Two weeks post-Korea...

Two weeks post-Korea...

...the pollution is out of my lungs - a week on the beach and doing yoga has me totally relaxed.

...I'm past the exhaustion from teaching long hours, and I no longer feel like I am constantly performing.

...I still fight my reflex to hug and tickle every kid I see.  

...I still use the Korean courtesies of handing things with two hands and bowing.

...I'm still really excited to see more plants than concrete.

...I still have the urge to sing terrible songs from Barney. WIth arm motions.

...I saw a Korean tv show and somehow sort of felt at home.

...I still say words like 'finishee' and 'changee', like my students would say.

...it feels great and still a little strange when strangers smile at me.

...I haven't eaten any kimchi, and I could really go for some kimchi jiggae (spicy cabbage soup).

...I insist Kyle takes off his shoes when we walk into somewhere. 

...I'm excited to eat fruit that's not wrapped in layers of cellophane.

...I miss the little kids that would run up to me yelling "Bessie Teacher!!"


It feels awesome to have finished the one year teaching contract in Korea. When someone asks, "how was teaching in Korea?" I've gotten my response down to, "Good. One year too long, but we saved a lot of money. Korea's a great place to visit for a week or two."

Getting through the year feels like an accomplishment. I know plenty of people that love Korea, but it just wasn't my ideal place to live. It taught me a lot about how I would like to live and we know what direction we want to be heading next, working on our business and exploring. With money in the bank, we're in our next chapter and things are bright.