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.

FINALLY!!! My Visa Has Been Approved!!!

WooHoo!!!!!!! I just received word that my Visa has been approved. I can't believe it is finally real. It is happening. My target departure date is September 8th or 9th. I really don't know what else to say! I'm excited, nervous, thrilled, scared, and energized all at the same time! I have to call the Korean Consulate first thing in the morning to get my appointment to have my final face-to-face interview and get the Visa stamped into my passport.

Wow. I'm really going to Uljin, S. Korea! Jung-Chul English Institute....here I come!

Friends, if you are praying people, please keep me and my boys in your prayers. For me, pray for strength, wisdom, courage, and safety. For my boys, Brandon and Bryan, please pray for strength to persevere, courage to stay strong, wisdom to make good decisions, safety in all they do, and happiness in their lives.

Stay tuned for more Adventures by Angela!!!

Learning is a process...

While I am waiting for the blasted Visa, I have connected to a couple of teachers in Korea to try to figure out exactly what I may have gotten myself into. So far, a wealth of information has come from an American teacher named Jaclyn who has been in Seoul for just three short months. As my preparation progresses, Jaclyn has been teaching me more and more about what I don't know.

Here are some examples:

1. Final Visa Interview: Well, I thought I just sent paperwork to Korea (after getting it Apostilled and notarized and blah blah blah...lol), they issued a Visa, and off I could go on a big airplane! Nope! Apparently, I have to go to Chicago to the Korean Consulate General and have a final interview there and my Visa will be finalized within three days of interviewing. Who knew?? Not me! The good news is I found Megabus!! http://www.megabus.com/ Oh yeah!! For just a mere $39 I can hop on this Mega Bus and be in Chicago in just 5 1/2 hours, take care of my business there, then hop on the bus for another $39 back to beautiful downtown Cincinnati! Why would anyone even think of driving?? I will be taking the Megabus! (fyi...Cincinnati to Columbus is only $12 bucks!!)

2. Cell Phone: I have been investigating cell phones in the States to see what kind of international/global plan would be best. Of course, I have a loyalty to Verizon because my son, Brandon, works there. However, this stuff is EXPENSIVE!! Apparently, cell phones (or "hand phones as they call them in Korea) are much easier and less expensive to pick up over there. The same is true of phone cards. Of course, my plan to purchase a laptop with a web cam is in order so I can Skype (http://www.skype.com/) my family and friends back home. Korea is 13 hours ahead of Cincinnati, and I will be free in the mornings when you will all be free in the evenings! Perfect! And FREE!!

3. Internet: I suppose since I will be an "alien" in Korea, it will be difficult for me to get some bills in my name. This would include Internet and cable. Well, I have no real need for cable if I have Internet, so that is a MUST. It seems that most schools provide some way for the foreign teachers (yes, I would be a "foreign" teacher) to get Internet access in their apartments. I mean, what will I do without Internet in my little dwelling??? I must find out how my school handles this.

4. Trash: I suppose there is quite the trash problem in Korea, especially in the larger cities like Seoul and Busan. Recycling is mandatory and there is not a lot of room for disposable trash to be disposed of properly, nor are there many (if any from what I gather) public trash cans along the sidewalks. And get this...it's okay to litter! Seriously! There are people who are hired to simply pick up wrappers and trash off the sidewalk that people legally drop there throughout the day!! This issue will be interesting to see how it differs from big cities to the small village where I am going to be.

5. Korean Kindness: Everyone I have talked to expresses how sociable and kind Koreans are. I sure hope that is true. To date, I only really have one experience with Koreans. On Sunday, I approached an Asian couple at church. I had noticed they always carry a foreign Bible, and it appeared to be Korean text (hangul). Upon speaking to them, I discovered they had come to the U.S. from Seoul 25 years ago and settled in Cincinnati. I asked Mrs. Kim if she could help me learn some Korean before I leave. Well, she has a CRAZY work schedule, but called me yesterday with the names of two Korean churches that offer FREE Korean lessons! I thought that was very sweet of her. I checked out the websites and will be calling them to get more details. I figure I really should learn how to get directions, shop and eat. :-)

So, these are the little things I have stumbled upon thus far. If you have any tidbits of info, please feel free to post them here! As for now, the waiting continues...

Package Mailed....now what ??

I have taken all of my happy little Apostilled documents, paperwork and such to the local Fed-Ex office and spent $47 to mail it to S. Korea in hopes of getting my Visa. My recruiter seems to think I should have no problem and advised me to get my affairs in order to make the trek to a nice little school on the east coast near Pohang, S. Korea. Okay!! :-)

So, what do I need to do to get my affairs in order? Well, I already have the boys taken care of, so that would be the biggest issue and it is already done! Yay! I went to Wal-Mart last night and they had storage tubs on sale for $4.00 each. I bought ten so I can start packing things up to go to storage. Oh, I suppose I should find a storage unit. lol I will look into that today. I am selling my Jeep and quite a bit of my furniture. Almost all of it is second-hand stuff anyway, so I always try to make sure it goes to someone who really needs it whenever I get rid of things. My mother is interested in buying my Jeep, so I won't have to worry about storing it. I was going to buy a new car next year anyway, so now I just get to live without one for a year!I suppose other than packing and moving things to storage, I am pretty well set!

I visited the CAM Cincinnati Asian Market last night to see what kind of goodies I could find so I could have a tasty treat upon arriving in Korea. I found some cookies, some peanut candy and aloe water. I have only tried the cookies so far, and they were quite good. I think I will have to pack some Pop-Tarts and granola bars initially until I can figure out what to eat!



I pulled out the two largest suitcases I own and started packing some sweaters and other cold weather gear in the giant suitcase along with some pictures and "home" things I want to be sure to have. I am realizing I don't wear many of the clothes in my closet, so this is not much of a challenge to pull out my favorite warm fuzzies that still fit! lol Although, with all the walking and veggies I will be eating over there, I am counting on losing quite a bit of weight! I also packed several sticks of Secret, as I am told deodorant is hard to find over there. I am hoping with my Veteran status I will be able to shop at the PX on the Army base for any American goodies I may need.

Today will be spent trying to organize and sort and label all of my belongings. It's really hard to pack for a year. The only time I ever had to do that was when I was in the Army and they gave me clothes to wear! lol Regardless, I am very much looking forward to this grand adventure. Now it is just a waiting game to see if the Visa comes through. Keep your fingers crossed and your prayers a'comin'! Stay tuned....