its this or win the lottery...

So I have been doing a lot of thinking about my future over the past couple of weeks and I have come to the unfortunate conclusion that I am more likely than not, going to have to come back to Korea to do a second year.

I thought about my student loan debt and how much it would effect my life back home, should I return to Canada with it at $16,000, which is what it will be when I am finished my contact in August. And there is not possible way that I can deal with it. I have set a date to have it paid off: March 5, 2013. That's the day I turn 27. That's in four years. I don't think its possible.

The economic situation is one scary motherfucker. I had really not thought about its effect on my life until recently. I don't want to go home and perhaps not be able to find a good paying job, and not be able to afford rent, let alone loan payments. And working in Korea I can clear $2,000 a month and be able to throw money at my debt until it reaches a more manageable level.

There is downsides of course. For starters it means another year in Korea. I don't hate it here, I really don't I just miss home. I miss my friends and the places we used to go and the ease with which life was lived. I miss the freedom, I miss the luxuries, I miss snow and C.C.

Also, when I would finally be home for good, in 2011 I'd be nearly 25. With no real world work experience. This is terrifying to me.

But what is more terrifying is the thought of not being able to buy necessities like furniture, or taking yet another loan to go to college, and even the luxuries like vacations and outings and clothes, because I have loan payments.

The credit crisis has, I hope, shown our generation that we need to live within our means. We can't live on borrowed money. CAN'T. So I am aiming to live on my money. And I can't live if all of my money is going to paying debt. I don't want to be paying back a loan for ten years. As it is it will be nearly that.

So unless something miraculous happens, this is the best option I see to paying back this debt.

There are upsides as well. I will be able to do a lot more traveling. I will be able to avoid the career life for just one more year. I will be able to perhaps save some money to get things rolling when I get home.

I may explore other options, but this is the best one I see right now.

So its me and you Korea. Let's do it.