Through my university years I knew i wanted to be a teacher, but i never thought about HOW i'd do that being an introvert, i didn't think about it, I just thought of the glamorized side of it. I wanted to travel the world, and make money, and someday have a stable job in my own country, but then I graduated, and man did I feel completely screwed.

I wondered how I could be so stupid, why I didn't think about my personality before choosing my career path. I was always scared to present things in front of class, I never participated in class willingly, how the hell would I become a teacher? I thought I was out of my mind and felt so much regret and just utterly stupid and hopeless. 

I spent almost 2 years working retail post-grad, because I just wasn't confident enough to get even a part-time teaching job. I got second interview calls, but wouldn't pick up the phone or reply to emails. I got a WHOLE job offer and just ghosted them after doing the interview. I'd find any excuse to just not go through with a teaching job and spent my days miserably working retail, feeling like I was wasting my life.

Turns out, working retail built my confidence. Why? Because retail forces you to deal with the worst of people, and after so many rude customers, you stop letting them belittle you and you start speaking up, well, at least my no bullshit attitude did. I was confident in front of customers, and got into a few fights with them too, but that's when you know you've grown; You aren't scared of cheap yelling psychos anymore. 

I applied for EPIK last minute. When I say last minute, I mean like November... it could have even been mid-late November I honestly don't remember, I just knew I applied LATE as hell. Why? Because I still was not confident enough to get on a plane and commit to being a teacher, especially when I wouldn't know what kind of environment I would be thrown into.

I was accepted into EPIK the day after my interview. I'm not bragging, it's just when you apply so last minute they send you the acceptance email right away cause your ass has to get 10+ documents ready for them in record time. I was still like...."ok... so I got accepted, but there's no way i'll get all these documents and really get my spot sealed" but after a month and a half (?) of running around everywhere and freaking the hell out, I got everything, and that was it. I booked my flight to Busan and the anxiety was just getting worse. 

When I was on that plane, I had moments of calmness, then I would get flashes of "oh my god I am on a plane to South Korea right now and there's no going back.... I'm going to have to teach a class full of middle schoolers, who the hell do I think I am doing this?"

Let me just say one thing, when you get here there's just something so strange about it that makes you get through everything. It's because you had the courage to get on that plane, all alone, with none of your loved ones, and finally face your fears. You change somehow, and you will make sure you succeed somehow. 

EPIK is great because the 10-day orientation (although useless for middle school teachers) slowly reels you into teaching. You have a good two weeks+ of not having to teach yet after you land in Korea. You also start off with an intro class, and so you're still not really teaching yet. And through these intro lesson classes, you will realize how being in front of a classroom is no big deal. Korean students aren't nasty, and your co-teacher will be with you supporting you, no matter how shitty they are, at the beginning they will be there for you.

Teaching is so easy for me now. I think other people make it seem like you have to do SO much, but you don't. You just need to sit down, make a power point and a worksheet and one activity, and teach it. You don't have to be so extravagant every lesson, trust me, students like chilling more than running around. The first few weeks will be stressful, you will be overwhelmed, but it's completely manageable. I was able to go out during the weekend and see my friends. Did I do a lot of lesson planning at home the first 3 months? Hell yeah, but after that you won't, you'll know your stuff.

All I wanted to really say is, trust yourself. You can be a teacher even if you are an introvert. You will gradually change in front of you students., and while you're teaching you'll think "who am I right now? if my friends back home saw me right now, they'd be stunned."