For the past month or so, I’ve been living at my parents’ house in Connecticut. It’s weird moving back to a place that I haven’t lived in for 5 years. So much is different and yet so much the same. It really forces me to reflect on how much I’ve changed and grown as a person, and reminds me that I could never be complacent going back to living in the suburbs at this point in my life.

I think the most difficult transition so far has been the pace of daily life. Moving from one of the fastest, busiest places in the world where there was always something to do, to one that’s incredibly slow with limited entertainment options has been tough, to say the least. It doesn’t help that I’m broke, have no car or job and sit around incredibly bored all the time. On the upside, I have a lot of time to devote to researching South Korea and looking at jobs, talking to recruiters, etc. This was my plan and how I intended to spend my time here, however I really thought I’d be getting ready to leave by this point.

My family is thrilled to have me home. I spend a lot of quality time with my parents, and I’m even getting along amazingly well with my sister. I do love spending time with them, especially knowing that once I am overseas, it’ll be a very long time until I get to see them again. So I’m trying to cherish the limited time I have with them, despite my growing impatience to get on with my life.

I had a few offers from schools – one in Busan and one in Yangsan, both of which I turned down. There were too many inconsistencies and uncertainties. So, I’m still waiting for a job I can confidently say yes to. Finding a good hagwon that won’t screw you over is like finding a needle in a haystack. Or so it seems. My friend’s recruiter told me that there’s a bit of a job shortage in Busan right now because summer is still winding down. He believes more jobs should open up come mid-September. I can only hope he’s right! I am ready to go!

Until then, I’ll continue to enjoy free home-cooked meals, movie nights on the couch with my parents, and Saturday shopping dates with Mom. It’s the least I can do to maintain my sanity. :)

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