You’re quite correct – for some people, their full-time job is an opportunity to devote your time and energy to that one employer or one goal. This, of course, leaves little time for hobbies, fun, or the things that make life worth living. One mistake people often make in Korea is going to either extreme. All work and no play makes Jill a dull girl, while all play and no work leaves Jack with few opportunities to improve himself. When it comes to “understanding the EFL profession”, it’s worth remembering that this “profession” is hardly treated as such in Korea.

For the readers considering coming to Korea, I’ll say this: teaching English is a job. It’s a job I take seriously, prepare for seriously, and exert a serious amount of energy doing. It is, however, a job that allows for free time to spend on personal projects or whatever may interest you. Balance is the key.

If I wanted to be a teacher for a living, however, I needn’t come to Korea. Teaching English is a means to an end, not an end in and of itself. I won’t be an English teacher for the rest of my life, and frankly I’d be surprised if I’m still teaching English in 10 years time. Since my blog (and much of what I’d prefer to focus on) is about traveling and enjoying life, it only seems appropriate to focus such a post on that.

It’s great Chris writes a lot about traveling in Korea but I never really hear about the person himself and his experience with other Korean people. I think it would be great if we started to see more of this human interaction alongside the usual “I’ve been there…” posts.

~Joy