So in 2011, I graduated from UC Irvine with a degree in Social Ecology. Unfortunately, the local Social Ecologist market was completely inundated so it wasn’t immediately obvious to me where I should apply to start earning money for basically the first time in my life.

Enter: Teaching English Abroad!

I never had a chance to study abroad during high school or college… I always figured it cost more money than I had, and college itself was already so expensive. Imagine my pleasure at finding out that teaching abroad was net gain in money, and a perfectly viable job for a freshly minted graduate of the liberal arts.

Back in 2011, although it’s probably still true today, the main place for college graduates looking to teach ESOL was Asia. Within Asia, the main 3 places which called to me were South Korea, China, and Japan. Generally these seemed to pay the best and have the nicest quality of life.

I’d heard that Japan used to be BIG in pay/benefits during the 80s and 90s, but that now that it was so popular among westerners, thanks to the magic of supply and demand, they didn’t pay quite as well these days. (Especially relative to the daily cost of living.)

China, on the other hand, generally had a much lower cost of living, but a salary that was relatively commensurate. Online, people wrote about having a lot of great experiences there, so it was definitely something I kept within the realm of possibility.

Unfortunately for China, South Korea seemed more and more perfect as I began to research. South Korea seemed reminiscent of Japan from the 80s- that is, they still had a high demand for foreign teachers relative to the supply. Because of this, they usually offered a ton of great benefits for prospective teachers. Most applicants could expect: round-trip flights completely paid for, housing & utilities covered by the school, and most importantly of all, a salary high enough (compared to a medium-level cost of living) to lead to generous savings throughout the year.

The only real issue was that I knew nothing about it.

You see, the American education system despite catering to a very multicultural population doesn’t do the best job of teaching students about the world history. At least in my experience, I did learn a decent amount of European History, but basically all of the Asian countries’ histories other than China or Japan (and honestly, barely those) weren’t really touched on.

Additionally, this was before the days of K-Pop and Gangnam Style’s invasion of American pop culture! As you can see, I was at a serious disadvantage.

On the other hand, I had the internet, and a real incentive to learn about a new culture & language. So began a whirlwind cram session. I studied like I’d never studied before in my life. I actually learned what I’d consider to be a fair amount of Korean language prior to taking off. This is especially impressive because like I noted previously: it’s really easy and fast to get a job in South Korea as a teacher. I was hired almost immediately from the first school I applied to. They interviewed me over the phone, and the next morning a ticket to South Korea, set for a couple weeks later, appeared in my inbox. (I’m exaggerating a little, but only a little.)

It was an adventure. I can’t express enough about how much it was absolutely one of the best experiences of my life. To this day, I encourage random people I meet to give it a shot; I’ve basically turned into a professional South Korea proselytizer.

In Korea, I had opportunities to travel throughout the peninsula. I made friends with a diverse cast of Koreans and other foreigner teachers. I tried new foods. (It turns out that I really like Asian food in a way that I’d never appreciated when I was growing up). More importantly, I found out that I really really enjoyed teaching.

For me, it was really a turning point in my life because my motto regarding kids went from “I really don’t like them,” to “Whoa, they’re actually kind of awesome.”

The school I taught at in Korea was pretty crazy, even by TESOL standards. We worked 10 hours a day. I’d show up to school around 9 AM each morning to clock in, and wouldn’t clock out until 7 pm most weekdays. I worked with Kindergartners in the morning and 1st through 8th grade in the evenings. It was truly a testament to the stamina and the craziness of youth when I signed up for a 2nd year at the same school once my first contract finished. (Or maybe just a sign of how much I enjoyed teaching, and couldn’t bear to say good bye to my kids).

The good news is, it really prepared me to be a teacher in America. Nothing about the long hours that American teachers put-in, which can also often reach 10+ hours a day, can phase me since I learned to teach with the rigor of South Korean Hagwon (private school).

The experience gave me time to grow up. It carried me through my early 20s in the best of ways. I was lucky enough for my (now-wife) girlfriend to be able to join me for the majority of the time I was overseas, and that co-op expedition cemented our relationship as well.

On our way out, we were able to use the money and location to visit a ton of other countries before heading back to America. We backpacked through Japan and Southeast Asia.

It was a really hard decision to come back to America after all the magic we found in Seoul, South Korea; it was like waking up from a dream.

We talk a lot about going back one day. It’s hard to shake off a visit to what has basically become Wonderland in our memories. Does any pleasure in this world compare to biking along the Han on a beautiful autumn day?

Anyways, I guess this post is just one more instance of me proselytizing teaching in South Korea. To anyone considering it even a little bit, I highly recommend the experience. I promise you won’t find a richer use of your time.

Also, who knows, if you’re anything like me, it might just be your first step towards a career you never knew you wanted!