There are many parallels between planning a speech and planning life in general and every spontaneous move seems to require and inordinate amount of planning.

I originally began this blog in September last year with the intention to document my imminent move to Korea which I had decided on whim was exactly what my life needed. However I know sit here completing this post from my villa studio in Gangnam 9 months later having only just almost completed my first month in Korea.

What happened in between is somewhat of a mystery in terms of how it took so long from the inception of the idea until the actual final implementation.

I say a mystery but this is actually just a means of avoiding responsibility for waylaying myself. I can certainly give some advice on what not to do when preparing to make an impulsive move overseas which is all I intend to cover in the rest of this post.

Firstly never underestimate the amount and respective time attached to the mundane admin work that needs to be completed in order to make that impulsive move overseas. It always takes longer than expected and has the proverbial red tape hoops to jump through. It is also very unwise to do begin this process just leading up to the end of the year break as you will be caught up in the inevitable public servant slow down as they approach the holidays , their excessively long holiday and then the slow restart of the huge machine that is public services.

Secondly it is also very unwise to try and leave a city like Cape Town just as summer is approaching. In fact considering it's the number one tourist city in the world I'd go so far as to say it is down right impossible. Enjoying one last Cape Town summer before heading off is certainly a strong motivator for procrastination when the alternative was a Korean winter.

Thirdly it is a terrible idea to meet a young Brazilian English language student and get caught up in a whirlwind romance that will result in you becoming a very willing tour guide for the entirety of their time there, while doing little else productive with your life.



However if you were to ask me whether I would change anything the answer would be a resounding no. There is a vast chasm in life between taking the most efficient route through life and having a life worth living and I would choose the latter every time. I had a summer to remember and I still managed to make it to Korea, eventually.

I think that should do for now to bring you up to speed. I also did an inordinate amount of research before I arrived here so I will share my data base of sources along with some helpful advice, I hope. I'll also give some of my initial impressions of Korea, it certainly is interesting. But that's all for next time.

Ciao for now.