultural nuances we were not prepared for. But, we muscled through, met some really wonderful people that we are still friends with today (and get to see again!!), made a very special connection with the Korean and Asian culture that we want to be a part of again. We have learned a lot since our time there. We have grown as adults, as teachers, as parents, as well as continue to appreciate and embrace what makes all cultures special.
We are looking forward to going back for several reasons. One of the main reasons is since we have been there before, bringing our kids will be "easier" since the learning curve for us won't be quite as steep and we will be able to focus on integrating them more which I find totally exciting. Showing our kids the world is something I am so grateful and proud to do. One of our goals before we became parents was that we wanted our kids to be good at traveling and able to adjust to new and difficult situations. What better way that diving into a completely different culture?! Besides a great opportunity for the kids, it is also great for us.
WHAT
The teaching gigs are usually pretty amazing: great schools, great benefits, fun place to live, etc. We were very pleased with our recruiting company Adventure Teaching as they found us something pretty quickly after us contacting them. They were the same company we went through last time and they have really made everything very easy and smooth. They have arranged all meetings and contact with the school, laid everything out so we aren't surprised or blindsided, and have been very supportive with us bringing children.Since we have gone through the process before, we kind of know what to expect as far as getting all of our documents in order but that doesn't mean it's easy! There is so much to get done at this point: Brett and I need fingerprinted background checks, we all need new passports, we need to submit transcripts with notarized diplomas, a health check, not to mention we actually have to go to the Korean consulate and the closest one is in Seattle. Lucky for us we will be in Seattle in June so it works out perfectly! It's an involved, expensive process but the school will be paying for our flights (round-trip if we stay 2 years), they will also for housing, half our health insurance, pay into a pension, as well as provide free education for the kids! Meanwhile, we will be renting out our house back in Boise through a property manager.
The extra nice part about this school this time around is that it is more like an actual school. While it is a British curriculum, it is not a hagwon (Hagwon is the Korean-language word for a for-profit private institute, academy or cram school prevalent in South Korea). Our previous school was a hagwon that held classes year round with intensive sessions in the summer-another thing we were not aware of or prepared for. British Education Korea, the British Prep in Gangnam, is where we will be teaching but the kids will be at Namsan House. Kind of a bummer we won't be at the same school but so far that is the only downside to the whole thing. They are working on arranging a shuttle for them to take to school every day which is on the coolest commute every day. I know they won't really understand how cool it is so I am excited for them! I mean, they get to cross the Han River into Seoul to their school that looks like it has an amazing view of Namsan Tower! We will get regular vacation times: Christmas vacation, Korean holidays, as well as time off in the summer. Literally, at our old school, we worked at least part of the week for all 52 weeks we were contracted there. Can you say burnout?!
WHEN
Our proposed start date is August 15 but we would actually like to be out of the house before August 1 so we can start renting it out. I also want to get there a little early to get accustomed to the time change... that is going to be interesting and could pose all sorts of problems. The flight might also be absolutely awful, but hey, we'll get through it. We were also offered a two-year contract so our plan is to stay for 2 years with the possibility of staying longer. It honestly just depends on how everything goes in Korea as well as how things are back in the States. I know this is hard on our families for us to be so far away for so long but this really is a great opportunity and experience for us to do now, while the kids are still young. I won't get into politics but there are some policies that have made living in America surprisingly difficult for two intelligent college graduates with children making relatively smart and informed decisions. That can get exhausting and disheartening. So, I guess a part of our going abroad is also a bit of a fresh start. Even a restart.I am so excited to keep everyone up to date on all of our adventures! Thank goodness for technology right? You can also follow us on Instagram @lofgrengangnamstyle for probably a lot of pictures of food, cats, and cityscapes :)
Also, we do not know much about our apartment at all, only that it is fully furnished but that is also unclear. However, we would love to have visitors! We will for sure show you a memorable time!
Last but not least, I have discovered my favorite YouTuber... does that confirm that I am a Millennial?! Here is our favorite video we have found so far that gives you a really good feel for Seoul 24 Hours in Seoul.
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