Category: Expat Tales

All of us, teachers and students alike, are just people. People with backgrounds and histories. People with families and fears. People who are influenced and have an influence. Now that I’m on the other side of the desk, I am still learning to see the raw humanity in all those I influence. Especially students with behavioral issues.

There’s enough in this world to oppress us into cowardice and fear. We get to choose otherwise. We can take hold of life and embrace it in all its messy, hurtful, beautiful, weird, poetic brilliance. Traveling sets a sublime stage for such bold encounters of abundant life. And no matter what last year looked like for us, we can choose to make a change.

You’ve done it! You’ve sent in an application to use Reach To Teach as your recruiter and you passed the initial interview. Congrats! Now comes the really difficult part, deciding in which city you’d like to apply to teach. Should you choose the bright lights and fast paced streets of Seoul? Or should you opt for a quieter, smaller city?

As 2013 comes to a close, it’s important to remember all the wonderful things that happened, but it is equally important to look to the future with hopeful eyes. I’ve compiled a short list of New Year’s resolutions that I’d like to accomplish to help me become a better traveller and person in 2014. Feel free to borrow any you like and add them to your own list.

Mongolia has awoken me to a divergent reality and shown me how human beings have lived for thousands of years…and how some still do. Thanks to the steppes and the nomadic families who welcomed me into their homes and fed me around their fires, my understanding of the spectrum of societies all over the world will never be the same.

Last week, I shared with you 5 fun things to do in South Korea to help ward off the winter blues. I have more fun things to share with you this week. Don’t forget to share any other remedies you might have with me in a comment below!

Last month we decided you were coming to New Zealand, so I showed you around the South Island a bit. That was fun, wasn’t it? But I don’t want to leave you hanging without showing you around the North Island. There are some real gems there, too.

Winter in South Korea is so much fun…for about a week. After the initial joy of the cozy season begins to wear off, you really start to resent the bitter wind, harassing snowflakes, and slippery streets that plague Korea. After spending endless hours watching Christmas movie marathons while snacking on seasonal treats, you’ll begin to have nightmares of a villainous Santa Claus who wields sharpened candy cane swords.