Korean Job Discussion Forums

[American_Maverick]

Do some of you expats of a certain age (like 30+) worry about or miss your parents at all? I don't come to this board too often, but I haven't seen a thread on the issue of family back home. Don't any of you who stay in SK or teaching in various places around the world ever think about the quality time you are missing with your family as the years go by? Or does this profession and the wanderlust many of us have attract people who are estranged from their families and/or have bad relationships with their immediate family?

I fully plan to be teaching ESL in SK in the next few months, but my parents are both retired getting up in years and although I am not a momma's boy I know I will be a little concerned about their well being when I am gone. I also have a nephew that is about 5 months old now and I won't see him as he starts crawling, talking, etc. My webcam will come in handy, I imagine. LOL Makes me feel little sad though, to be honest. I have a feeling the parents are going to lay a bit of a guilt trip on me before I leave too.

Anyone else experience this either now or in the past?

[Atavistic]

I'm not estranged from my family, nor do I have poor relationships with them.

I am, however, very independent and they all know it because--guess what--they are, too.

Does it suck missing my family and friends? Sure. Would I give this up? No.

[nicholas_chiasson]

-after the 22 years I've been around them(I lived at home for Uni even)I am ready to spend 10 years without them. A balance is good in life? No?

[Fishead soup]

If this doesn't work out you can always boomerang back home. For the free room ,free food, and free use of the car. Can come in pretty handy when you're working at Wallmart.

[Dome Vans]

The first time I left England to move to Sweden I missed my family so much, I was 24 years old. I'd always wanted to try living and working in a foreign country. Sweden is only a 2 hour flight from England so my mum, dad (separated) and my brothers and sisters would come and visit. So it actually worked out well.

There is no way that they can come out here to visit me it's too far, so my sojourn here will be maximum 3 years, then I'm heading back in that direction to live and teach in Sweden so I'm closer to them again. I do get 3 months vacation from my PS so I go home twice a year: Christmas and the break between contracts. It always hurts to think that my mum and dad are getting older, 68 to be exact. They're getting old and it breaks my heart to think what'll happen one day, the inevitable. But they want me to go out and enjoy myself, see the world, experience things. They would never want me around when I can be doing what I've been doing since I was 24. It's makes them happy that I'm so happy, even if they do miss me. But it still hurts to miss them.

I have friends who are working here and they're friends and family back home hassle them about coming back and that the best place for them is back home. While I can see this point of view I do find it a little selfish on their part. Life is to be lived, you should take happiness in the fact your loved ones are happy. I know others who work here who have no contact with back home, which can be sad to hear but unfortanately that happens.

A side note: Skype is a wonderful thing......

[Imrahil]

Sure I miss my parents back home, a little, but thanks to MSN I can talk to them for free over the internet. Doing that once a week is enough for me.

[SuperHero]

The further and longer I am away from my parents the better my relationship with them is. The last time I went home to visit, my mother made my wife cry.

Guess that's the last time I'm going home.

[No_hite_pls]

You assume that we don't go home to visit. I visited my family three times in my 19 months here. I have spent seven weeks either with my wife�s family or my family in the states.

[excitinghead]

I've been here 8 years, but didn't really have a problem with the physical distance until my daughter was born nearly 2 years ago. Even at the best of times, webcams, photos on a family blog, and youtube videos don't really cut it for showing my parents how she's growing up. Actually they just give frustrating hints really, and make them miss her all the more.

It's good to get into a habit of going back at least once a year, although personally with my parents divorced and living 9 hours flight time away from each other, it's impossible (couldn't they at least live in the same country, damnit! ). My last trip combining both parents completely cleaned out our savings!


An irreverent look at Korean social issues:
http://thegrandnarrative.wordpress.com/

[Imrahil]

I have been home twice in 6 years and still don't miss my family much. As you can tell I am not close to them. My parents are coming over next year for their first trip to the land of kimchi. My wife can't wait to show them her country, maybe that will make me miss them more.

[I'm Seoul Lost]

For those of you missing family

[Carlyles Ghost]

[NightSky]

[Newbie]

I come from a family of 9 (15 now, with add ons). Parents are 74 and 72. I asbsolutely hate being away from all of them as we've always gotten along very well. We have always been called the "Brady Bunch".

I've been here 6 years now but I always took time between contracts to visit home. 2 months between years 1 and 2, then 8 month, 3 weeks, 1 month. This Fall will be the big, permanent move home. The best past is that my wife gets along wonderfully with them, so that should help to ease her transition.

[SuperHero]