So Long, Sleepy Town

Well it's official, my flight is booked and my visa is being sent to me right before I leave. Korea, here I come. It's an obvious thing to say, but I am excited! I've been researching life in Korea and how to get things like a phone while I'm there and it is making me itch for life in Asia. I will say one thing, blogs have saved my life! If I had been restricted to using the wide web of cell phone carriers and international calling companies I would have lost so much money! I was searching for about an hour online to try to find out how difficult it would be to purchase a smart phone, something that a family friend had recommended, and it took me until the end of that hour to find a one page blog that answered all of my questions, and more... So the blog told me that one can easily locate a cell phone rental store, purchase the phone, the charger, and the plan right in most airports in Korea, and that there is a free translation hot-line for travelers! If you're curious to read all about cell phones in Korea visit the blog here. When I get to Korea I can let you know if it is still as easy as this blog says it is and how fun things like that work.

It's a great relief to have all of my paperwork finally done, and not have to worry about anything but whether or not I have enough room for all of my books and clothes in my luggage :D Now that my mind is clear from all of that worry I feel like I can focus on fully appreciating the things that I have. So I'm going to do a little section of the things that I will miss while I'm over there. After all, I'll be gone for a full year, and I will probably miss them when the time comes back around.

1. Sunrises at the beach. Where I'll be living is smack-dab in the middle of the country.

2.Fresh Maine blueberries, from the vine to your tummy :D
3. The baby birds that live in my mum's wreath (ugly at first, but so darn cute right before they fledge)
4. Hiking in Acadia, one of the prettiest places in Maine

5. Fourth of July Fireworks, especially since next year will be the first year that Maine can sell fireworks to the public, legally.

6. My friends (Even if you're not below, you know who you are :D )

7. And last but certainly not least I will miss playing Ultimate Frisbee

Of course my family will be missed, but these are things that I have chosen to make me who I am (especially my friends). I know I'll miss all of these things dearly, but I am also excited to find new things that I can take with me in life, and shape me as a person. Maybe that's a cheesy thing to say, but what else do I have than happenings in life I believe to have experienced? In short, I'm sad to go, but happy to have had a wonderful life so far and a path that I've chosen in front of me. Until next time, I hope the world is good to you.

Sara

One Month

In less than one month I will be on my way to Korea, South Korea as my mum would like me to point out. It has been an extremely tiring and intense process, but it will be well worth it in the end. I haven't booked my flight, I haven't gotten my visa, and I haven't even begun to pack for the year ahead. I'm beginning to think that, as with most things, I will get my things together and finished when I am under the most pressure. Just thought I'd do a start up blog post before I leave so friends, family, and whoever else is interested can locate and subscribe to my blog easily.

If you see a bar on the left to enter your email address, that's to receive my blog updates in your mailbox instead of having to constantly check up on my blog. I don't know for sure if they'll include any photos I post but I will find out after my next post...hopefully. I do think I made a very pretty blog page so I won't blame you if you check up on it. I don't know if I'll be doing daily or weekly posts, but once I get there I'll have a better idea of my schedule and can make a decision...or not.

So this last part is for those of you who would like an update on the situation. I just graduated from college, and I am getting ready to go live in (South) Korea to teach for one year. I'm going with a program called TaLK which is run by their government and I will be teaching in a public elementary school in Jeonbuk. I'll see if I can post a map here :

map link

So if the map makes it you should see that I'm about an hour, maybe less, outside of Seoul. Since I don't have my flight booked I don't know when I'll be leaving/arriving but orientation begins on the 5th so I need to be in Seoul by then. I'll spend a month in Seoul for training and to get accustomed to the culture, or at least as accustomed as one can get in a month. After my month in Seoul I'll be sent to Jeonbuk where I'll receive housing and I'll start work in the elementary school!

Since things are still being done so I'll know more as the time to leave approaches. I'll probably only do a few more posts before I leave to give updates and such. Until then, I hope the world is good to you :D

-Sara