#anyway i'm just posting this because i saw some guy on twitter post a study

[a-god-in-ruins-rises]

there is this idea that crime is caused by poverty. it's so popular that people state it as fact. and i think there might be some truth to it. but honestly, i think it's overstated and the relationship between crime and poverty is a lot more complex than people think.

just anecdotally speaking, it never sat well with me because my personal experience has been that criminals tend to be opportunistic predators not people acting out of desperation. i knew lots of people who shoplifted or robbed people and almost none of them were so desperately impoverished that they needed to resort to crime.

they chose crime because it was easy money. there was nothing preventing them from getting a job. they just didn't want to work a 9 to 5. the bandit lifestyle was just a lot more convenient. let those other suckers work their asses off and then you can just rob them. i knew people who were living comfortable middle class lifestyles from boosting and drug dealing.

and the irony is, this sort of behavior actually impoverished our community in a lot of ways. it seemed to me like the crime came first. when my parents group here this area was really nice. then in the 90s and 00s crime became rampant and the entire community went to shit for a variety of reasons (luckily things have turned around in recent years thanks to some tough-on-crime policies). my own family (which was below the poverty line for most of my childhood) has been stolen from multiple times (including our car one time which really fucked us over). these people weren't robin hoods stealing from the rich and giving to the poor and they also weren't impoverished victims just trying to survive. these people were just straight up predators without a conscience.

#i also think culture plays a big part of it too #but i've said enough and don't wanna get too into it #i just know that these people tended to have similar cultures/lifestyles #and were often enabled or even encouraged by their parents #the fact is that by the age of 13 these kids already decided they wanted to live a life of crime #because it was cool and easy #anyway i'm just posting this because i saw some guy on twitter post a study #that seems to support my personal experience #oh also another thing that i wanted to mention #was that while my family was technically impoverished #no one in my family had any criminal inclinations #i mean #a lot of them were drug users i guess #but no one ever robbed or assaulted anyone #no one ever thought “damn we need money let's go shoplift electronics” #instead we all just got jobs #lmao

[bubbleteajuseyo]

I Quit My Job for Ateez and I'm Moving to Korea?| Bubble Tea Talk Thursdays | Bubbleteajuseyo

안녕하세요 여러분! (*＾▽＾)／  

How are you guys?

Have you had water? Have you been resting well? Taking your vitamins? Ate something delicious? Staying warm? Smiled or Jopped yet? Did you Yeosang ponytail dance today? 

Anyways~ let's just jump straight into it.

Am I officially moving?

Well...not exactly. Not just yet. 

Did I really quit my job for Ateez?

Again...not exactly. I quit for content creation, and some (not all) of my content does involve Kpop, more specifically Ateez. 

The plan and goal is to move by Summer 2021, but attend KU's intensive language program in August 2020.

Remember My First Video?

If you guys watched my very first Youtube video, which was tragic, so if you go to watch...I'm sorry.  

*Side note: I have to say though, I've come a long way with actually learning how to use my camera, mic, and ring light. 

Anyways, if you saw that video then you probably remember my original study plan.

Well, things of course have changed since after uploading that video.  And I even made an updated video that goes with this blog post discussing everything. 

The past several months have been a complete rollercoaster and along the way I've grown to truly figure out my 'why' when it comes to what I'm doing with my life and figuring out a plan. Well.....trying to at least.

My 'Why' And Updated Plan.

Not much has changed with my original plan. But there are a few minor changes.

I'm going to be taking the CLEP Exam since I only need one math course worth 3 credits to graduate. This will help me save a lot of time and money, and I can graduate in May 2020.

My next step is saving and attending Korea University's intensive language program this summer. Especially since I discovered it will bring my bank statement of $20,000, that I have to present at admissions, down to $10,000. Which is what I will ultimately need to get my student visa approved for when I do my international transfer.

Hopefully, if everything goes well, I'll be applying to Korea University in March of 2021. Their application usually opens up around the time of my birthday. So for my birthday in 2021, I'll treat myself to applying to KU for my bachelors degree.

My plan is to major in media communications and minor in Korean language and graduate with my Bachelor's and Master's degree. And my overall goal is to obtain my F-2 Visa so I can continue to live and work in Korea, but not as just an English teacher. Instead I would love to work behind the scences in entertainment as a social media manager or still as a content creator.

With all that said, why?

Why do I want to move to Korea?

Why am I doing all of this?

The main reason why I want to move to Korea so bad is because I felt so comfortable and content. As weird as it may sound and even though my last two trips were short, I feel more comfortable in Korea than I do here in the states. And during my two (soon to be three) experiences there, I could see myself living there, starting a new life, and being happy.

Another reason is, 6 years ago when I started my Korean language journey and dove deeper into learning about Korean language and culture, I told myself that I would move to Korea. But a lot of things have been holding me back.

Which we’ll discuss what's holding me back soon.

With so many concerns and fears eating me alive, I kept truly forgetting my 'why' and losing sight of the vision and goals I created for myself. And that made me so frustrated the past several months to over a year.

And while I was slowly forgetting my 'why,' I kept changing my plans on how I was going to get to Korea and just kept pushing everything back. I was getting upset and disappointed in myself.

I was even struggling with my 'why' for being a content creator.

Why do I want to be a content creator so bad?

Why am I trying to monetize my content?

Why am I doing any of this and why do I want to?

I had to figure out the answers to those questions too. I had way too many thoughts going through my head.

Until recently, I forced myself to sit down and organize my thoughts and really get a clear vision as to why I really want to do all of this.

I've gotten inspired by people like Vanessa Lau, Jade Darmawangsa, The Bucketlist Bombshells, and Yoon Sun who all quit their 'traditional' jobs to pursue doing what they're passionate about.

