We're back for part 2 of our interview with TEFL Teacher and World Traveler Kimberly Rodriguez. In this episode, we discover where Kim's love of travel came from, how she was introduced to the idea of teaching English as a second language, and what her initial experience in Korea was like. We also discuss the challenges of dating in a foreign country, making trips revolving solely around food (food trips are the best!), and the challenges of being a practicing Christian while traveling and living abroad.

Listen on Apple

Listen on Spotify

Listen on Stitcher

Listen on Podchaser

Kim has been living and teaching in South Korea for over eight years and is a great resource for anyone interested in the ESL teacher lifestyle. She has worked in the Korean public education system for a long time as both an Elementary Teacher and University Professor and currently holds a position as Visiting Professor for a Korean National University where she teaches English as a second language.

Please enjoy this transcript of my interview with TEFL Teacher and world traveler Kimberly Rodriguez. (@lil_miz_kimbo)

*Transcripts may contain a few typos. With interviews ranging from 1-2 hours, it can be difficult to catch minor errors. Enjoy!

Kim's Backstory: Why live in South Korea?

Peter Kersting: Now in the previous episode, we talked about what it's like to live abroad long term, as well as some of those challenges she's experienced as the world continues to transform back to, quote-unquote, normalcy. So we talked about that, but what led her abroad in the first place? Today, we'll be discussing Kim's backstory, as well as some of the unique challenges she continues to experience as a Catholic expat in Asia.

Peter Kersting: Kim, we ended the episode with a little bit of a cliffhanger. You told the story of when you first decided to move abroad. I didn't know that you got your masters in South Korea, actually. So that was really interesting to me. But you got your psych degree in Southern California, and you were working three jobs. What was it that said… Okay, I get that you go, "There's got to be something better," but why teaching and why teaching abroad?

Kim Rodriguez: Yeah. Good question. So I worked at Cal State San Bernardino while I was an undergraduate, I worked on campus. And one of my friends that I was working with, she had actually brought up to me the idea of going to South Korea to teach English. She didn't tell me, so that I could go, she was telling me because she wanted to go. And everyone in our office thought she was absolutely crazy. Why would you want to go to Korea? What's in Korea? We didn't even know what Korea was. We knew North Korea and that's it.

Peter Kersting: That is so funny.

Kim Rodriguez: Yeah. So she planted that little seed right before I was graduating and I graduated and she was still going to be in school for another semester. And I was working, working so hard for that year that I was off and I just messaged her one day an