#Korea Week 11

#Korea is a weekly series on my blog documenting my time leading up to and during to my year in Korea. It’s very much unedited, stream-of-conscious writing! Check out the original post for a longer explanation here.

WEEK 11: JUNE 18TH – JUNE 24TH

Whoo whoo! All my paperwork for the contract is officially in! I got my apostilled background check back on Thursday, right before we left for my cousin’s rehearsal dinner, and overnighted everything Friday morning (for a nice $120… -_-).

My coordinator emailed me earlier this week about a potential position in Suncheon. It wouldn’t be through the normal program or be a typical teaching position, but I’d skip orientation and start working earlier. Suncheon was second on my list after Yeosu, so I told her I was interested. Not sure if it’ll happen or not, but it’s a possibility. Suncheon is about 30 minutes away from my old town of Namwon, and one of my old co-teacher friends is actually from there, so it would be a pretty nice place to live!

In other news, I’ve been working on some freelance pieces and Pinterest accounts while soaking up as much Panera Bread as I can. My cousin got married yesterday, which is why I’m only writing this today (Sunday)! Now half of the grandkids are married and half of us aren’t. Bets are on my sister being next!

I’m driving back down to Wilmington tomorrow and then eventually up to Rhode Island. My coordinator emailed all of us to let us know that things would be pushed a little later (though orientation would still start August 13th) since our Korean counterpart is on a business trip until July 3rd.

I basically wait for my contract back in the mail and then send everything to the Korean Consulate in New York City. This is the part where I also send in my passport, and they insert the visa in one of the pages. I was hoping to make a pit stop in NYC on my way to RI to hand it in in person, but I very much doubt I’ll get anything back between July 3rd and July 5th when I drive up.

My only hope is that I can get everything before July 21st when I go to Wyoming! Otherwise, there will be a lot of overnighting and a bit of rush. I was actually considering skipping California and heading straight to Korea on August 1st so I can join Nicole on a road trip until the start of orientation, but since the paperwork dates are now a bit vague, I’m holding off on buying my plane ticket.

Some other updates:

• I’m about halfway through Without You, There is No Us by Suki Kim, and it’s definitely not a quick read. There’s obviously a lot of heavy material within its pages from Kim’s own life experience to her observations, so you might find yourself needing to take breaks in between. Of course, NK is also in the news more frequently since Otto Warmbier’s death, so reading those updates has also been a lot. My opinions are still pretty steadfast, but obviously, I’m more sympathetic towards him and his family since he’s passed away vs. in a coma under vague conditions.
• I started watching my first Korean drama in a while! I was on Netflix and found “Age of Youth” (other titles are: “Hello, My Twenties!” and its Korean title, “청춘시대”), and thought it sounded like a fun premise. It’s about five 20-something female students in Seoul and their trials and tribulations. It actually has a darker undertone than you’d think, but it’s still hilarious and fun all the same. It’s a nice palette cleanser compared to Kim’s novel, and it makes me a little homesick. They even filmed it at the university I studied at in undergrad!
• Another new (to me) song alert. Loving Haim’s new video.

What’s new with you?

want to support?

I’m always grateful when friends and readereach out wanting to support There She Goes Again. Truthfully, I’m just happy my posts are helping people travel! If you’d like to support the blog, here are some companies and brands I’m affiliated with. Simply click the links, and I receive a small commission at no extra cost to you!