Just another cliche travel blog...

So I graduated from college in December. I got a job teaching English over in Korea, and that means I'm leaving the country and probably doing some additional traveling. Obviously, that means I need to make one of those "travel blogs" that seem to be all the rage these days. Sure sure, I know it's been done like a million times already, but whatever--I'm fine following the norm sometimes. Plus, let's be realistic: The travel blog is a good idea! This way, the next time you're grinding out the old 9-to-5, you've got someone to live vicariously through. Plus, ya'll know I talk a lot. Seems like a win-win, eh?

But moving along, let's get serious: Why Korea? (Specifically South Korea. I hear it's the friendlier of the two..) Well honestly, after I graduated, I only knew two things. First, I wanted the get the hell outta America. Sure sure, it's a nice country, but I want to see what's out there. I also really want to dive into another culture and be a total stranger that has to work to fit in. Second, I wanted to teach something. See, I'm a big fan of exploring the world, but I also want to try to make it a better place, and teaching kids is my preferred method.

With these two requirements in mind, I really didn't care where I went, cause everywhere I looked seemed cool. One of my friends from the Purdue Cycling Team suggested I go teach in Korea, since he was doing the same thing a semester before me. It sounded good, and he gave me the contact information of the recruiter for the job, and bam! Just like that, I got a job teaching elementary school in a small town called Gwangju about an hour and a half south-east of Seoul. Sometimes life just falls into place like that, and it's always a beautiful thing.

Anyway, the Korean term doesn't start until March 2nd, so until then I'm getting ready to go abroad for a year or two (we'll see I suppose), and performing a self taught crash course in the Korean language. Things are going well, and with some luck, I'll be decent enough at the language to have broken conversation with my students (boy I hope so anyway!). A huge goal of mine is to become fluent/conversational in Korean by the end of all this!

I guess I'll be updating this thing sometimes, probably more and more when it gets closer to when I leave, but until then--anyiang! (good bye)