Done and Done

I am officially done with my job at Byerly’s…and it feels amazing! It was a good experience and I learned a lot about myself and about what I want to do with my life, or more accurately, what I don’t want to do with my life. While I know there will be people there I will miss, I also know that it feels damn good to be starting in on a new adventure.

The Travel Bug

Chicago: Two Megabuses, Two Starbucks and One Visa

After finally deciding to go to S. Korea I needed to complete the process of getting my visa. This required me to fill out some paperwork, travel to the S. Korean Consulate and hand over the paperwork and my passport. So, the plan was: to work the opening shift on Tuesday (6/16), take the overnight Megabus to Chicago, go to my 10:30am appointment with the consulate, and get on the 3pm bus back to Minneapolis.

The ride down to Chicago was just fine. There was hardly anyone at all on the bus. However, there was a mother and baby sitting in front of me and that made me nervous. Of course my experiences with children and babies has soured me, possibly permanently, so badly that simply being around them annoys me. (And yes I am going to teach English to children but don’t worry my attitude towards small children and my future job are only contradictory or troubling if you think about it…so stop). Needless to say I was incredibly nervous about the whole baby within 10 feet of me situation. I assumed it would make ungodly noises the whole time. However, to my great surprise, it was about the happiest baby I have ever seen and it did not make a sound the entire trip. I was blown away.

We pulled into Chicago at 5:50am, which felt really early. I walked around until I found a Starbucks and sat there, nursing an iced tea, for a good two hours. I then changed into my suit (thank you Starbucks for your bathroom, and I am sorry to the bald guy who had to wait to use it). I caught a cab over to the consulate and only had to kill another hour and 10 minutes. Another Starbucks, another iced tea and an hour later I walked back over to the consulate. I quickly and awkwardly put my tie on in the elevator, and arrived at the 27th floor. After some awkward questions about the paperwork I had filled out I handed over my papers, some cash and my passport. I was called into an interview and asked some odd questions and then told I could go. It was the late, late hour of 11am and I decided it was time for lunch. After lunch I decided to go kill time at the Art Institute of Chicago. It was delightful.

I then headed back to the Twin Cities via the Megabus. This half of the trip was incredibly aggravating. A family of approximately 18 members, who constantly bickered and swore at each other, surrounded me for the entire trip. Luckily, my iPod was charged and I had the humorous writings of Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman. These two things alone kept me sane. Now I am waiting for my visa to be delivered to me.

To Korea

After an enormous amount of contemplation I have finally decided to take a job teaching English in Jeonju, S. Korea. This decision was easily one of the most difficult that I have ever made. I spoke with almost everyone I met about it, trying to weight the pros and cons. I came to the decision that I would not go to S. Korea. I was in love with a young lady and leaving her seemed unbearable. I was also finally carving out a nice little niche and life for myself in the Twin Cities and changing the course of that seemed troubling. I was getting comfortable with my life. Additionally, there was a chance that I could get a job working for a wine distribution company. I had been trying to break into that business for a few years and I was not sure I could, or should, pass up the opportunity to possibly get involved in that industry. After making the decision not to go I told everyone I knew that I would be staying here in the states. My close group of friends (the family) and my partner were all very excited. After I made that choice and started to tell people that I wasn’t going I had an uneasy feeling in my heart and stomach. It stayed with me most of the time and I could not seem shake it. I knew that I was trying to tell myself that I had made the wrong choice, going to S. Korea was really what I wanted to do. I was overwhelmingly torn. After a lot of debate, with myself, and a lot of talking, with my partner, I reconsidered my decision, and decided that I would go to S. Korea. I felt terrible. I was going to leave the love of my life, in spite of the fact that she was encouraging me to go, I still felt awful about it. Even now I still feel bad about it. I had to try and look ahead and decide if in five years I would regret not going. Because of the ever-transient nature of existence, I try not to plan or think that far in advance, I simply don’t see the point. But, I knew, and know, that I would regret not taking this opportunity. I am going to S. Korea. I am scared. I am excited. I have so much to do.