Well, a little time for reflection. This past year has been pretty phenomenal.
Starting from the beginning, I spent last Christmas with my Dad, Sister and boyfriend in sunny San Diego. We hung out in the pool, barbequed, drove up to LA, and enjoyed some much-needed sunshine. After that, I flew back to Bemidji for New Year's with my friends. I spent time with those people (and kitties^^) I had missed the most while taking time to straighten up my things in the storage space.At the end of February, I headed back to Daegu for my second contract teaching English with MK. I found I really liked my new neighborhood and school. I got a new house, (then I got another one!) I met new people and reconnected with friends from the previous year. Over the past 10 months I've discovered new restaurants, neighborhoods, parks, music, arts, and buses to cool places in Daegu, as well as all over Korea.
I had some sweet visitors in August - My college friend Annie and her sister Gina! On a trip around the world, lucky chicks. They stayed a week and we travelled all over Korea. Daegu, Busan, a beautiful temple in the country, then ended up in style in Seoul.
In September, I embraced my life in Korea and began to truly enjoy my time here. I decided that I could comfortably stay here for another 2 years or so. On Chuseok, I celebrated the Korean Thanksgiving holiday thrice over - two days (of constant eating) with my friend's family, then another day with my boyfriend's family.
I also took vacation to go to Japan for 5 days. I wish it had been longer, but finances ran out. It's an expensive place, you know! I stayed in hostels mainly, save for one night at a cheap onsen. I ate my fill of amazing, super-fresh sushi, bought (and illegally transported!) more than my fill of sake, saw some castles, and shot across the country on bullet-trains. Quite the life.
Oh, and I can't forget the world famous Kobe beef... that melts in your mouth... literally. No knife necessary. It's like buttah, baby... mmmmmmmm.
And delicious okonomiyaki. Yeah... It's all about the food for me. ^^
Since September, my job has gotten harder to bear, my rabbit has been seriously ill, I've had to move, I began a frantic (and expensive) search for a new job, but I'm finding myself more and more in love.
Since September, US home prices dropped by a record percent, the world economic situation has become dire, the Korean Won has hit a new high against the US dollar (thereby decreasing the value when I send money home), but a black man was elected president of the United States.
Good luck and well wishes to all in the new year. That includes you, America.
