My diverse group of English training clients all had one thing in common, which was massive incredulity that I would leave my successful career in Hollywood to come work in Warsaw.

Returning from the adventure of living abroad for a number of years, I found myself at an unprecedented low point as I realized that I had no idea what the fuck I was supposed to be doing with my life.

Purchasing a one-way ticket to Warsaw Poland with no job lined up and arriving in August, I’d used up 30 of the 90 days of residence allowed on my tourist visa when I got serious about finding a job.

I had no idea what I was in for when I arrived in Korea to teach kids English, but it was readily apparent that the cultural mores and personal tastes diverged beyond my wildest dreams.

Smart people all over the world hate the thought of doing something stupid, this being universally perceived as the ultimate transgression against our perceived intelligence.

Driving to my new job in Korea, my friend took a small and winding highway flanked by pine-clad mountains. With no signage or buildings on the slopes, we could easily have been somewhere in Germany.