Why Korea? An EPIK Introduction

Hello all--or, should I say--annyeonghaseyo!

I really have to work on my Korean.

As a perpetual blog-starter, I thought I would add to my expanding list and create a blog devoted to my most recent obsession: teaching in South Korea!

I know. I didn't see that one coming either.

To start, I thought I would just introduce myself to those of you who found this blog via a frantic "teaching abroad" Google search (I commend you for making that search--I found a lot of fabulous bloggers and YouTubers that way).

If you already know me, feel free to skip this part. Or read it and be astounded at how amazing I am (kidding).

As you've probably already gathered, my name is Kira. As a soon-to-be-college-graduate, I've spent a majority of my time scrambling to find a career path that I'm passionate about, that I'm qualified for, and that doesn't force me to live on easy mac for the rest of my life. As an English major, this search has proven to be harder than one may think. Or just as hard as you may think, if you're not a naive idealist and chose an engineering degree. Yes, congratulations on winning at life. No, I'm not bitter.

I tried to defy my tendency to follow my English-professor-parents' footsteps, and as such, every time I mentioned my major and someone asked if I wanted to be a teacher, my reaction was something akin to this:

No, I just wanted to sit in my "brooding cave" and write existentialist thoughts. As it turns out, brooding caves cost money, too.

Flash forward three years and I'm applying for EPIK, or the English Program in Korea.

Since that decision, I've gotten a lot of whys?

Well, dear reader, like a majority of us can relate to, I kind of happened upon it. Working as a tutor at the Penn State undergraduate writing center, I met a lot of ESL students and teachers alike. A visiting professor recommended that we look into teaching overseas. Not long after, a co-worker arrived from a year in Korea and gave glowing reviews of his time abroad. My peers kept telling me I seemed like "that person" who would teach overseas. I didn't hate the idea.

Add in countless hours of binge watching EatyourKimchi videos official research and long bouts of "do I, do I not"s, and my decision was set. I was applying to work as English teacher in South Korea.

You can see my specific reasons for choosing Korea and EPIK here. Basically, it boils down to money, travel, experience, and food (like that's ever not considered).

For those of you who are also considering a teaching job in Korea, here are my favorite resources that I used to gain insight on teaching for EPIK and Korean culture--these are all YouTube channels, as that's where I got a majority of my information, but I did scope out various blog posts cuz I'm old school:

1) ChoNunMigookSaram, AKA Megan Bowen. Megan came to Korea as an EPIK teacher, and stayed to pursue business. Her level of fluency in Korean is astounding, as is her ability to pull off a wig (I may or may not have shelled out $100 on wigs to look like her).

2) The Gift of Gab Gabby was actually the first person to refer me to the EPIK program. I don't know how she doesn't have thousands more views, as she's informative, interesting, introspective, and other I-adjectives.

3) Simon and Martina Otherwise known as "EatYourKimchi," Simon and Martina are probably the most widely recognized/viewed k-vloggers. I quickly became obsessed with their videos. They're funny, smart, and have the cutest dog on the face of the planet. Unfortunately, they just moved to Japan, which really bummed me out, since I was ready to fangirl so hard in their presence.

4) Hallyu Back While Richard and Steph mostly do k-drama/k-pop reviews, they also make their fair share of videos on Korean culture. Sadly, they have moved back to the states after seven years in Korea. WHY DOES EVERYONE I WANT TO MEET KEEP LEAVING???

Of course I read up a lot more on life in Korea, but these were the most entertaining resources I found.

So, while I'm still early on in the application process and I have no guarantee of getting a job in Korea (there's been tale of recent budget cuts in the Korean government), I thought I would document my experience applying for, and hopefully, living in South Korea while it's still fresh in my mind. It's just the beginning and I've already been through countless tears, squeals of joy, and pro/con lists.

But, hopefully, it will be one of the most rewarding journeys I've been on. And if not, failure is its own form of rewarding journey. Hence, the K-Odyssey.

So, grab a bowl of kimchi, turn on some Big Bang, and come on this EPIK journey with me.