February Update

For anyone who may pop in and be curious, I am still happily whiling away my time in Korea. After the first couple of months mom was less worried, and things were less 'random and strange' and more like home, so I found that I stopped writing. Cheeky, because I meant to, but - well, I didn't! :)

It has been a great year overall.   I LOVE THIS JOB!!  Time has gone by far too quickly, and I'm now in my final month. FINAL month. Insanity!

School, has been amazing. I have loved watching my little ones grow and learn and change. The write, they read, they only speak en English now, they're amazing and I'm so proud of them! I do wish I'd taken more time to write about their growth and changes through the year, but it will nonetheless be something I will always remember.

In June one of my little girls moved to America and her seat was filled the next day by another lovely princess; In August another little girl left and was replaced by a lovely prince. Both of my new babies were almost silent for their first couple of months, smiling but shy, lovely and hard-working and excited and so, so sweet. At the end of October my 3rd student left completing my hat-trick of replacements. This newest princess was crazy-talkative and a liiiiittle bit nutso, but she's a sweet little thing so I just try to channel her energy into things other than scratching and hitting (imagine!). She's learning... I've got one more month!

So yes, my 10 little dolls are lovely, and in the past 11 months they have become self-sufficient little monkeys. They speak English in every class, they use their manners (see Mom, I passed that on already!), they laugh and joke and tease and play, and they're happy about every minute of the day... which makes me one happy teacher.

Korea this trip has been much like the other trips. I got settled into my new little space, bedecked it with some recycled furniture, and got myself more of a routine. I went to yoga and the gym a lot (wow I love hot yoga, wow! wow! wow!), and left my apartment at every opportunity. I never once hooked up my TV, and even my very-celebrated Wii is still in its box from my arrival! I met a couple of really great new friends, and spent time catching up with some old ones. I traveled through much of the country that I hadn't seen before, I picked and roasted green tea, I made wood block prints, I visited museums and memorials, I stayed in a Buddhist temple and made paper lanterns, I ate HEAPS of Korean food, I learned to cook some Korean food, and I even found places to shop where everything was not sized -4 through 6. It's been one hell of a year.

I thought, when I first arrived, that I would probably stay here for 2 years. Grad school is expensive, the money here is good, I'm still (still!) paying off student loans and credit card debt - 2 years and I could be in the clear. A few months ago though it became clear that this year, this one year that I'm contracted for, is going to be my last year in this country that has stolen my heart. I didn't save any money, I only paid for school and paid on my loans, and I'm going home about as well off financially as I started, but sometimes it's about more than just the money.

The past year has been wonderful, and amazing, and beautiful. I've had lots of days where I was frustrated or lonely to tears, and far more when I was laughing and smiling in glee and happiness. But, it's time to go home, time to move on with life now.

That is something about living overseas in a foreign country. The rest of your life? It goes on pause. Teaching is not my job at home, it's not my career, so while I love it and it makes me very happy, it is not making it easier for me to have a life at home by being here, it is in fact making it more difficult the older I get. I have the last bit of school to finish (I need to be home for that part), and then my internship (which I tried like crazy to negotiate here, but I couldn't sort it out), and that's one more thing that can be officially crossed off my list.

It occurred to me late last night that I have not taken any time to pick up souvenirs from Korea to take home with me.  This weekend I'll go to my favourite old neighbourhood and see if anything calls my name, though it could be that after my year I'll be going home with photographs and memories, and that will be that.  If so, that's fine, as those are really the things that are most special to me anyway.

So, 16 more teaching days, 25 more days until my contract ends, and 27 until I say my final goodbyes to this country, starting my way on my next short adventure before the return home (but I'll write more about that a bit later). 

Where, has the time gone?