Long overdue...

Well...I've been in Seoul since January 26th. I've met a lot of awesome people and have been having a blast. I really like the school I'm at. I feel lucky to have landed a job at a great school instead of one of the numerous shady ones. Although I've been here for nearly two months, I have yet to leave Seoul. I'll be spending this weekend in Busan, celebrating a friends awesome birthday party.

I'm pleased with my living quarters. It's very small, but very new and clean. Homesickness has yet to kick in, although I do miss a lot of people...I just wish they were here with me.

Being a vegetarian in Seoul is easy...being a vegan is a bit more difficult. I'm more vegetarian than vegan now, sadly. There are some amazing vegan eateries in Seoul . I recently tried "The Loving Hut". I was really impressed! The prices are great, as well as the service and food.

I have an overwhelming amount of stories and information to post, which is probably why I've been too lazy to do so. Hopefully, I'll get back to updating fairly regularly.

Oh yeah! I'm currently beta testing "Starcraft II". I'm very pleased about this. I attempted to impress my students with this, but they couldn't care less. I'm fairly certain this generation of youth aren't as enamored with Starcraft as the previous generation.

Some random alleyway in Seoul. 

Getting lost in Seoul is fun....

6 More Days...

I can't bring myself to pack. I guess I'll just suffer the wrath of my procrastination the night before I leave. I was worried about how much baggage was allowed on my flight. Continental Airlines allow two pieces of checked baggage under 50lbs, one carry-on, and one personal item. There are no baggage fees for flights from the U.S. to Korea, from my understanding. Luckily, I'm fairly sure that's all I need for what I'm taking.

I'm starting to develop cold feet, which I'm sure is normal. I'm not backing out, although my family would be ecstatic.

This will probably be my last post before I leave for Seoul.

A Trip to the Houston Korean Consulate

My E-2 visa application documents arrived at the consulate in Houston on Monday, 11th(USPS priority mail). I was called the same day to participate in an interview on Tuesday, 12th at 2:30pm. After a looong drive from Oklahoma City, I made it to the consulate with time to spare. There were two other girls there getting their visas as well. After a short and sweet one-on-one interview with a consul, I was told to come back in an hour to pick up my visa-stamped passport. All I can say is that the Houston consulate works FAST. Everyone my not have the same experience I did, but I was more than pleased to get the final step of my visa process taken care of 15 days before my departure. On an even better note, I got to spend precious time with Michael, singing 90's songs in the car for nearly 14 hours. :)

If anyone reading this has questions or needs help locating the Houston consulate, please send me an email or leave a comment. I'll happy to help!

Questions the Consul asked me:

I was asked to confirm nearly everything I wrote on my application, college, major, birthplace, etc.
I was also asked how I found this job and if I had any teaching or tutoring experience.
He then talked about his teaching philosophy and told me that I'll enjoy my time teaching in Korea.

It was quick and painless. He was very friendly and talkative.

2 weeks...

"Twooo Wweeeks..." Did anyone else watch the movie, "Total Recall" when they were little? Remember, it had Arnold Schwarzenegger in it and that crazy cyborg lady that kept saying "Two weeks" over and over again until her head exploded.

Anyway, I leave in two weeks. I'm attempting to stretch time and make it feel like four weeks. I'm not quite sure if I have those abilities. I'll be taking a trip down to Houston, TX this week for my interview. I'm driving over fourteen hours (there and back) for an interview that might last all of 10-15 minutes.

I have made progress with packing. I've managed to go through all of my clothes and decide what to bring and what to leave. I've also bought and packed all of my toiletries. As far as electronics go, I'm only bringing my laptop, DS, PSP, iPhone, and camera. I'm going to miss the Xbox 360 and PS3 terribly, especially since Final Fantasy XIII is releasing in the states while I'm away.

My friend Ashley and I are starting a cool artsy fartsy blog that will display some fine photography. I'll post a link as soon as we get that rolling.

People keep asking if I'm excited about going. Honestly, I feel completely numb. I don't think it will sink in until I'm actually on the plane. This will not only be my first time leaving the country, but my first time riding a plane as well. Planes don't make me a bit nervous, which completely shocks my family. I doubt they ever get on a plane, much less wander too far from their homes. They tend to be a bit xenophobic, as are a lot of people in my small Okie town .

I'll post again soon, hopefully with pictures.

19 more days...

So...the E-2 visa process has been sort of an expensive nightmare for me. Had I realized this before, I would have started the process much sooner. At this moment, I'm waiting to get my visa issuance(?) number from immigration in Korea. Hopefully I receive it this week. I get to take an 8 hour road trip to Houston, TX for an interview by the Korean Consulate. I'm not looking forward to it. Thankfully, Michael will be able to make that trip with me. 


I decided to start this blog before I arrive in Seoul so others can see my preparation. Perhaps I can be of some help to people going through the same experience.