Let me first start by stating the purpose of this blog. This is a place for me to process a journey; one that I have never known the likes of before. It is also a reference and helpful tool (hopefully) for anyone out there considering this path. Now...on to it!
I was talking to a good friend of mine about work and how I was at a loss for direction. Nothing is exciting to me, nothing sparks my interest. I have a degree in design (graphic mostly) and I have no interest in bettering myself in this area. She, being the darling angel that she is, told me I should be doing something I love. The problem is, I don't believe I have come across that something. However, this got me thinking...
The whole reason I got my bachelors in the first place was to teach english abroad. Most countries require this, but I lost sight of it with other visions of desks, meetings, and deadlines. I was also reminded by my mother that this has been on my mind since I was 16. That was also something that I had forgotten. I remember it coming here and there to my mind and coming across people who had been teachers themselves in the past in countries I wish to go to. I could feel the itch of curiosity and wonder behind my skull. Thus I began to research what does teaching abroad would look like.
I knew you had to get a certification before you could be considered for any job. This is what I believe stopped me last time. The thought of going through school (and new student loans) and having to pay for a certification on top of that was very sour. The TEFL certification (teaching english as a foreign language) costs about $1400. Currently that's $1400 I don't have. But let's just bury that for a moment. The online course takes 12 weeks, but I can work on it any time of day I want. I can get this through many avenues, but the place I am aiming for is the International TEFL Academy. I actually talked to an adviser here and he answered a lot of my questions.
The country I want to go to is South Korea. I have always felt in my bones I am meant to be there in some capacity. Not only do they have an amazing culture, great food, and outstanding sights, the benefits are crazy good. They pay for your housing, give you a food budget, and after other expenses you put away some money as well. I've gone a little crazy and started following a bunch of South Korean profiles on instagram. Every time I lay my little eyes on those pictures my heart flutters!
I also have to work out silly other things like renewing my passport and visas and resume and applying and interviewing aaaaaaaaaaaand vwala. There you go. I have a mass of thoughts flying through my head like a swarm of bees (cute happy bees). I'll sort these thoughts out in another post. If you have any questions drop me a line.
