John F. Kennedy International Airport - Queens, New York - by Andrew Edward — John F. Kennedy International Airport - *Queens, New York - by Andrew Edward*

Why’d You Move to South Korea?

I’ve been dancing around this question from the moment I told my family and friends that I had plans of moving here. Oddly enough, the answer just found me...almost 3 years later. Just so you know, I’m writing this from the seat of the Korean metro, while being stared DOWN by a Korean auntie. Strange place to receive a revelation, but here I am...revelating.

I’ll begin with the tale of your average millennial; went to college to pursue one profession and ended up working in a completely different one. I know, I know! Boring right? Just stick with me here. I studied for 3 years to become a fashion merchandiser, but ended up working as an HR Generalist. How one goes from pursuing a creative-type industry to one where it’s your job to hire and manage people, well…the story is a little involved. To put it simply, I went into it with excitement and willingness, but there was also a feeling of familial obligation. Seven work years later and I realized that I had given many years of my life to this position, but for a long time it wasn’t giving anything to my spirit .

I’m not quite sure when my depressive state began, but the mundane life had essentially taken its toll on my soul. I would wake up with dread, go to work, then the gym, return home to eat and shower, then watch Netflix until I passed out, and then I’d do it all over again the next day. One might argue that that’s just how life is, but I have a hard time accepting that. I know that life is meant for living and each day should be met with gratitude. I won’t deny that I was blessed to have a stable life, but there was a lot that I was unhappy about. Mostly I felt unfulfilled in my life and disappointed in myself for not being...more. I had expectations for myself, and at that time, several of them were not being met.

It just so happened that I had a couple of friends who had previously lived and worked abroad (China & the U.A.E.). They planted the seed in me that was “teaching abroad” and pretty much watered it until it began to bud. So after being indecisive (and I mean extremely indecisive) about the idea of living in a foreign country, I went for it.

I quit my job, said my see-you-laters, packed my bags, and jetted off to a country I had only seen via Korean dramas. I’ll admit that the previous sentence sounds a little koreaboo-ish, but I can assure you that Korea called me for reasons other than wanting to meet the Adonis that is Gong Yoo.

Okay Girl, But Why?

At the age of 27, I needed something fresh, and I was convinced that I couldn’t experience this “something” by staying in the U.S. I needed new stomping grounds. I needed to travel new lands and immerse myself in a culture where the language was foreign to me. I needed to try new foods from the random ahjumma selling things on the side of the road. I needed to be challenged, not only in the workplace, but in life as well. I, of course, wanted all of these things while making money in the process (debt and student loans anyone?). So naturally, living and working abroad seemed like my best bet.

I know! These sound like generic, cookie cutter-like reasons and they kind of are, but they played a part in my decision making process. If I’m being totally honest here...I was a bit lost. I still feel a little ashamed to even admit that.

Somewhere along the way, I had lost sight of myself to complacency. I lost pieces of myself in the people I gave my time to, in my job that wasn’t fulfilling, and in pointless things I purchased to fill voids of loneliness. It was all very exhausting. As much as I was told from others that I was running from people and my problems by moving to another country, I knew that I wasn’t running from anyone or anything. I was running to something new; to someone new; to me.

Pink Muhly Grass Field - Samnak Ecological Park (삼락생태공원) — Pink Muhly Grass Field - *Samnak Ecological Park (삼락생태공원)*

You see, moving abroad allows you this rare experience to be anyone you want to be (or yourself) and that’s the beauty of this process. It’s an opportunity for rebirth, renewal, and change. It has afforded me to completely step into the person I always knew I was capable of becoming.

Now I’m not saying that this experience is sunshine and rainbows all the time, or that Korea is this grand Utopia-like country, because it isn’t. You miss out on celebrating those major holidays (Thanksgiving & Christmas) with family, and significant life events of those who are dear to you. There are days when I’m terribly homesick and missing my mum’s cooking, and days when I wish I could just go around the corner to the beauty supply shop to get…anything, really. There are even those days when the culture, the people, or my students test my patience and capacity for understanding. But on days like these, I take a deep breath, count my blessings, practice having an attitude of gratitude, and remember that this is a learning experience for not just me, but the people that I encounter as well.

Moving to a foreign country will always be a mixed bag; not every day is the best, but each day here is certainly an adventure. There’s always something new to see and take in. If you allow it, an experience like this will grow you in more ways than one.

Final Thoughts

There are many things that I needed and wanted out of this living abroad experience, but Korea has given and continues to give me so much more than I bargained for. Observing the lives that people here lead and the life I used to, I know now exactly how I want to live…

Courageously. Fearlessly. Intentionally.

Yours,

Kenny