Visa Code Secured (Less Than 2 Weeks Away)

I got my visa code! Headed to Atlanta (my nearest Korean embassy) next week. So, now all I gotta do is turn in my two weeks notice at my current job (gleefully I might add) grab a sealed transcript and a prepaid envelope. Most of my packing is done already, I've two boxes that I'll be shipping to my new apartment in Daejeon, one is clothes the other is DVDs and personal effects.

Here's where I'll say this for anyone thinking of going overseas: GET RID OF AS MUCH STUFF AS POSSIBLE. I mean it. I sold my bass and amp, gave away my first guitar (which, side note, I was really attached to. I mean REALLY attached to. I named her and everything) I'm selling my xbox, and anything else video game related. If you can't sell it, give it away, especially if you're going to be gone for several years. Unless you have amazing friends/parents who will hold your stuff indefinitely, don't bother keeping anything. It's usually the stuff that you feel the most sentimental about that need to be tossed. I've given numerous amounts of clothing to charity and to the trash, gave away all my fishing gear and the fact that I was able to shred my personal effects down to one box is nothing short of a miracle.

Expat Negro Rule: You can't be attached to anything. Everything is an asset, and assets are meant to be liquidated.

I'm taking some stuff to ease the transition (thus the "personal effects"). As a former FedEx employee I can also give you this tip: read the import rules for whatever country you're expatriating to. Some stuff can't be shipped in. While there are ways around some of this, ultimately, you don't want your first expat experience to be explaining why you're a terrible smuggler.

Oh and I'm taking DVDs because I don't speak Korean, and to avoid going crazy while I'm in my apartment with nothing to watch (that I can understand) and no Netflix (Korean censoring) I'm taking my DVD collection to maintain my sanity.

Cross your fingers. I gotta score my sealed transcript. Hopefully it won't take two envelopes.