A Difficult Choice

Okay, when I said I like Northwest Arkansas, I really didn’t mean I want to stay here for four months.

Ideally, if this was a perfect world and Kansas’ government was competent, I would be in Korea right now. Probably writing about the food and culture shock. However, due to late paperwork submission, I was regaled to the waiting list, where there was a 99% chance I’d get a placement.

Hmm, well, I doubted it was 99%, but I figured chances were still pretty high, so I waited on. I hate waiting, do you know that? It’s not a matter of patience; it is the fact that I like to have a job and I like to have money and I like to leave the house. I’d been waiting all summer to go, getting ready, being excited…

And then I am told I might consider going to Thailand and reapplying to EPIK in February. Okay, so this might work in my favor, was my initial thought. So began the rounds of calling and talking and discussion. Thailand had originally been one of my choice countries, but I couldn’t quite remember why I didn’t want to go there in the first place. I mean, fish! They have huge tropical fish farms and the best Siamese Fighting fish in the world! And it would be in the southern tip, so beaches and snorkeling. Plus, I actually enjoy Thai food.

But after doing a little research, I remembered why I dismissed Thailand originally.

First of all, since it’s tropical there are a lot of diseases, parasites, and vaccinations involved. Being there for four months would mean I would need to be vaccinated against Hep A, Hep B, Japanese Encephalitis, Typhoid, Yellow Fever, and rabies? Well, maybe pass on the rabies, since it’s pretty useless anyway, just stay away from big bats. But almost every single one of these vaccines are in a series and need to be started NOW. Oh, and they’re expensive, and cost is per shot.

Second, while the salary is 3x that of the native Thai teacher, it’s not much. Thai Baht is approximately .03 on the US dollar… that means 30, 000 Baht a month is approximately $1,000 month. True, the cost of living is dirt cheap there, I wouldn’t be spending a lot to live ($100 on lodging, $100 on food, etc.), but I can live in the States and work at PetSmart and make $1,500/month.

Pros: low cost of living, easy going culture, fish, food, the ability to teach private class, working for the government

Cons: vaccines, parasites, not reimbursed for the plane ticket, have to get a work permit and do possible visa runs to Laos, slow or non-existent internet access (hard to pull up worksheets and lesson plans without the net, let alone Skype and post my writing on my blog, hubs, and fanfiction)

But here’s the flip side. If I don’t go to Thailand or Korea, then I need to go through the hassle of staying in North West Arkansas. This means that my sister Cara can’t have my car, which causes problems (it’s good I decided to pay for the insurance already). It also messes up my winter vacation plans with my friend Dori, who is currently in Japan. And it means that my cousin Alex, if she so chooses, will have to go to Thailand alone.

Pros: no plane ticket, no vaccinations (unless there’s one against Southern and hick?), my fish tanks and the local fish club, can earn as much as Thailand for the same amount of cost

Cons: no friends, have to find a job, have to change my license, might have to change banks or make the trip to Joplin every once in awhile

So I have a pretty ugly choice before me. A third option would be apply to a private school in Korea instead of going through EPIK. This would mean I’d have to go through the paperwork again and the interview and go visit Chicago for a visa.

In the meanwhile, I will continue working on my class and my freelance writing. I am looking into becoming a substitute for the local school districts. I may apply to the PetCo on Walnut and 40^th. Or I might go find a job out of the pet industry. Who knows.