Here goes nothing....

I figured that this probably was going to be the last chance that I had to write while still on Canadian soil, so here I am taking advantage of it...

First things first- this past weekend. Thank you for those people who came out! It was an amazing “last night out”. I will apologize to those people I possibly forget seeing and I'm going to blame that on the fact that I managed to spend $0 and yet always had a drink in my hand (Clayton you're most likely to blame for this...). Thanks to those people who came from out of town- it was great to see you all that's for sure!! I'm going to miss everyone immensely- friends and family both. The last week or so it's been great seeing as many people as I can before I go, spending time with everyone has been great! Even if you didn't make it out Saturday, hopefully I was able to see you before or after that for some last well wishes and good-byes....

I am currently on my way to get my visa and to have my interview at the consulate in Toronto- I'm not really sure what to expect but at this time it's a little late seeing as I am scheduled to leave Canada in two days. The last couple of weeks have been rushed and a little nerve wracking, but overall it couldn't have run any more smooth- considering the tight time lines.

There seem to be a million and one questions people have been asking me, some I know the answers to, others I just guess, or relay them to my recruiters- who, on a side note, have been amazingly helpful, very supportive and just very nice, caring people in general (anyone considering coming to Korea- I highly recommend dealing with them). Some of the most popular questions have been: How long is the flight? What do you do when you arrive? How are you going to communicate with people when you first get there? When do you start work? Just what happens in general...Well here are some of the answers: Flight is 13 hours, 40 mins non-stop out of Toronto. I leave Canada February 25^th @ 11:50pm and arrive in Korea February 27^th @ 3:30am their time. Essentially I lose a day in the air- bummer. When I get to the airport a man will be waiting for me with my name on a paper- like in the movies!! (I find this slightly humorous). He will drive me to my place and help me in. Apparently he doesn't speak English very well, but according to my recruiters, he's a good driver! (How comforting). When I get there it will be early morning so I guess that morning someone from the school comes over and takes me to the school?? This is what I understood from my recruiters because when I get there if I have no phone, no internet, how the hell am I going to know what to do and where to go to school, because I start teaching March 1^st!!! About the lack of communication- there are little places all over that are called “PC Bongs” and it's like a $1 CDN to use the internet for an hour, something ridiculous like that. Not sure how long it will take to get internet at my place- which I still have no idea what to expect as far as that's concerned. I will be able to get a cell phone once I'm there, but this will take time because I'll have to get someone from my school to help me- well I'm hoping someone will help me because at this point I have no idea what to do?! I will have skype though which will be tricky at times to coordinate with people with the time difference, but nonetheless, it will definitely be a great way to be able to communicate with everyone back in Canada!

As for everything else- I'm having a hard time packing. Yes, I probably should be packed by now, but I'm not. Part of me still isn't accepting the fact that I'm leaving. I feel though that the more I talk about it, the shorter the time feels that I'll be gone. In the beginning I thought of it as “a whole year”, now I'm thinking of it as “only a year”. But still, in that year I will be encountering four seasons, much like Canada. How will I be able to fit that all into two lousy suitcases that need to weigh less than 50 lbs each!! I've littered my bed with clothes and items I've been told to bring along, now it's elimination time, what I NEED to bring and what I'd like to bring, huge difference.

I'm sure I'll have a lot of time to blog when I arrive, possibly while I'm on the plane as well. At this point I'm not going to know anyone really in my area which will lead to lots of time alone and opportunities to explore. I will keep everyone posted on the trials and tribulations of my adventure- this is the start of what will probably be a life changing experience! It's all unfolding and at a very fast pace!! Wish me luck because here goes nothing!!!!.....