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onbeingtrue
Joined: 24 Aug 2009
Location: Oregon, USA
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 Posted: Thu Nov 26, 2009 9:03 am Post subject: What to do with stuff when traveling after complete contract |
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I leave for Korea in two weeks (it's my first time teaching over there), and as I begin to figure out how to pack, I wonder about the following:
For those of you who have already, or plan to, travel around for a while after your contract is finished (e.g., SE Asia, Oz, New Zealand--wherever!), what do you do with all of your stuff? I'd really like to spend a while traveling around after I finish teaching...
I spent 3.5 months backpacking around Central America and had no problem with carrying only one backpack and a smaller bag (a lot shorter time span then a year and much warmer climate, I know), but I don't think I can pack that way for Korea. Do you take all of your stuff with you? Do you leave it with a friend in Korea? Do you ship it home? Give it all away?
I'd love to know what you have to say. Also, I know there are tons of threads related to what to pack, but if anybody feels like sharing more on that I'll take it...  I'm still debating about two suitcases and carry-ons, a suitcase and a duffel and carry-ons...
Thanks!! |
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rumdiary
Joined: 05 Jun 2006
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| Posted: Thu Nov 26, 2009 9:51 am Post subject: |
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| I shipped most of it home. Two huge boxes. I started with the stuff I liked best and whatever didn't fit I gave to my coworkers or left in my apartment. I even put my laptop in there, wrapped up in sweaters. I sent it by ship (surface) and it was pretty cheap but took about two months. I have heard that you can;t ship by surface to the US anymore but I'm not sure if thats true. |
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DeMayonnaise
Joined: 02 Nov 2008
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| Posted: Thu Nov 26, 2009 9:52 pm Post subject: |
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I imagine you could find a friend nice enough to hold on to some of your stuff, take your trip to SE Asia or where ever, then come back to Korea to pick it up and fly home that way. You'd be able to enter the country just as a tourist, party with your old friends once more then take off for home loaded with 2 huge suitcases.
Otherwise just ship it all... |
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redaxe
Joined: 01 Dec 2008
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| Posted: Fri Nov 27, 2009 7:28 pm Post subject: |
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| rumdiary wrote: |
| I shipped most of it home. Two huge boxes. I started with the stuff I liked best and whatever didn't fit I gave to my coworkers or left in my apartment. I even put my laptop in there, wrapped up in sweaters. I sent it by ship (surface) and it was pretty cheap but took about two months. I have heard that you can;t ship by surface to the US anymore but I'm not sure if thats true. |
Not true. I work for a shipping company, we move a lot of boxes to the US, including household goods for employee relocation. Maybe the Korean postal service stopped doing it, but a moving company can package your goods and consolidate them into an ocean container bound for the US. Also it should be a bit faster than two months if you're going to the US or Canada. |
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eIn07912
Joined: 06 Dec 2008
Location: seoul
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| Posted: Sat Nov 28, 2009 12:58 am Post subject: |
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| redaxe wrote: |
| rumdiary wrote: |
| I shipped most of it home. Two huge boxes. I started with the stuff I liked best and whatever didn't fit I gave to my coworkers or left in my apartment. I even put my laptop in there, wrapped up in sweaters. I sent it by ship (surface) and it was pretty cheap but took about two months. I have heard that you can;t ship by surface to the US anymore but I'm not sure if thats true. |
Not true. I work for a shipping company, we move a lot of boxes to the US, including household goods for employee relocation. Maybe the Korean postal service stopped doing it, but a moving company can package your goods and consolidate them into an ocean container bound for the US. Also it should be a bit faster than two months if you're going to the US or Canada. |
How much would one or two rather large boxes cost? And why should I choose surface rather than air? |
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Xuanzang
Joined: 10 Apr 2007
Location: Sadang
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| Posted: Sat Nov 28, 2009 1:05 am Post subject: |
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| eIn07912 wrote: |
| redaxe wrote: |
| rumdiary wrote: |
| I shipped most of it home. Two huge boxes. I started with the stuff I liked best and whatever didn't fit I gave to my coworkers or left in my apartment. I even put my laptop in there, wrapped up in sweaters. I sent it by ship (surface) and it was pretty cheap but took about two months. I have heard that you can;t ship by surface to the US anymore but I'm not sure if thats true. |
Not true. I work for a shipping company, we move a lot of boxes to the US, including household goods for employee relocation. Maybe the Korean postal service stopped doing it, but a moving company can package your goods and consolidate them into an ocean container bound for the US. Also it should be a bit faster than two months if you're going to the US or Canada. |
How much would one or two rather large boxes cost? And why should I choose surface rather than air? |
Surface is cheaper but takes long. |
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MrMr
Joined: 05 Sep 2006
Location: Korea
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| Posted: Sat Nov 28, 2009 7:56 am Post subject: What to do with stuff when traveling after complete contract |
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Not sure if this is a hijack. If so sorry. But, I'm heading to Canada in Feb and am also looking for info on shipping stuff home. I have a quotes from
TNL (Corea International Logistics)
100 Kilos; Air: Vancouver 1.2 mil won....Edmonton, same price
1 cub meter(340 Kilos); Ship: Van 950,000..... but Edmonton 1,400,000
Hyundai Shipping, Ship: Van 2.1 Mil..... Edmonton, same price.
