My "sabbatical"

When people ask me “Do you think you will stay longer than a year in Korea?”, my answer is always the same; No. Nothing against this great country, or being an English teacher, but I have some pretty amazing things I want to get back to in the States. I guess it all boils down to how I view my time here in Korea opposed to how others see their experiences. I see this year as my year off from my regular life. This is not the year I am necessarily furthering my career, or saving the world, this is a year I am saving money and then getting back to the grind in the US. I have things to do, people to see, and I know that these things will not wait forever for me, nor do I want to put them off any longer.

After thinking about how I view my time here in Korea the word “sabbatical” popped into my head. Whenever I hear people talk about taking a sabbatical they are going to take paid time off to travel, see the world, and they usually come back saying they have found themselves on top of all that. They are taking time off from being a teacher (usually college level) and discovering what this great Earth has to offer, and gathering memories and moments full of love and hope along the way. Well, those are the people who take advantage of this time off anyway!

Now I know my moving to Korea and working here doesn’t exactly fit this description but I see plenty of parallels. First, I know I am working far more hours than I ever have in my prior jobs, but I’m also making more money than said jobs. This is money that I will save and use to see the world, and use to start an amazing nonprofit. So at times, it feels like I’m getting paid to do things here, to be here even, for more than my job. Which is nice, I admit. Second, I have already seen Japan and soon I will be on an adventure in Malaysia and Indonesia. All these countries will have been seen before I even reach my 6 month mark here in Korea, and let’s not forget the continuous exploration of Seoul and other Korean cities which is always intriguing! I am living a life here that doesn’t even feel like my own, that feels like a dream sometimes. Many days I wonder if I will wake up in my bed back in the States and I will have dreamed up this whole charade overnight. Isn’t that what a sabbatical is supposed to mean? A complete vacation and retreat from your life? Well, that’s absolutely what I am getting here. Third, a sabbatical has a time limit and then you are required to head back to reality. This is exactly how I feel about my stay here in Korea. After all, I’m not twenty years old spending my time hanging out over here until I figure out what I want to do with my life. Being in my late twenties, I know the answers to these big life questions already. I am excited to get back to my life in the States and can’t wait to go home next November, but I know my time here is serving a life purpose for me.

My year here is to purely get away and find some HOPE. Find the kind of hope that only comes from seeing God’s magnificent creations all over the Earth, by experiencing things you can only read about in books, and by pushing yourself to the limit. Once I find this kind of hope, my ‘sabbatical’ will be over. It will be time for me to return home with immortal, unbreakable, unyielding hope that nothing can penetrate. I will need this for what God has in store for me next, and I know he will help me to find it for exactly that reason.

 

So sabbatical or not, I'm not sure, but it definitely doesn't feel like real life!