So, here it is, the end of May. I've been busy working, living, a bit of traveling. So, I spent some time sorting out the photos from my trip to Thai & Cambodia, then posting them in small-ish batches so that you could enjoy the pieces of my memories. Now somehow June has snuck up on us!
I basically spent March moving in, learning my new job, loving my new house, hating my new job but starting to like the kids a little bit, seeing friends and partying since I now lived in the city. Not taking many pictures, except of my students.
My Flickr page landed on the back burner, as did my blog.
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| Cooking class |
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| My class: Ten 5 & 6-yr olds (Korean age 7) |
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| March birthday party: My class with Young Jin |
Then around the end of the month I met someone pretty awesome and we've been driving around the southern part of Korea, exploring, taking pictures, and spending time getting to know each other. This is probably why months are ripping themselves right off the calendar. But now I'm finding myself in a tough spot. With plans to end my time teaching in Korea, visit MN in lovely October, and move to Australia for graduate school... well, I'm just sad. I knew leaving Korea would be hard~ I mean, I will have had almost 5 stellar years here. The best years of my life, I'd say. Met amazing people from all over, grew, learned, taught. Culture, love, food, music, nature, new traditions, kids, families, friends. All of it making me a better and brighter person, if older.^^ Like I said, I knew it would be hard. On to bigger and better things? Here's hoping.
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| Bull-fighting stadium in Cheong-do |
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| Wine cave in Cheong-do |
The reason I've chosen Australia is multi-faceted. It's a bit cheaper to live and attend grad school there, plus the schools offer the DPT degree I seek. It's a new and different place, so I won't feel like I'm going backwards, with respect to the life I've chosen to lead. Many Koreans move there, especially around Brisbane & the Gold Coast (the area I'm aiming for), so I won't experience such reeling reverse-culture shock. You know, there will be Korean culture, food, not as many people will think I'm strange for playing KPOP or observing Chuseok or eating seaweed soup on my birthday.
So many friends of mine miss Korea, some of them come back, I think for me it would be too much. I would have a very tough time focusing on graduate school, and would just long to be back here. I hope OZ will be a nice middle ground: A place which contains a lot of Korea but at the same time allows me to study and do the work I so long to do. I can't teach any longer. My dreams are bigger than even this, but we'll just see how the next year plays out.
This has been a bit of a rambling post and definitely strayed from my purpose in writing. But, then again, that's how my spring has been. Unexpected and meandering. I will be posting more pictures on Flickr from this spring, bit by bit.
April was cold, rainy. May was cool, rainy. Today is sunny. But every day has in some way been great. Even though I basically want to quit my job all the time, I wish weeks and weekends wouldn't fly by like moments. As much as I hope my contract to be over right now, I really really don't want summer to come any sooner. But it will. Soon enough. Before I knew it, my cousins were married, pregnant, mothers and fathers; my aunts and uncles grandparents several times over; I am nearing 30. Before I know it, I will be. And I'll be a student again, instead of a teacher. And I'll be in another hemisphere yet again. Or at least I plan to be.
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| Tongyeong from the cable car |
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| Geoje Island and others from Tongyeong cable car |
Then around the end of the month I met someone pretty awesome and we've been driving around the southern part of Korea, exploring, taking pictures, and spending time getting to know each other. This is probably why months are ripping themselves right off the calendar. But now I'm finding myself in a tough spot. With plans to end my time teaching in Korea, visit MN in lovely October, and move to Australia for graduate school... well, I'm just sad. I knew leaving Korea would be hard~ I mean, I will have had almost 5 stellar years here. The best years of my life, I'd say. Met amazing people from all over, grew, learned, taught. Culture, love, food, music, nature, new traditions, kids, families, friends. All of it making me a better and brighter person, if older.^^ Like I said, I knew it would be hard. On to bigger and better things? Here's hoping. 
This has been a bit of a rambling post and definitely strayed from my purpose in writing. But, then again, that's how my spring has been. Unexpected and meandering. I will be posting more pictures on Flickr from this spring, bit by bit.