Obviously TNL is cheaper but if anyone can comment on the competitiveness of these quotes or recommend another carrier, I'd appreciate it. I expect to ship under 100 kilos and am happy to ship by sea?
Can you help Redaxe? Thanks |
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eIn07912
Joined: 06 Dec 2008
Location: seoul
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| Posted: Sat Nov 28, 2009 8:53 am Post subject: |
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Sheesh! A million or two?
Never mind. I'll go with option B - Toss everything I absolutely couldn't bare to let go of and the rest put in a paid storage bin for the month(s) I'm traveling around.
Then, upon completion of said traveling, make a pit stop back through Seoul/ICN. That might actually work out better because the most expensive flight will be the one from Korea to N. America and that'll be the one the school can pay for.
Then, just take your stuff on the plane. I asked the Korean Air folks one time how much your allowed to take and the weight limits. I don't recall totally, but it's like you get two bags that equal 50 or so kg's included in the ticket. Then every 50kg over is an extra 100,000 Won.
Not sure on the numbers though, but that combined with the cost of a storage garage are still gonna be hella cheaper than shipping. |
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Xuanzang
Joined: 10 Apr 2007
Location: Sadang
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| Posted: Sat Nov 28, 2009 9:03 am Post subject: |
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| eIn07912 wrote: |
Sheesh! A million or two?
Never mind. I'll go with option B - Toss everything I absolutely couldn't bare to let go of and the rest put in a paid storage bin for the month(s) I'm traveling around.
Then, upon completion of said traveling, make a pit stop back through Seoul/ICN. That might actually work out better because the most expensive flight will be the one from Korea to N. America and that'll be the one the school can pay for.
Then, just take your stuff on the plane. I asked the Korean Air folks one time how much your allowed to take and the weight limits. I don't recall totally, but it's like you get two bags that equal 50 or so kg's included in the ticket. Then every 50kg over is an extra 100,000 Won.
Not sure on the numbers though, but that combined with the cost of a storage garage are still gonna be hella cheaper than shipping. |
Just plan accordingly and ship it home via boat. Thus, you dont have to lug the damn bags on the subway or airport limousine bus from your house. |
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Bread
Joined: 09 Oct 2008
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bluelake
Joined: 01 Dec 2005
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| Posted: Sat Nov 28, 2009 4:03 pm Post subject: |
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| redaxe wrote: |
| rumdiary wrote: |
| I shipped most of it home. Two huge boxes. I started with the stuff I liked best and whatever didn't fit I gave to my coworkers or left in my apartment. I even put my laptop in there, wrapped up in sweaters. I sent it by ship (surface) and it was pretty cheap but took about two months. I have heard that you can;t ship by surface to the US anymore but I'm not sure if thats true. |
Not true. I work for a shipping company, we move a lot of boxes to the US, including household goods for employee relocation. Maybe the Korean postal service stopped doing it, but a moving company can package your goods and consolidate them into an ocean container bound for the US. Also it should be a bit faster than two months if you're going to the US or Canada. |
It was the United States Postal Service that stopped surface mail. It's too bad, as it was an inexpensive option. |
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