Another New Beginning?

I'm going to try to start posting here again. I would like to make this a place that friends and relatives can keep track of what I'm doing. I hope to create an interesting record of the next phase of my life.


I graduated from Portland State University in August of this year (2013). I now have a Bachelor's of Science degree in Economics. I'm finding out that this isn't really worth much. I've submitted dozens of applications for jobs in Portland and nationwide to both private and public organizations. I haven't gotten a single bite yet. Its already getting discouraging. To make anything of this degree I think I need to go back and do graduate level work. But I'm done with school, at least for now. I may go back eventually, but I can't take several years of more school right now. I need a change. Something big. It's time.

I've been fantasizing about teaching English as a foreign language in other countries for a long time. I starting thinking about it again about 6 or 7 months ago. A couple of months ago I upgraded the fantasy to an actual possibility. Now, I think I'm ready to upgrade again to actually doing it.

I've been doing a lot of research on the subject. I'm pretty sure I want to go to South Korea for at least a year.

First, I'm going to head to a TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) school in Guadalajara, Mexico. I'll probably be there for 5 weeks and end up with one of the more desirable TEFL certifications, as it includes an actual teaching component in addition to the classroom time. I want to be done with school, but I think I can handle one last course. I plan to leave Portland on January 4 and return for a few weeks on February 8. The school year begins in March in South Korea, so the timing should be just right to spend a little time wrapping up any loose ends and saying my goodbyes before leaving for at least a year .