All Systems Go!

The final part of my preparation was to meet with the Korean Consulate General in Chicago. It was actually a fun trip and the Consulate could not have been any kinder. He asked me questions about where I was from and my teaching experience. Of course, he wanted to talk about how well the Reds were doing this year (glad I kept up with that!) and wanted to know about my family. It was a rather pleasant conversation and then he signed off on my Visa and we were finished! But, let me back up a second...

I may have mentioned in an earlier post just how easily this entire "Korea thing" came together. Please indulge me while I share another "hmmmm, okay" moment and I will let you come to your own conclusion.

Of course, I was able to take the Megabus to and from Cincy, then got a sweet deal on a hotel in downtown Chicago. So, I get off the bus and around the corner comes a taxi. I flag him, he stops and whisks me away for a little $8 ride to my hotel. I check in with no problems and have a room on the 10th floor with a huge king size bed (I sold my bed last week) and am thrilled to plop down on it with all the comfy pillows. ahhhhh...ahem..anyway, as I was saying. (teehee...I really enjoyed that comfy bed!) I opened my binder just to make sure I had everything I needed for the Consulate: Passport. Check. Picture. Check. Copy of Passport Signature page. Check. Uh oh...still need a Priority or Fed-Ex envelope to have it mailed back and a $45 money order for the Visa. Hmmm...It is 8:00 p.m. I decide there is nothing I can do about it now, so I head out to grab some Geno's (mmmmm...) and as I walk out the front door of the hotel, what do I see? A Post Office!! Yes, that is right. Of all the hotels I could have been in, I end up in the one across the street from the post office that opens at 8:30 a.m.!! Oh yeah, they sell Priority mail envelopes as well as money orders.

I then find out the NBC building where I had to go was a short 4 block walk from the hotel. No need for another taxi! Cha-ching!

Now, I don't know about you, but based on the ease of which everything has come together for me while I have been preparing for this big move, one has to believe in some sort of divine being that is watching over me and guiding me through this process. I mean, really?? Call it coincidence if you like, but I call it a God-incident. Just saying.

After I finished with my appointment, I had a few hours to kill so I wandered a few blocks over to the Navy Pier and treated myself to some yummy gelato, deep dish pizza and a ride on an insanely high Ferris wheel! Tall Ships were there (much like Tall Stacks in Cincy), so there were lots of cool ships to see. It was a perfect day. Sunny, breezy, no humidity! Absolutely perfect and relaxing!

I walked back to the hotel to retrieve my stored luggage, hailed a taxi, then hopped back on the bus. The parents picked me up once I arrived back in Cincy and I was home in my own little place by 11:00p.m. Not bad for a whirlwind trip!

I also received confirmation and an e-ticket for my flight. I will be leaving at 6:05a.m. on September 9, 2010, and will arrive in Seoul, S. Korea around 3:20 p.m. the next day. Now, keep in mind they are 13 hours ahead of us in Cincy, so while it is a long trip, it is not really that bad. Once there, I will take two buses to my new place to call home for a year. Wow. In less than 14 days, I will be on my way.

These past few days have been mixed with excitement, fear, uncertainty, anxiety, and peace. It is a strange recipe of emotions and sometimes hard to keep in check. However, I know I have a lot of friends and family who are supporting me, praying for me, and have just been so genuinely encouraging. The prayers and kind words sustain me through those doubtful times of uncertainty and fear. I cannot thank you enough, and you know who you are.

I hope I make each and every one of you proud as I am not only representing myself and my recruiting agency, but also the United State of America. I am representing each of you every time a little Korean child looks at me or mimics my speech. Every time I go to the market and the ladies chopping off fish heads look at me, I am representing you. I am very proud to be an American and will do my best to represent you and America in the most positive way possible.