So...I hate my school, I love my friends and I miss my family

I don't even know the last time I wrote but it was sometime last year and many many things happened. I resigned with my school and I'm 4 months in. Overall last year was really great. I didn't really save any money (all my extra moneys goes to paying those many student loans) but I may a dent in my debts ^^. I had some really amazing experiences and though I debated switching to a different school my co-teacher begged me to stay and my school offered to move me to a bigger apartment...that just goes to show you should always follow your first instincts.

My school moved me to a much bigger and nicer apartment but it has absolutely no natural sunlight so it hurts my eyes and brings my mood down, plus the electricity is almost a 1/4 more because it's so big and cold. GRRR!

Also two of my old co-teachers left and I got one really nice one and one really horrible one. Unfortunately the horrible one is much older and crazy. Older means the young'uns "have to" listen to her and crazy means I have a crap ton more work. This means that I now teach 6 hours overtime, prepare everything, teach alone with 30+ elementary students some as young as 6, make my own materials most of the time and when I complain or ask why I'm doing her job or why shes not showing up to the classes we're suppose to teach, she tells the principal that I don't respect her. Added on to the fact I haven't gotten paid for it in 3 months. When I contacted my coordinator she says that's the way the school work (Both about my school forcing me to teach overtime and then about not getting paid for it.) The result is that my crappy my school makes me miss my family and home where I don't have to deal with being made to follow someone who clearly has no idea what shes doing based on age....ok rant over ^^

Another unfortunate thing that's happened this year is that my health has apparently went down the drain. Last year I took 2 sick days out of my allotted 11 (or 15 I don't remember) this year I've used about 9 and I'm only 4 months in. Now this isn't me calling in because I didn't feel like calling in, that was me being so sick I eventually was omitted to the hospital for 4 days. Now I can't blame all on my school/co-teacher, they didn't give me pneumonia, but they did work me so hard that even when I was sick and close to fainting from exhaustion I was still teaching and preparing all my lesson plans, including overtime mostly alone. Lol I guess I didn't quite finish my rant, as you can probably tell I'm not in the very best of moods.

Fortunately being sick has made me realize how much I truly love my friends. Living in a foreign country, missing your home is a given but being sick usually makes one long for mom and western medicine more than ever. And while being hospitalized isn't fun, they were amazing. When I was sick at home, they brought me food, porridge and medicine, when I went to the hospital they came every night to bring me things (snacks), and play board games and just talk and keep my mood up. I got lasek, and they took me to the clinic and back, gave me blueberry smoothies and never once made me want for anything. All with working full time jobs and some living as far as 40 minutes away from me. If Korea has given me anything it's amazing friends that I know I will always keep in touch with.

Despite the ups and downs I don't at all regret my move to Korea. I've always been independent but moving here and living on my own made me realize how capable I am. I can move to another country, control and class of 30 1st graders who know no English and make them love English time, I can pay my ridiculous student loans and though I may not save anything I'm still moving forward. I do regret re-signing with my school, but I love two of my co-teachers, my students are still lovely and I've become a better teacher. All of this is really just to say is although I'm glad for my experiences here it's probably time for me to come home.

I think I want to get my Elementary Education credentials and since my family live in LA it will initially be for California, though I don't really want to live there. My dad isn't too happy about my desire to become certified (I've been considering applying for the foreign service which he whole heartedly supports) and though the teachers job market sucks like many other job markets in the States it will be something I can fall back on whenever, even if I do decide to pursue something else before/after hand. Plus it will enable me to teach in any American international school around the world or with dodds if I can't find a job or get the desire to move abroad again.

Sorry for all the complaining!