travelin' plans

Man, it's been a while since I did any travel-related posts, hasn't it?

Well, no, not really. I just finished telling you about that trip to England I made last June. But it took me over a year to give you the skinny and, if I'd been on the ball, that ship would've sailed a long time ago.

But before the idioms get completely out of hand, let me tell you some news.

I'M GOING BACK TO KOREA.

It's true! Miss H and I, after some discussion, soul-searching and much mulling-over, have elected to try our luck on foreign shores rather than languish in poverty in the economical cesspool of our homeland. So we called up some recruiters and haggled and dickered. In the end, we came up with an apartment near Seoul and positions at a couple of hagwon. (Hagwon are private after-school academies where hopeful Korean parents send their overworked children for extra tutoring in subjects like English, math and music. I don't know how the little buggers do it. Some of the kids I taught in Geoje were up until midnight every night, doing homework from their regular school and three different hagwon. Their eyes were drooping, their expressions haggard. I felt for the little maggots even as I abetted the soul-crushing process which made them that way.)

The start date is September 12. So, as early as September, you guys, I could be (once again) broadcasting to you from the darkest depths of Eastern Asia.

I don't need to tell you how excited I am about this. It's finally coming to fruition. I've been longing to get out of this damn desert for over two years...ever since I got back from my first stint in K-Land, in fact. I feel like my life's finally getting back on track. I'll be off and wandering the world soon...and I'll have the most beautiful woman in the world by my side. That, ladies and gents, is the perfect combination.

Miss H and I have laid some plans for after Korea, too. We're hoping to get our Russian visas (let's hope the process isn't too heartbreaking) and take the Trans-Siberian Railway across Russia (Vladivostok to Moscow) and kick about in Europe for a few weeks. It'll take some serious arranging, but I'll have some advance warning this time. Think of the fun we'll have, and the writing fodder I'll accrue!

After that it'll be back to the States for a bit. I still need to acquire my commercial ticket (see the ensuing post for more info on that). After that...well, I'm not really sure. It'll depend on how much money we've got, where the jobs are, how the job market is, and how soon we can get our careers started. We might even wind up in Australia, me flying, Miss H taking beautiful pictures from her studio.

Whatever happens, never fear: you know me, folks. The Postman's got more travel ideas in store, and hopefully Miss H and I will have the guts and gumption (and green stuff) to do 'em all.

Stay tuned...