Getting ready

Mykie and I just found out that we shall be leaving close to the end of March. This leaves us about 3 weeks to get ourselves organised. Thankfully I have had the last year to keep myself rather organised. I guess not working leaves a lot of time to do...stuff. With the year that I have had there was no time to work anyway.
So, we are off to teach in Korea.

If I had a penny for every time someone makes the joke, or asks seriously, if we are going to North or South Korea, I would have at least a whole dollar. I know that I am speaking in pennies but I would rather start with something small and make a fortune. Sometimes i wonder what people know about the other side of the world or are they merely making light of the fact that they will miss me? I hope it is the latter.

I am really curios to see what a life in a world that is so different than mine will be like. Will they like me? Will they want to get to know me for me and not just because I am 5'9, super cute and a westerner? Will I be able to adapt and really honestly integrate myself into their community?

Well, at least I would honestly and truly try.

To be honest, if this would be my last year on earth I want to go out knowing that I really tried to get the most out of it. There are so many people telling me that maybe I should settle down, get focused on my career and make something in Toronto to call my own. What is my own? I wonder? With all due respect, isn't that what I am doing? I am just trying to be real.

Neither Mykie nor I have taught English formally. We have attempted to teach informally while travelling throughout Australia. But, are we even good at teaching? English is our native tongue, yes, but that doesn't make us good teachers. Just because you speak a language doesn't give you the real skills to teach it to someone who doesn't know it well. Well, I hope that we don't have too many casualties along the way. At least our enthusiasm is way up there.

To be quite frank, I am not feeling anything about the leave. Mykie is so excited. He can barely wait. Maybe I am just trying to process the fact that I am packing my life up in two rather large suitcases and jetting off again. I am leaving my friends whose lives will develop without me but rather stay the same. My family I worry will miss me too much. I will never fully appreciate that longing until I have my own children.
Maybe that is why if feel so...nothing. Don't get me wrong, I have wanted this for so long and now that it is actually here, I still want it! Maybe I am just nervous...that's it.

I am sitting in my bed writing this imagining what it will be like to continue this blog without the accompaniment of my two cats on either side of me? Korea is going to be a strange world full of exciting new adventures, people, places and things and I hope that you follow me throughout our journey. To be continued...