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My husband wants to move our family to....
Korea for 6 months! it's for his job and I would obviously quit my job and move with him. There is a million questions we have not been answered yet.Hopefully his boss will give us more information in the coming weeks. The only thing we know is that we would have a nice place to stay with a kitchen. A really good friend of ours (who is Korean) is planning to move back to Korea soon. We are actually renting our condo from him and hes currently finishing grad school. He went to college with my hubby and got him this job. Hes very fluent in English and would be very helpful to us if we were there at the same time! My husband really wants to go...I have my reservations! and a million questions. What would you say if your husband dropped this bomb on you? Here are a few things that worry me: in no specific order!
Food
Language barrier
Healthcare for my daughter & us
transportation
14 hr plane ride with a 6 month old
our pets (2 cats)
getting our stuff there
furniture- baby crib, etc.
time difference (calling family)
This list is not all inclusive! Please tell me if you know anyone Korean or anyone who has lived in Korea!
This discussion has been closed.
Re: My husband wants to move our family to....
I don't have any experience with travelling/moving overseas with a toddler, but wanted to chime in and say that if all of my reservations were addressed and expenses paid, I'd probably go in a heartbeat. I grew up travelling all over the world with my parents and that's something that I miss terribly now. I have some Korean friends and studied about the country and culture a bit back in school. AND OMG THE FOOD.... I could eat Korean food all day, every day. I understand that English is pretty common in urban areas and that there's a huge ex-pat population from the states, so you could probably find some kind of organization to join that would allow you to be social.
6 months really isn't that long in the grand scheme of things. Which would make me much more likely to go. As much as I'd miss my family/house/things, I know I'd be back sooner rather than later which I'd fall back on. That said, too, I think it would make moving easier - just transport clothes and the things that you can't live without and get everything you need for your stay there. If you're moving for work, chances are they'll help you with the relocation and finding a place that's furnished and might even provide you with some classes regarding language and culture.
I think A+Jmom is going through a similar experience right now but to Australia. Hopefully she'll chime in more regarding moving overseas!!
I have a very good friend that just moved back to Korea. She has a little one that is 10 months old. I'll ask her a lot of these questions but..,
Korean food is awesome. Mainly rice, beef, chicken, veggies. The spices aren't gonna kill you. It's a great flavor.
English is very comm
I have a very good friend that just moved back to Korea. She has a little one that is 10 months old. I'll ask her a lot of these questions but..,
Korean food is awesome. Mainly rice, beef, chicken, veggies. The spices aren't gonna kill you. It's a great flavor.
English is very common in the cities.
My friend flew back there when her daughter was 8 weeks. So it can be done. I'll ask her about everything else.
I have a cousin who is there teaching English now. She married a Korean man that she met when she was in college in the US (he was an exchange student). She's been there a little over 2 years now and is pretty acclimated I think.
My aunt's BIL and his wife (who is Korean I think) live there with their 2 boys. They've been overseas most of the time they've been married, though I think. He's the director of an English school if Im not mistaken. They really love their life there. They are very outdoorsy people and love to go to the beach and hike and there are plenty of opportunities there.
A former coworker is teaching English on a military base there now. Her first few months were hard, but I think she was better off being in a community of English speakers.
They would all tell you that Korean food is amazing. I think 6 months is a good amount of time to have an adventure but not be worried so much about bringing all your stuff etc, since you'd be home before you needed a lot of it, you know.
A friend of mine moved to India with her 4mo and her son's father, for work. It was supposed to be just 6 months, but I think they are extending it and sending her elsewhere. She loves the adventure and being able to expose her son to so many different cultures. I think the company shipped all of their stuff for them and it was there when they got there. The plane rides were a bit dicey though.
Food- yum
Language barrier- Depending on your city, you would probably be able to find some expats there.
Healthcare for my daughter & us- They have socialized health care, right? When I was living in England, we just used NHS, but my employer (a US company) provided us w/ supplemental insurance just in case. Definitely something to ask about.
14 hr plane ride with a 6 month old- meh. This wouldn't keep me from going.
our pets (2 cats)- Check to be sure there isn't a required quarantine on animals.
getting our stuff there- Don't take anything more than clothes. They have stores in Korea, too.
For 6 months, it really wouldn't be worth it to pack up a whole bunch of stuff.
furniture- baby crib, etc.- Ask about a furnished apt. I would think, for 6 mos, this would be most economical for your husband's company.
time difference (calling family)- shouldn't be an issue. 8am in Korea = 5pm in Texas. You have a large stretch of time where both parties would be awake.
This list is not all inclusive! Please tell me if you know anyone Korean or anyone who has lived in Korea!
That's a great opportunity!
My H looked into something similar and the pet thing was holding us back. I know that the rules for bringing in/out animals is different for each country in terms of quarantine times and rules for health.
Well, if my husband was to say this to me anytime in the future I would say "Are you freakin kidding me, again? Is it really going to happen this time, or am I going to quit my job again for them to change their minds! Ok, sorry, that's my baggage. We were just given a similar opportunity that then fell through.
But, yes I would go! It would be such an amazing experience and like PPs said 6 months is about perfect.
I agree with MCurban's list. Check on furnished places- you don't want to move furniture. Or when we were looking there were companies that rent corporate packages, furniture and all other furnishings- post, dishes, small appliances. You definitely don't want to pack that stuff. I would not take my pets over- more than likely there is at least a 1 month quarantine (both ways) required. See if any family or friends would take them. We also started checking around about schools, but you don't have to worry about that.