After my military service, I moved up to the Pacific Northwest to attend college in Seattle, WA to earn my degree in Environmental Science. While I worked on my degree, I had many outdoor adventures helping with research. One summer I hiked all around the rainforest on the Olympic Peninsula and another summer I collected fish and bugs at lakes around Seattle!
After my degree, I was still deeply interested in living in another country and experiencing their culture. I applied for a Fulbright grant and received an award to teach English in South Korea! The Fulbright grant offers opportunities to teach English in MANY different countries, but I requested South Korea because I had a personal connection. A few of my cousins-in-law are Korean! They introduced me to the beautiful language as well as the world-defining K-pop scene. I independently studied Korean throughout high school and learned more about the amazing country. South Korea built itself up after the hardships of war and colonization and is now an influential force around the world. The South Korean community has been very warm and welcoming to me and I couldn't ask for a better host country this year!
My adventure is just getting started at an all-boy's high school in Southwest Korea and I can't wait to take you along with me. Traveling is a great way to make the world feel smaller and I think you will find that we have more similarities with Korean culture than you would expect.
