Almost Abroad

Well, after much planning and waiting, I am almost ready to leave for South Korea. But I have time for one quick, final entry before I leave.

As part of my preparations over the past few weeks, I decided to turn all of my loose change into cash. I had accumulated quite a few coins during my past year in Bath, around £200' worth.

And I also changed a large chunk of my money into Korean currency. I now have over a million Korean Won. That makes me feel very rich, though it's really only around £650 or $1000, enough to keep me going for a month until I get my first pay cheque.

During the weekend my family held a leaving party for me in a pub in Essex. I had a great time and it was lovely to see everyone one last time before leaving.

Paul, Natalie, Dad and Mum.

Mum, Gary, Natalie, Paul, me, and Uncle Alfie.

Dean, Ryan Jr. and Dad.

Natalie, Scarlett, Dad, and me.

Nanny Iris and Ryan Jr.

Nanny Iris, Ryan and Ryan Jr.

Scarlett and Charlie.

And here's a card everyone wrote for me. Thanks, all! 

In the last few weeks I've also enjoyed various drunken Skype nights with my friends who are living outside England. I expect these sorts of long-distance conversations to become a pretty regular thing over the next year. 

Aaaaaaand I've already been thinking about some of the places I'd like to visit while I'm in South Korea, which has meant blighting the country with a bad case of yellow fever on Google Earth.

I doubt I'll visit even half the places I've marked - I'm going to be busy working most of the time and I want to save lots of my earnings, after all. But it's good to know my options.

Well, that ends my last entry from the UK for a long time. I might not have internet access for a while, though hopefully I'll be able to get it installed sooner rather than later. Either way, next time I post I'll be on the other side of the planet, giving my first impressions of the country that will be my home for a whole year.

The Clifton Suspension Bridge

In the lead up to my year in Korea, I have been catching up with some old friends before I go. Among them were some Bristol-based university friends, whom I visited last weekend. While there, Mike took me to see the Clifton Suspension Bridge, which spans the Avon Gorge at the western outskirts of the city. Here are some photos we took:

Visa and Flight Ticket

I recently obtained an E2 Work Visa from the Korean Consulate in London, and now have permission to live and work in South Korea until early November 2013. Everyone tells me the year will go quickly, but right now that date seems a long, long way away.

I also have the E-Ticket for my flight. It's nice to have full confirmation that I'm actually leaving in a few weeks' time.

A prologue for a strollogue

Having recently graduated from university with a degree in Creative Writing, I decided that rather than try to infiltrate the financial wasteland that is the British job market, I would seek a new life abroad. So, after much web-browsing, several Skype interviews and a lot of paperwork, I am ready to begin a new life teaching English in South Korea. A few weeks from now I move to Seoul for a year. Depending on how much I enjoy the job there, I may go on to teach in other countries too, and at some point I'd like to use my savings to travel the world. With this blog I plan to document these experiences living, travelling and working in various places around the world.