Life is all about balance. Too much of any one thing, and that will most likely have negative consequences. For me, I have had an imbalance of time spent in my house since I decided to try and break out of the teaching industry earlier this year. I have floated about, not accomplishing much by my own metric. In a little under two weeks, I will start a new teaching job that I am relatively excited for, which will hopefully break up my daily cycle and give me feelings of satisfaction once again.
As I wrote in an earlier post, I was immensely dissatisfied with teaching earlier this year. I felt like I wasn’t being fulfilled by it, and I decided to try my hand at video game testing and the games industry as a whole. I studied for and obtained a software testing certification, and despite my best efforts, I just simply couldn’t find my place. I do not speak enough Korean to be employable at a Korean-speaking company, and the handful of English-focused companies didn’t want me either. This was an immense blow to my self-confidence, and after a little under two months of unsuccessfully trawling job boards, I gave up and settled in for a little over a month of self-hatred and wallowing in my own incompetence. When asked about it, I would express chipperness and resolve, but inside I was broken.
I spent the next few months in this state, always hoping that something would magically come my way. I had a potential prospect that was continually being delayed and pushed back, and I kept waiting for it for far longer than I should have. I was so focused on the possibility of that position that I believed that I was unworthy of anything else. But, after the umpteenth delay, I resolved that I needed to find a job, to contribute to the household that Kris and I had built once again. Kris was remarkably understanding during this period and never gave up on me. I had to pay her back.
As it happened, the day that I found out about the delay that broke my resolve for the previous position, a friend of mine posted on Facebook looking for a replacement at his school. I had experience with the school and knew that it would be a job that would give me a combination of income, good working conditions, and enough time outside of work to pursue my passions on the side. The hours were short, there was a vast amount of vacation, and I knew that the kids were generally well-behaved. So, I messaged my friend and applied for the job. After a couple of interviews, I was told that the school wanted to hire me. I was ecstatic.
I am currently jumping through a couple of immigration-related hoops, but if it all goes smoothly, I should start there on the 8th of November. I am looking forward to having gainful employment again. I go into the position well aware of my previous disillusionment, but with a new resolve to make the most out of my time. Even if it is nothing more than the means to which I continue my time in Korea, that will be more than worth it. Here’s to living the expat life until November 2019 at least!
Featured image from kireiaoshinari00 on DeviantArt