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I don't really know how to title this touchy subject. Last week my parents and sister came to Merced to visit me after class. I was sooo happy to see them, even though it has been about three weeks since I had last seen them. Over dinner we roamed on topics such as my brother's acceptance to UC Davis. It was a total shocker for them when my brother SIR (Statement of Intent to Register) for Davis. My parents are a lot more Americanized that I realized in terms of schooling. Rather than telling me to be a Biology or Engineer major, they tell me to drop a class or two if it was too difficult for me. They either gave up on me in terms of education or they really trust in my discernment in terms of direction. What a better time to share with them my graduation plans for next year. They were pretty shocked to hear that I might walk next year, I didn't know how to take it. But in all honesty, it has truly been by the grace of God whereas I won't have to financially depend on them after graduation. What next? I am so unsure of what God is calling me to do. As much as it is my desire to go to UCD for graduate school, teaching English overseas seems like a more plausible answer. The more I research on different organizations overseas, the more excited I am in what the Lord has in store for me! When I was in high school, I knew someone who had grown up in the church had decided to teach in South Korea for a few years. There was this friend I had met and she is teaching in one of the main cities of China (either Shanghai or Beijing, I forgot). I heard so many good things about the program she was in! It's really such a blessing to hear little snippets of what teaching in China is like. There are so many pros and cons teaching overseas.

For me, staying in my comfort zone has always been what I preferred. Who wouldn't want to live a comfortable setting? Who wouldn't want to live in a big house beautifully decorated with each piece of furniture and lights that ornamented the house. As much as I try to imagine my life in California, it is extremely hard for me to envision my life here. My heart and desire has recently been turned 180 degrees, but is that what the Lord wants? Is that what my parents want? A con of me going is feeling homesick for the longest time, but what about my parents? I really don't want to just back my bags and say, "thanks for being there for me for 20 years of my life, now I'm going to the other side of the world to teach English." I don't want to leave this burden on my older brother and younger sister. My parents have always told me ever since I was young that I am not the type of person who would stay close by home. Perhaps they were right all along, I don't know what to do. It seems so wrong to leave my parents after graduation, but it seems so right to teach overseas. I need to prayerfully consider so many things.

Update: Talked to my mom about it after I said Happy Mother's Day. We'll see how the Lord plans it out.

http://www.teacheslkorea.com/?gclid=CObdt-T1v6ECFQz_iAod0Em2Dw
http://www.epik.go.kr/
http://www.teachaway.com/content/teaching-public-schools-hong-kong
http://www.englishfirst.com/trt/teaching-english-in-china.html