Our "home town" in Korea...
Today, I have allowed myself to become very excited about going to Korea.
I google'd the city in which we will be staying, and I even found pictures of "typical" teacher's apartments there. (email me if you want to see!)
I was thinking this evening about a conversation I had with B a few months back.
We had been discussing our after-graduation plans, and what kind of house we would want.
B said that he really wanted a place in the country with chickens and a pool. In that order.
I said, I want to live in downtown hot-lanta so I can walk everywhere I want to be.
He won.
But, I ended the conversation like this: "I have ALWAYS wanted to live in a cute apartment in the big city. I want to walk to the grocery story, walk to the coffee shop, walk to church. And if I can't walk, I want to take the train, taxi, or (if I have to) the subway.
"But I realize that it has always been your dream to have a big house on 10 acres in the country. And I also realize that your dream is more practical when raising a large family.
"So my compromise is this: We move to (enter perfect little part of town here) in the ATL, and live there for 1-2 years. Then, I will have been able to live my dream, and we can still move into that place in the country to raise our kids."
He said no.
Little did he know... that is EXACTLY what we will be doing... just not in ATL... we'll be doing it in Korea.
Hehe.
I have researched the town and it's old school name means "meeting of three." It was (and is) the intersection of three primary trade routes from three of the major cities in S.Korea.
For $4, I can hop on a train and take a 2-hour ride through the mountains to Seoul, the capital city.
For another $4, I can hop on yet another train and ride for one hour through the mountains, only to arrive at the sandy, sunny beach.
The city is known for it's "trendy" local coffee shops, and even has coffee shops specifically geared for American teachers, who rendezvous there often to "speak some real English."
I got more info. on our actual living situation.
The church that is planning to hire him has just built a new building, and they are also in the process of building a new apartment complex across the street from the new church building. Once it is completed (sometime this fall) the Pastor and his wife, as well as most other pastors, staff members, and their spouses and children, will move into that building.
So I will be living with several other Christian (Korean) families who work at the church we will be attending.
I also found out that they actually want B to teach English to women and children.
All of the men in Korea have to do a mandatory 2-year military training on a U.S. army base. So they learn English there. But the church (and the Korean government) also want the women and children to learn also. So we will be teaching them.
OK... that's all I have for tonight. I'm just really glad that I can leave all my "detail" worries with the Lord and that I am allowed to get really excited about this.
Because I am.
Excited.
REALLY REALLY excited.
=)