Training and Apartment

A week has flown by and I feel like there are a ton of things to write about.  The first and most important thing on my mind, I passed training!!!!  This means I move on to my branch (the school where I'll be working) and I start teaching on Monday!

Training was all well and good.  There were 100 new teacher trainees this week.  This was the largest that Chungdahm has ever trained at one time.  Chungdahm kept all of us extremely busy with copious amounts of studying for tests and prepping for all of our mock teaching.  I really didn't have time for anything else other than the occasional dinner with other trainees.  Most of the time I went to the closest 7/11 or other convenience store to grab some ramen.  Training was also extremely draining due to the fact that I had jet lag all week long.  I still feel like I am recuperating from it.

From training I went to visit my branch and then moved into my new apartment!  Hopefully I'll be putting pictures up soon.  It is about 15 minutes from work and is very compact.  I guess you get a small apartment when you have to share 13 miles in diameter with 11 million other people!  The apartment building is brand new.  It is so brand new that my room was finished a day after I moved into it.  As it is a new building, I it is not equipped with any sort of furnishings.  I am currently sitting in an empty room, sitting on my bed/couch( a comforter, duvet cover, and some sheets).  I'll hopefully be getting some furniture soon.

They have this amazing website here called gmarket, where I can get all of my household items sent to me.  It is like a walmart and ebay meshed together to form this company of many entrepreneurs selling cheap things.  It is super convenient and most most of the delivery is free!

I am now working four days a week.  I have Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday off, so I'll hopefully have some pictures of everything up soon!

Last day in the States

Hello all,
   These past two weeks have been a complete whirlwind.  I have taken multiple cars, commuter rails, subways, buses, and taxis to get to, what seems like, every corner of Massachusetts.  Thanks to all those who had to deal with the chaos of my life! 
    I would also like to give a shout out to my mother. I would not be going on this trip if it wasn't for her.  It takes about three months to get a visa to work in Korea.  Unfortunately, I don't ever live long enough in one place to get mail, so she handled all of my forms and mailings to places all over the country.  Thanks Mom!
   Tomorrow I will be traveling for 19 hours starting at 8am.  Luckily my company has my accommodation set for all of next week.  The first week in Seoul is a training week with my company.  I have hear that training week will be a week from hell.  I guess it will be about a month's worth of information all packed into five fun-filled days.  I'll have to let all of you know if the hype is actually what it will actually be.
   Well I'm off to bed.  Got a big day/week/month/year ahead of me.  I'll start posting some pictures after the week of hell... I mean training.
   Can't wait to start this trip!!!!!!!

Two weeks prior

     Hello and welcome to my blog!  This is my very first blog, so bear with me through this learning experience.  Well I have been waiting for this trip for years now and it finally seems to be coming true.  I have just recently signed into a year-long contract with Chungdahm institute, a private school that only teaches English, and they have placed me in Seoul!
     Seoul!  I can't believe it!  I have been living in areas around the United States that have had a population of less than 5,000 residents.  Now I am moving to a mega-city with more than 11,000,000 people!  That is going to be quite some culture shock!  However, like the title of this post says, I do have just less than two weeks before I fly out, so I'll get to enjoy my last rural experience at my parent's home in Leyden.
     These two weeks are going to go by very quickly.  I didn't realize how much I need to get done in preparation for Korea.  It is really overwhelming to try to pack for a whole year!  Luckily I can fit all my possessions in about five boxes, so it's pretty much deciding what I am taking and what I am buying before I go.  Banking, bills and phone numbers are all something that I've had to deal with.  Luckily, I have bought a magicjack phone number, and now I can make and receive calls from the United States for free!  Those who have my old cell number can delete that number as of the 19th of this month and add 413-835-7034.  Call anytime!  Just remember that Korea is eleven hours ahead!

Lots left to do this week.  Until next time!