A Brief History...

Good day everyone. Our names are Rafael Sabio and Anna Helane Winchester Sabio and we are EFL Teachers in South Korea. We have been here for a combined time of over 7 years. Since our departure from The United States, our lives have been filled with adventurous moments. Allow us to start from the beginning...

Ralph Sabio

Born and raised in South Florida, I grew up as a bilingual. Having learned two different languages simultaneously was a huge benefit to me. Whether I was in school or with my parents, it didn't matter; I was always being exposed to English and Spanish. Being bilingual afforded me the opportunity to learn from two different cultures; now, an invaluable resource.

Going through school was always an obstacle for me. I wasn't really attracted to the whole "learning" thing. I was a bad boy, always misbehaving and cutting up, until I entered high-school. Here, thankfully, is when I realized that my future depended on my everyday decisions. I quickly turned around and soon began preparing myself for college life.

During my university years (thank you Ernie and Tony Diaz my two best friends whom always indirectly pushed me and showed me that I had what it took to go to a good university and not just settle on a community college), I worked for a wonderful and caring company called Paradigm Properties in Gainesville, Florida. Here, in Gainesville, I had found a great home. I eagerly wanted to graduate and begin a long and prosperous career with Paradigm.

While attending The University of Florida, I met a lovely woman named Anna Helena Winchester. Some how, some way, she captivated my every ounce of curiosity, and later, my love. I found it hard to believe that a woman of such intelligence, beauty, and charisma could be single. After many years of dating, she gave me the honor of becoming her husband.

Her childhood dream was to travel around the world while teaching English. Anna, upon graduating from The University of Florida with a linguistics degree, took off to South Korea. We were both under the assumption that she would return and that would be that...little did we realize it was the beginning of a new future for us.

After 6 months of being back, Anna finally convinced me to come to Korea with her. It wasn't easy for me to leave my position at Paradigm. I was comfortable and had made a home for myself and my future family. Anna, having lived in Gainesville all of her life, didn't want to make her hometown her permanent place of residence. She wanted to travel; to see other parts of the world that she has always read about and seen in dreams. Understandingly and reluctantly, I submitted my resignation to Paradigm and began my journey to the opposite side of the Earth.

A little more than three years later, Anna and I are content with the decision we made. We have made good friends and trustworthy companions. This didn't come without its' pitfalls. We, like most other people entering a country for the first time with the intent on living there for an undisclosed amount of time, met shady, corrupted people. This was a complete shock to me as I didn't know how ramped and open these people were. It's amazing; who's to say there isn't something new to be learned everyday. Presently, our lives are full of excitement and joy; we can't ask for anything else. We only hope that others starting a new life in another country have the same benefits and opportunities that my wife and I have been so fortunate to have. From the bottom of my heart, take care and don't ever be afraid to endeavor into the unknown.

Anna Helane Winchester Sabio

I grew up just outside Gainesville, Florida. When I was young, I would hear my parents talk about their experiences overseas, but never thought that I would have the opportunity to travel very far. One day, a speaker at my school mentioned that a career in teaching English can be a ticket to almost any country. Right there, a seed was planted.

Years later, I began to look into ESL jobs and found opportunities all over the world. I majored in Linguistics and minored in TESOL. Every time the work seemed like too much, I would just get on Dave's ESL and look at all the places that this degree could take me. I picked up odd tutoring jobs and a part time job at the University of Florida English Language Institute. During that time, I worked with a large number of Korean students.

One day, I mentioned to the father of one of my students that I was considering working in Koje-do. He and his wife stated very emphatically that Koje-do would be way too remote and recommended that I come to Wonju. The rest, as they say,  is history.

I've been here almost 4.5 years, and I really enjoy it! Don't get me wrong, I get tired of the yellow dust and washing machines that don't work...stuff like that. However, overall we have a great time. We teach young children at a local elementary school. Watching them grow and develop academically and physically is quite a privilege. I work with an excellent staff, and get to meet parents that value their child's education far more than parents would back home. Overall, our experiences in this country have been excellent. For that, we are truly grateful.