Lets Start at the Very Begining-A Very Good Place to Start

Jamie Cullum, one of my favorite musicians has a great song that sums up many of my current emotions. In his song Twentysomething the slick piano music starts off with the lyrics…. “After years of expensive education, a car full of books, and anticipation-I’m an expert on Shakespeare and that’s a hell of a lot; but the world don’t need scholars as much as I thought.”

For myself, after 4 years of SLU’s expensive education, a truck full of books, and anticipation…I wouldn’t even call myself an expert of business…..and although there was need for me in Corporate America-it isn’t quite what I want. So as a Twenty-something-what exactly am I supposed to do?

When I made the decision to go to Korea-most of the people in my life simply said, “Why?”. People want to know why I turned down a cush job with Boeing, why I spent hours studying business to teach English, and why I would want to leave my friends/family and cross the ocean to go to an entirely different culture/country. Aside from the economical and career benefits, there are many other reasons why I chose this path. I’ve explained myself a million times, but the main reasons are as follows:

1) I never want to say, “What if?” or “I wish I would have…”

2) I love who I am when I travel. For some reason, once I step off of a plane into a new city or country-I no longer have limitations or expectations to live up to. I take chances, I’m adventurous, and I live life to the absolute fullest.



3) I want to humble myself and know what it feels like to be a minority. I work with people everyday who have felt this at one time or another in their life….Although I know it won’t be exactly the same-I want to try and feel/understand.

4) I love language-I want to live through the difficulties and triumphs that language creates in our lives….I know it will be frustrating not to be able to express myself at times, but it will be just as rewarding to teach others to express themselves in a new language. I want to be a student and a teacher. I've already learned so much working with my HHBGC kids-I want to learn and teach more.


5) I’ve never been to Asia….I’ve visited Latin America and I have been all over Europe-here is a chance to experience a whole new culture and a whole new world-with so many miles of land and so many people….I would hate to stay in one spot and not absorb as much as possible.

6) I’ve never been homesick-Although I’ve traveled all over the place, and I have left home for months at a time; I’ve never passed the elated state of “wow! I’m abroad!”. I want to know what everyday life is like somewhere else, and I want to know what my dozens of foreign friends have gone through leaving loved ones for months at a time.

7) I want to get away from what is “normal”-In the US, everyone seems to follow a very strict pattern: 4 years high school, 4 years college, job, house, wife, kids….that just isn’t for me. I want to get away from all of the voices that tell me what I should be doing, what is safe, what is secure, and what is normal…I want to make my decisions about my future on my own, without a constant inflow of people’s opinions of what options are “safe” and “normal”
8) The opportunity is unique and I am unique-a match made in heaven.


9) I am only 22- I have my whole life to work and settle down…why grow up right now!?! I want to have a few more adventures, a few more experiences, and something to talk about.

10) It is my life!!!! This is something I WANT to do.

Of course I will miss my family and friends dearly, and of course this won’t be easy. Turning down Boeing may be one of the stupidest things I have ever done….but being miserable at a desk for the next 40 years is just as stupid.

I’m not looking for anything particular. Some people leave to find work, love, luck, fame, fortune, friends, or a path. I’m just leaving on a “Seoul” search, to see what finds me.

......Stay Tuned.....