A short update

I haven't posted in a couple of weeks, so I thought I'd post a quick update.

I had planned on having my passport by now and posting about that, but I got into a bit of an accident and jacked up my face. My vanity would not allow me to get my picture taken before I healed up a bit.

Despite that delay, I've made some progress in other areas. Although I have yet to make any sort of contact, I think I have made a decision on which recruiting agency to go through. I've had some trouble finding people to vouch for their recruiters, but recently I've seen a lot of endorsements for KorVia Consulting. I still have some more research to do, but I like what I see so far. If this was the kind of blog with followers, I would love to hear about your experiences with KorVia or with any other recruiters. 

Lately, I've been wondering about the proper etiquette for quitting my job when that time comes. I feel a little guilty because I took this job with the intention of quitting in about a year (not guilty enough to change my mind, however.) The people I work with are all very nice, but it's definitely not the kind of work I'd want to do for very long. I figured putting a year's worth of work into a company would be a reasonable exchange, but the amount of training I've been going through has made me realize that quitting by early 2013 may not provide the return on investment I'm sure the company would prefer. I'm curious about how that will look on my resume.

I suppose that is it for now, as I have to get ready for said job.

Catch you later, the internet. 

J

Pretentiousness

I've noticed that when somebody posts something about 'escaping the 9-5' lifestyle they are often met with comments like, "I would kill to have a 9-5 job," and "people these days don't appreciate what they have."

I think there is something to say for those kind of comments. I often think about how desperately I want to get away from my reasonably well-paying job and live a life of travel and at times I'm struck by how pretentious that idea sounds. There's something pretty snobby about the loathing I have for working 9-5 in an office building. It's a very "first-world problem."

It makes sense that blogs and comments aimed at rejecting conceptions of the American working life can be irritating for some people. Perhaps we take what we have for granted. In my case, I'm paying very little for rent, I get about 40 hours a week at work, and the only debt I have are my very manageable student loan payments. I'm in a much better position than many Americans. Some of this is certainly to my credit. I've been careful about not living above my means and I've managed to save enough money to get me through the couple of months after graduating it took me to get a job. But I've also benefited in ways that are out of my control. I have a great support system, for example, and several happy accidents have given me an advantage.

It's important to realize that trying to 'escape' a life other people are striving for can come off as offensive. What we intend to do is not a viable option for everybody, and it's not a dream that everybody shares. We often present it as two options: work a crappy 9-5 job or break away from the mold and live life as it is meant to be lived. But there are other options. For instance, you can work a job that you love regardless of the hours. There are many different ways to find meaning or purpose in your life.

Anyway, my point is this: when I say that I believe life is too short to work the same job 40 hours a week for the rest of your life, I don't mean to imply that everybody should feel this way and I certainly don't claim to be better or more enlightened because I do feel this way.

Here we go!

My name is Jon. I graduated from university in the Spring of 2011 and I just got a job working for an insurance company. It's exactly the kind of job I don't want to work for the rest of my life, but it could be worse.

I've read a lot of books and blogs about traveling indefinitely and I have decided that I want to live that kind of life. I have never traveled outside of North America. I don't even have a passport. You've caught me at the beginning of my journey but it is one that I am determined to make.

I've decided that the first phase in what I hope will become an illustrious career as a shiftless wanderer is to teach English in South Korea. I believe this will be a good introduction to living abroad. South Korea has a high demand for native English speakers and many agencies offering to place teachers into 1-year contracts with schools. Many of them even pay for plane tickets and housing which is a huge plus.

Some of you may be thinking, "An entire year? That's not exactly 'wandering.'" Well, this is my blog and if I say wandering involves staying in one place for a year, in damn well does.

Those same people may also wonder why I just got a job if I'm planning on moving to Korea. Well, stuff it - I'm broke. Many of the things I need make it overseas are not as free as I would have hoped.

Additionally, I'm not very comfortable moving to Korea with $500 dollars in my checking account. Others have no problem with that. Schools in Korea do pay you for your work and many, as I mentioned above, pay for your plane ticket and housing. It is certainly doable, but I'm looking to develop a sort of financial safety bubble before taking off.

This is why I'm working a moderately soul-crushing job at the moment. It may mean that many of my posts will involve me complaining about said job rather than detailing my road to Korea. 

I'm using this blog mostly as a way to keep myself accountable, but I hope that it can eventually serve as a guideline for people who decide to make the same choice that I have. Unless it goes incredibly wrong in which case it may serve as warning to those same people.