Follow the Process...

• June 8, 2009 : Start work at a job I HATE at NARS in Cape Girardea. I will never ever enjoy talking on the phone again as long as I live. BUT... at least I had a job (ya ya...)
• December 19, 2009 : Graduate college from Southeast Missouri State University! One of the proudest moments of my life! And it was so wonderful to have all of my parents and grandparents there to watch! Next step: Master's in Higher Education Administration (or so I thought...)
• January - April 2010 : Still working the job I still hate. Applied to several graduate programs and for several GA positions. Had an interview at Ball State University. Heard nothing. Didn't even receive a form turn-down letter in the mail. Then had an interview at SEMO. Was super excited - it was with a department I had worked for all through undergrad. Waited a few weeks and finally emailed the interviewer about the position. This time at least I got a response telling me I didn't get it. I was crushed. I still had a few possibilities but when I was rejected again, I could only think about the worst scenarios : I'm doomed. I'm stuck. I can't go to grad school. I can't afford it without a grad assistantship. I'm back to square 1. I'm always at square 1! I'll be stuck at NARS as a billing specialist for Charter Communications forever! Well, not if I get fired... Then I'll be stuck flipping burgers at McDonalds. No, Wendy's would definitely be the healthier choice. Or mabe Subway. I'm doomed. I'm stuck.
  Talked to my friend Mike during lunch at stupid NARS about my disappointment. He's going to SEMO for grad school right now, too and has applied for several GA positions last year and this year. Didn't get any interviews last year but didn't keep him down. I admire his optimism so much. He has a ton of it! (Especially with his "love life." I love passing him in the hall and hearing, "I met someone!" His new "woman interest" stories always excite me!) Anyways... we're talking about random stuff at lunch and at some point he tells me he was going to teach English in Japan before he decided to get his master's. And the organization he was going with also sends teachers to Korea. His degree is in Education but you don't have to be a certified teacher to do it. He said the pay is good and all you need is a four-year degree. Hmmm... might be something I'd be interested in. I do have a friend who lives in Korea - Jihyun Kim from High School. It would be great to meet up with her! So he wrote down a website on a piece of paper. The webiste didn't work (he gave me the wrong site). So I googled "teach english in Korea" and found teacheslkorea.com. Spent an afternoon reading all the information.
  
• April 14, 2009 : Apply to teach English in Korea for a year with Teach ESL Korea.

The next few days were really exciting. I had already started exchanging emails with my rep, Shawna. She has been so helpful in answering all of my questions. You'd think all questions could be answered by referring to the website since it's packed full of info but I still had more and continue to think of more. Shawna always has an answer for me! At first I just applied to see if I had a chance... (I do!) The more I thought about the idea the more I fell in love with it. I mean I'm young, have no responsibilities or commitments. Why not travel the world and go on an adventure. It's probably one of the last major adventures I'll be able to have in my life...

So I talked to mom a little about it. She was 100% for it! (Still pessimistic like she always is. "Now just because you think you want to do this doesn't mean you should put all your eggs in one basket." But supportive) So then I decided. I AM GOING TO KOREA. FINAL ANSWER. I told Chris, my boyfriend, about it. It's not something he would ever want or desire but he supports me because he knows it's what I really want to do. Then I told my Grandma Dean. She told me no I can't go even before I was done telling her. She said, "I'll just miss you so much." I told her she'll have to come see me! (Another no before I was done). At the end of our conversation she told me she supports me if it's what I really want and please don't meet a Korean man, marry him and stay over there. I told her we have a deal.

Basically, I'm ready to go at any point to any school who needs a wonderful teacher like myself. (Actually I don't exactly know that I'll even be a good teacher or not yet... But I've learned German. So I feel like if I can learn a language, surely I can teach my own. I remember the tools and exercises Frau Burgess used in German I and II. Speak and repeat, questions and answers around the room, etc... Should be simple, right? lol) I figure I need about two to three weeks to collect all the required documentation, then four to five weeks to complete the visa process. So my earliest start date is June 14. Once I get a contract with a school, when they need me will determine when I leave/start.

Even without a contract yet, I decided to start getting all of the required documents. I decided the criminal record check is what will take the longest. I need a (US) State national criminal record check (a little contradictory don't you think...?) that is notarized and apostilled. After dozens of emails and several calls to Jefferson City, MO I finally found out exactly what I need. Will send my form, letter and two checks for $10 tomorrow. The criminal records keeper place will send my notarized CRC (hopefully they don't find any infractions I'm not aware of - well I'm not aware of any!) to the Secretary of State's office to then apostille it and send it back to me!

And now it's a waiting game. Those are my least favorite kind! Reminds me of when I waited to find out about the internship at Hughes. And the GA position at Ball State. And SEMO. I HATE WAITING! Impatience should really be my middle name. Shawna tells me I should check my email once a day to get updates. I check about 15 times a day...

So that's where everything stands right now. Keep reading for my updates along the way and wish me luck!