My Most Important Lesson Learned in Korea

I've been abroad going on maybe 6 months now? South Korea has definitely been an experience, and while here I've definitely been learning some things. From my friends, I'm learning how to live. Before I got here, my main obsession was to not mess up, to be perfect. Other people could mess up but because my family has a history for failure, I did not have the same luxury. But being here and meeting some of the people I've met, I feel more relaxed and have been paying more attention to the normal life things like fashion and friends and drinking. From Korea itself, I'm learning to be more patient and accepting. Maybe I don't want to live here forever, but I'm going to learn all I can from this place.

But the most important lesson (personally at least) is that I don't want to be stuck. I've been racking my brain, as we all do, trying to think of that one job I want to do for the rest of my life. And it has been difficult, especially since I'm going to have a lot of debt to pay back. While I've been here, I've come to this realization that I can do so many things as long as I stay on top of paperwork and applications. Maybe I want to do research and maybe I don't. I think this final thesis will help me decide that. But just the thought of seeing as many places as possible is so exciting to me now. Because it's real now! I'm in Korea! I'm abroad! 

So I want to check out TEFL courses. I want to get multiple Masters degrees instead of one PhD that I'm not going to use because I already knew that I didn't want to be a professor my whole life. I want to teach English while paying off my student debt. I want to try my hand at writing the occasional article or two or giving presentations here and there. I want to inspire myself so that I can inspire others. One day I'll find a place and time where I'll decide it's about time to set up a permanent residence, but that does not have to be anytime soon. I have years ahead unless I die young. But in that case, shouldn't I die doing as much as possible or in a beautiful new place? I don't want to die in my safe but insufferable job or in my plain American apartment, trapped by debt and responsibilities. I'll pay my dues while seeing the world. This is my most important lesson learned in Korea: my future is not set in stone or some straight line and it can be whatever I want it to be.