Korean Job Discussion Forums

[kangnam mafioso]

Do you ever get sick of the traveling lifestyle? Bouncing around from one place to the next, no ties to family or stable friends, weekends in Hongdae scoping for one night stands, living in a box controlled by your boss, not understanding 95% of what's being said around you, disconnected from your own culture and history, drinking and partying all the time and not having any roots or a place to call your own?

[IconsFanatic]

Yup, that's why I'm leaving when my contract is up. It was an interesting experience, but I can't see how people can become "lifers".

Off to Ing-gur-lund!

[mithridates]

That doesn't sound very fun the way you put it. Here's the life I've got:

[TECO]

You go through certain periods in your life.

20 -30 year olds love it.

Lots of people here, though, who get married and settle down.

[shawner88]

I tend to idealize travelling to where I can't wait to get out of Korea and check out some new place, only to get there and after a few days count down the time until I can fly back to Korea.

[Cthulhu]

In my opinion the instability with friends is one of the toughest things about teaching anywhere abroad. Sure, friends come and go back home, but in Korea (for example) it's accelerated and at a more regular pace. It's like a revolving door where someone you know well leaves every year and you make new friends all the time and the cycle repeats itself. It's especially tough if you settle down and don't hit the foreigner hangouts as much--the circle of friends thins out.

Some people like it and some don't mind, but not me. I had enough of it being a military brat.

[Clutch Cargo]

Getting a bit tired of it myself. I've been contemplating returning home after this 'tract and getting back into the mainstream. A couple of hitches with a plan I'd made for next year came up, and I realised the actual amount of time it would take here to do what I wanted to do was/is more than I'm prepared to commit. It's almost an about-face but I'm starting to realise how difficult it may be to get established back home if I return in another few years. Feelings of isolation and homesickness have compounded it all. Will take a drop in pay to do this I expect, but money is a poor substitute for having a life.

[canuckistan]

For 8 years I was running a company traveling between 3 cities never living in one place for more than 3 days. Korea has given me the chance to be planted, enjoy my free time and home just being an employee for a change!

[Emma Clare]

[katydid]

[dominic]

most people who work in schools...their boss owns the house. I'm 27 and I dont love it anymore, im leaving after my contract too, the "culture" is getting on my last nerve.

[weatherman]

I have never really thought that my life in Korea was even apart of the travelling life. I live in Korea, pay taxes, work, try to be a good citizen, I don't really feel I am a traveller. I think the life style of an ESL teacher in Korea has more to do with personality than the industry itself. Korea can be a very tempting place coming from small town (or even big city) north america, and not giving too much into this all the temptations out there is a must. It is called moderation, something I am still trying to learn.

[Corporal]

[whatthefunk]

Home?

[camel96]