Korean Job Discussion Forums

dford · Joined: 26 Jul 2004 Location: Milwaukee, WI

Hello to all

A year ago I made decision to come here and teach. My contract is finished in a month, and I had a kick ass experience. Gonna have to rip myself away from this place cause it really grows on ya. Who knows, I may even make it back for a Uni job in the future.

What I want to know is if anyone has advice for making the transition back home go smoothly. Unfortunately I will have to stay with my folks for a while and they live in a town of 35,000. The pace is slow, the people are relatively unworldly and I just may go crazy.

I hear stories of teachers who go home and get stir crazy. Before they know it they're on a plane back to Korea for another year. I don't mind coming back. I just don't want to do it cause I can't make the transition to my life before Korea.

What can you do to soften the transition? Eat Korean food? Get a place in fast paced city? Make plans so you are busy and not sitting around watching cable? How about goin back to school? Sitting in a classroom on some university campus has less alure after livin in a place like this.

I feel so at home here after one year that it scares me a little. How do ya go to a place without the "palli", "kajja"and "ka" lifestyle ? How do you adapt?

Mashimaro · Joined: 31 Jan 2003 Location: location, location

If you're happy here why leave?

Red · Joined: 05 Jul 2004

I agree.

Also, there is no easy way to soften the transition. You will feel like an alien in your own home. But you will eventually slip into all of the old habits you thought you left behind over the last year. Except now you're the person with an experience and a pile of photographs no one but you, and maybe your mom, cares about. Yeah, I did get stir-crazy both times I tried to return.

If you like it here, or just like the idea of being an English nomad, there's no reason to go home outside of renewing your passport.

TheUrbanMyth · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Location: Retired

Red · Joined: 05 Jul 2004

bignate · Joined: 30 Apr 2003 Location: Hell's Ditch

You were only in Korea for a year right, I don't think that the transition back into your own country will be all that difficult....

All those things that you mentioned will keep you busy, but as you mentioned Korea does get under your skin, and if you haven't totally got it out of your system, you, like many others may be back.

I think the hardest part of the transition, won't be missing the pace of Korea, but the type of lifestyle that we have all enjoyed in Korea. Free accomodations, high wages, comparably easy work, etc.

If you are serious about not coming back, the best thing would be to focus on the future and what you want to do, outside of the context of Korea. Returning to school and getting my education degree did it for me, believe me that keeps you busy and as long as you secure a job after you graduate, further away from a return to Korea.

Depending upon what you want for yourself and your future right now, you could go either way. If you have had enough of Korea move on, if not, take some time and perhaps return, it is all up to you.

But like I said, a year away really shouldn't have that much influence on your reintroduction to Western life...

Pak Yu Man · Joined: 02 Jun 2005 Location: The Ida galaxy

Start banging a Korean girl/guy back home.

joe_doufu · Joined: 09 May 2005 Location: Elsewhere

Um, do you have a job lined up back home? I've tried moving to places a few times just because I wanted to move to the places, and it's super tough without a job. Nobody wants to hire somebody who's unemployed. Not to mention, you get cabin fever and boredom, as you said. Line something up, a job or a masters degree or something. Until you've got it, don't go home.

crazylemongirl · Joined: 23 Mar 2003 Location: almost there...

bestyoucanget · Joined: 06 Nov 2005

what were you doing before coming here? I have the same problem. Will be going home next month, not for good, for a month, for a break and to see about a job in the future..........hope u dont find it too tough

Tiberious aka Sparkles · Joined: 23 Jan 2003 Location: I'm one cool cat!

justagirl · Joined: 17 Jan 2003 Location: Cheonan/Portland

Glad to hear you made it a year and had a good experience!

What does this mean, your returning to the US?....I guess that I've been back for almost a year!

You'll be fine readjusting. We also moved back to small-town...but we're talking more like 8,000 people. We stayed with parents for 6 months until moving out to Portland for grad. school.

It was strange that the readjustment after 4 years in Korea wasn't very difficult. I think the biggest thing to adjust to was how I responded to people. I was so good at fitting into the Korean system, that my tone of voice, simple phrasing and timidness that worked in Korea were still with me. It took months to work my assertiveness back into my voice, along with looking people in the eyes. I had no clue how subconscious those behaviors were and how difficult it would be to go back to the old Erin.

Other than that, the time has slipped away so quickly. It's almost like Korea was a "once upon a time," though I know it's permanently changed me. Have a great trip home--welcome back!

justagirl