What do you do when it is time to go home! Some people just never do...and others know that if they don't get out, they are going to ram kimchi down everyones throats! When it was time for me to leave I had a little of both feelings. I didn't want to go home because I had made some wonderful friends, and I really did love teaching in Korea....but there were other days that I knew I had to leave soon! For me it was a special case because that last year I spent preparing for both weddings. Yes both weddings, we ended up having a wedding in Korea and one in the US. All in all I had a lot to prepare for.

Going home...how do you prepare for it. Well the first thing you have to do is settle your contract with your boss. Most will give you a nice bonus upon fullfilling your contract, and will pay for your ticket home (can depend on your contract). Then you have to figure out how much stuff you have acquired. My husband and I (well mostly me) had acquired a lot of stuff. We chose to pay 1 million won (a thousand dollars) and have our stuff shipped. This sounds like a lot, but for us it worked. Our stuff arrived repacked, and in one piece (took about 3 months). Some people have slowly mailed boxes home, but make sure someone is waiting on the other end, and others leave with what they came with! However you decide to do it, just take your time and think about what is best (economically and emotionally) for you.

When you have your stuff all packed and ready, you get to leave. This can be a lot more difficult than it sounds. Some bosses will not let you tell your students that you are leaving, and some hire teachers before you leave. My boss decided to hire a teacher and have him arrive a week before I left (this was at my request...I didn't want anyone to feel as lost as I did when I began). I trained the new teacher and said good-bye to my students, it was rather emotional. You students get more attached to you than you imagine, and you to them! Then after this emotional day, you get to say good-bye to all of the friends that you have made.

Saying good-bye to my friends was probably the most difficult thing I ever had to do. On one hand I was going home with my new husband (to a second wedding), seeing my family; but I had made a life in Korea, and home was the unknown! On that last night we had a great good-bye dinner, and out to the bar. It was great fun, but very depressing! I knew we had to move on, but I wanted everyone to move on with me. I still try to keep in contact with all my friends in Korea, but it is hard! Now we have different time zones, different lifestyles, and different responsibilities. So just beware...it is hard to stay in touch! It doesn't mean you love your friends any less, it's just hard.

On the up note....when we got home to America, we got jobs (took almost a year for me, six months for my husband), found an apartment and had a beautiful baby girl! We have had a great life since we have been back, but it is a day to day struggle!

In the future we vacations to look forward to, and friends to visit! We have a wide open future and I will never forget my experience in Korea. It contributed to who I am today, and I think it has made me more receptive to the difference in people, and will mold me into a better person.

This was my experience, but remember....Everyones experience is unique!!
Going Home