I figured I would conclude or possibly continue the blog with how my thoughts and life have changed since finishing the 1 year teaching and returning to the states.
In about May of 2009, near the end of my stay in Korea, I decided to not renew my contract and return to the US. I was tired of the kids' misbehavior and felt like my efforts weren't making a difference. I still felt like an outsider, despite being able to speak Korean. It was frustrating.
But, at the same time, I had found some peace of mind while walking the streets in the evenings after work. I enjoyed the simplicity. I had few bills, sufficient income, no worries.
But, I went back to the states and completed part of a master's degree program in biomedical science. It was great, at first, and I did well, 4.0 first semester. But in the second semester I felt like I was just doing busywork, being forced into a mold. I didn't fit into the system, and I dropped out. Everyone else thought dropping out was a bad idea, which is probably why I enjoyed it so much.
After that, I worked for a while for the USDA helping preserve various crop seeds. I applied for full-time jobs and finally found one doing tech support in New Jersey for Thorlabs, an optics company. That is where I am now. I feel pretty comfortable in this environment(I was always better at physics and math anyway), but again I find myself thinking about going back to Korea. I still study Korean diligently in my free time. But, I don't know what lies ahead.
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