Heading toward the homeland..

"So, you're heading to Korea eh? North or South; cause you don't want to go to the north... too many crazy's up there. It's run by a mad man!"
"Teaching english eh? I've heard a lot of people are doing that! Why did you pick Korea?"
"Wow, Korea eh? Good luck!"

I've heard a variety of responses to my traveling to Korea, and most have been fairly positive. Many people will seem quite excited for me, but with a sort of 'why would you ever want to go there and do that?' kind of expression on their faces. Well, I guess the main reason is money. I suppose that if I had won the lottery a while back and was fairly financially sound, then I might not have decided Korea to be my home for the next year. But I don't think that money is the only drive for me there; the idea of community among friends in a larger setting in comparison to SSU would be another good reason. Also, the adventure of it all is quite appealing! I've never been there, I don't know the language, and I don't know much about the culture. What an opportunity! I look forward to learning the language, seeing the things that I've never seen, eating the things that I have never thought about, or considered eating, and walking on ground I never dreamed of walking on.
Another draw for me to go there would be the teaching aspect (good thing right?!). I think it will be challenging, yes, but I also am looking forward to learning how to teach, and how to express myself to a group who does not understand me at all. I've taught snowboarding, and coached hockey and waterskiing and wakeboarding... but teaching in a formal setting with kids sitting down at desks expecting me to help them grasp the elusive, confusing English language... well that's a challenge. How will I handle it? I don't know. And maybe it's this idea of 'not knowing' that is drawing me there. I am the optimist. Don used to say "it'll be ok in the end. If it's not ok, then its not the end", and I love that quote. I love having a challenge and working through that. hmm, maybe this is why I always choose the underdog, why I believe I can do things that I have never been able to do... why I cheer for the Leafs... Well, here's to optimism. I am looking forward to this new part of life, and I am eager to find out how I will do in this new context.
It's funny writing a blog without photos, I didn't think I would do that on this site. It's tough, because I thing that my pictures speak what I am trying to convey much better than I can with words. And it's also odd how open one is online when they are tired and exhausted.
Anyways, I leave for Korea at 10am tomorrow, and will arrive there, on Friday sometime. My feelings about that right now? Just relaxed, it seems too surreal for me to react in any other way than just, going and doing it. So, I suppose that this blog will be my window for those interested in viewing what I am doing over there. For those who will be looking through it, hopefully you will be able to see and understand my experiences and attitudes through photo and story. Hopefully you will be able to see 'the view from here', while I'm over there.