Dog House W/ Patio

A Fond Farewell to Come...

I’m officially at the one-week mark until I find my way onto a plane headed back to the States. I have quite a week ahead of me. I have been preparing my departure for the past few weeks so it’s a great feeling to actually arrive at crunch-time.

My replacement comes in on Wednesday night. He’s from Chicago and has a beard. The kids are going to have one hell of a time trying to tell us apart. I have an added bonus in this regard, as does he. I will be able to pass the reigns effectively, knowing that my students will not be thrown into a new teacher’s style without a frame of reference. This might sound contradictory to some other posts where I have vented about my students and their behavior. But I must say there are a handful of my students that are truly trying to learn English and subsequently have a warm place in my heart. Knowing that these students will be in good hands eases my guilt of leaving them.

I also have the fun of tracking down my diploma, closing financial accounts, and telling my students that I will be leaving on Halloween Day. This next weekend is a culmination of a few events: my last weekend, Halloween parties, and a good friend of mine’s birthday. I will be a busy man. Plus I get to carry out all this with my replacement in tow, showing him the ropes of Korea. Perhaps this is the best teaching experience I will get from my time here.

Nonetheless, I imagine that this will be the last entry that I post from Korea. I have my work cut out for me when I return as well, so for those of you that have been avid readers I have to say, “Thank you.” I truly appreciate your comments and support throughout my adventures here. I will do my best to keep this blog alive once I get back on my feet on United States soil.

Posted by Schaffer at October 24, 2005 03:11 AM