Have you ever lived and worked in another country?  

I have. 

It’s hard. 

I’m from UK, have lived here practically my whole life, and in some ways feel about as British as you can get. I like tea and biscuits. I hate small talk unless it’s about the weather, the Royal Family, or commiserating with others about being in a long queue. I’m thoroughly fond of country walks including those in the pouring rain (wearing waterproofs, not using an umbrella), and stopping for lunch at a pub. I have a handful close friends that I treasure and will keep them until the day I pop my crocs.  

I moved to the USA back in 2016 and lived there for almost 6 years. It was tough on the day I arrived and remained that way right up until the day I left. Maybe I’m an anomaly, but at no point did it get easier to live there nor fit in. Nothing about me seemed to work in an American culture. I always felt uneasy around the majority of people there and rarely seemed to share their interests. That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy parts of my life there; my best summer job ever was working in a campground store in the Land Between the Lakes in Tennessee, and my best winter gigs were my four seasons working in an Amazon warehouse in Campbellsville Kentucky. I travelled from coast to coast and set foot in some amazing cities, towns, and wilderness. It was a phenomenal experience.    

But not once did I fully fit in. And at no point did I think I’d stay forever. Which is really sad, because I’d moved there for someone else.  

But at the end of the day, I guess for me, home is home. And maybe I will never be able to settle easily or well somewhere else. 

I am hoping though that moving to Korea for a year might not be as painful as trying to live in the US. 

For a start, I want to go.  

Me.  

I have chosen to this, out of my own interest.  

Added to that, I’ve been before. Twice. And those of you who have read my previous posts will already know that I was able to find there a type of peace and contentment I hadn’t previously experienced before in my life. 

Also, I have set goals I would like to achieve while I am there. Primarily, improve my language. Secondly, eat as many types of new foods as humanly possible. Third, hike mountains. Many mountains. And finally, I’d like to transition back into a job where I will need to use my brain and creativity a bit more than I have done in a while. 

I’d like to feel independent again. Demonstrate a bit of strength and resilience to myself. And hopefully be able to feel proud when I complete the challenge of a year. 

But it will be hard. 

And I hope that I am prepared for that.  

Because honestly, it’s taken me 3 weeks just to pack my suitcases….so right now I’m not really feeling that confident about navigating life fully in a foreign language, controlling hordes of small kids, and working in a country that doesn’t see the beauty in a 10 cups of tea-a-day schedule.   

Oh god, I’m such a muppet.   

Who’s idea was this?