I know I'm capable of so much more than just a regular full or part time job that I truly have no interest in. I want to create content and provide value to those who may feel the same way as me.

I'm also trying so hard to monetize my content in order to, not only pay my bills, but to save up finally go back/eventually move to Korea.

I even discussed this in a recent twitter thread because for so long I have been torn with making the decision to go full-time as a creator. Constantly on this rollercoaster of self doubt and really questioning if I can even do this.

But I truly feel deep down that 2020 is my year, not just for my channel, but in general. 

Which is why I've decided to take this leap of faith with focusing my energy into growing my channel and blog.  And this is why I've been pushing myself more lately and will continue to work harder than before.

This is only just the beginning.

So let's move on to what I mentioned shortly before...  

What's Holding Me Back? Concerns? Fears?

Just like I mentioned before in my video, there are things that have held me back with trying to move to Korea.

As of right now, the fear of getting rejected during the admissions process and the financial part are my biggest concerns.

And after even more research. The one thing I feel like that's going to truly hold me back is the financial part. More specifically, the bank statement that is required to prove I can survive for at least one year on my own as a student.

Which basically is, the visa is what is holding me back. Which goes hand-in-hand with the bank deposit.

Someone can correct me if I'm wrong, but during admissions and applying for a visa, you basically have to provide a bank statement in this packet of documents that you create and submit. Now, visas are very complicated and complex to explain. Which, I can do a whole post/video on this if anyone is interested since I discovered some new information recently and some helpful sources.

But, this bank deposit is typically a large sum of money to display that you can survive for one year (two semesters) or half the year (one semester). As of right now, I believe I have to have a deposit of $20,000 in my bank account to get my visa approved. However, if I take a Korean language program at the university, they will make the deposit $10,000. 

Now, that could remain the same, but it could also increase within the next year. It's very unpredictable... and stressful.

But that is probably my biggest concern and the one thing I'm stressing at the moment. While also being anxious of getting rejected in general when I apply.

Truthfully, after seeing the bank deposit requirement, I almost completely gave up on everything. Saving less than $2,000 in about a year to go for a simple trip seems a little easier. However, $10-20k seems impossible, even if I waited another year or two.

I'm even stressed for saving for the language program this summer.

That's why I decided to hustle doing something I actually enjoy doing in order to attempt raising money. But I also want to do more than just raise money and give back along the way.

How I Plan To Save/Raise Money Through Content Creation:

Let me take some time to explain how I plan to save/raise money in order to make my dreams a reality.

Simply put, using mostly Ko-fi.

I feel like if I'm trying to monetize while being a content creator, Ko-fi is probably my best source. 

Until I figure out how I can do even more and exclusive monthly content on Patreon for people who are trying to support me during this process. 

Ko-fi allows you to buy creators a "cup of coffee” for $3/cup, but its not really cups of coffee. The $3 automatically goes to my paypal and will then go into my savings. 

Also, Ko-fi has this super cute feature that if you "buy a cup of coffee," you can leave a message every time (even anonymously).

Also, I like to think of Ko-fi as a way of "tipping" creators. So it's like tipping $3 or "buying my a cup of coffee" if my content bring you any sort of value, brightened your day, motivated, or moved you in away.

I've even decided that if I raise more than my savings goal, I want to donate it to charity. 

So, if I raise more than my savings goal for both the intensive language and undergraduate programs, I will donate the rest to a charity that I will be having you guys vote on. 

I have four charities in mind ( Polished Man, Shiny Foundation, Unicef, or Reborn Center ).  

I really want to give back to those who do support me along this journey in any way I can. 

So, I have also decided to do a huge giveaway.

Therefore, if I reach my savings goal for both programs, not only will I donate to charity, I will choose one lucky supporter each for both goals to receive a gift box as a massive thank you.

I'll announce more in detail what is within the giftboxes, but I want to give back more than I receive and a much as I can to those who are helping to support me in any way they can.

What If I Don't Save Enough In Time?

Now if I can't raise enough in time for both programs, what will I do then?

Well, just continue saving until I reach my goal to do so.

It's been 6 years since I started learning Korean and having this dream, and I refuse to give up.

If I have to push it back one or two more years, then so be it, but I will make it to Korea no matter what.

Even if I get accepted into Korea University, but can't attend due to not meeting the bank statement requirement, what's great is I can always re-apply again when I do have enough.

It may be a major bummer if I can't reach my goal in time, but I know that I’ll get there eventually.... I hope ㅜㅜ; 

I want to thank you all for reading this blog post. I really hope that as this journey continues, I can inspire many of you to chase after your dreams as well.

This isn't really about me, this is about how many people can I bring with me on this adventure to motivate to take the leap themselves.

Whether it be moving to another country like Korea or just doing what they love, if I can spark the passion within at least one person, then I won regardless.

Thank you so much again for reading this post and if you haven’t already, make sure you join the #BOBASquad to receive exclusive newsletters regarding my channel, blog and my journey to finally move to Korea.

And make sure to subscribe and hit that notification bell to my channel for videos that will possibly go with blogs posts like this one. 

I want to add again, if anyone wishes to donate and support this adventure I'm on, please check out my Ko-fi page! 

All earnings will be going into my savings account for future projects I have planned for my blog/channel as a full-time creator, to save and back to Korea in Summer 2020, and to save and move to Seoul by 2021.

As I embark on this journey, I want to create a community that I can provide value to, especially if they want to follow their heart and move/travel to Korea in the near future.

I really hope you all enjoyed this post and thank you so much for taking the time to read this!

Until next time~

감사합니다!

나중에 봐요! 💕

#Korea #korean language #korean university #korea university #ateez #atiny #kpop #youtube #buy me a kofi #ko fi donations #kofi #bubbleteajuseyo #bubble tea talk thursdays #south korea #seoul