I moved from Texas to South Korea after a breakup. Twenty years later, I have no interest in going back.

Provided by Ryan Phillips Ryan Phillips moved to South Korea in his 20s to get over a breakup. Now, he's in his 40s and running a farm near Seoul.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Ryan Phillips, 47, the owner of Bearfoot Gardens, a farm in Seoul. His words have been edited for length and clarity.

I moved to Seoul in 2006, the same year my relationship with the girl I thought was the one ended.

One day, I came home from my accounting job to find she'd moved out. We'd only been living together for a couple of months.

I lost it: I remember breaking the phone after we talked. But then a friend who was about to go to Korea to teach English told me, "Man, just come to Korea. We'll find you a job." I thought: maybe that's what I need.

I was 27. And while I'm the son of a half- Korean adoptee , I didn't speak Korean.…