Back to the USA: 2 MONTHS!!!!

On June 24th I hit the exact 2 month mark in which I will leave Korea.  I was at that point that everything started to hit me.  In a very short time I will be leaving a job, friends, and a country that have in some ways altered my perspective of the world.  While there are many things I am looking forward to when I get back there are SO many things I am going to miss about this place.  In some moments the 2 months can't go by fast enough, but for the most part, they seem to be zooming past me in nanoseconds.

This past weekend I got to hang out with some of my dearest friends I have made while being here.  We had a fantastically Wicked weekend doing and sharing some quality girl time; from checking out the horse races in our dresses and hats to dinner to being memorized by Wicked to dancing the night away.  If these women stay in my life I will truly consider myself blessed. (Angie is a given as our bonds are unbreakable.)

As my time here in Korea winds down and my time with friends grows short I wanted to reflect on some of the highlights of my time here.

1.   Orientation - where lots of friends were made and many Korean firsts were experienced such as drinking soju, hanging outside a mini-mart openly drinking, Korean fried chicken, Korean pork cutlets, and norebang.

2.   Daejeon - climbing the mountain in Daejeon with my sister Angie.  We were not as prepared as we normally are and we were exhausted and a bit cold on the way down but the views from the peak were amazing.

3.   Daegu - My first trip to Daegu where I met all my wonderful Korean friends that I have seen far to little of while being here. I have never laughed so much with new friends than I did that night. And it was one of the best rock shows I went to and where I entered my first beer chugging contest thanks to my friend Jin.

4.   DMZ, the first trip - It was on the first trip to the DMZ that I met some of the people I now consider among my dearest friends and sneaking a picture in the 3rd tunnel was priceless.

5.   Holidays at the pension - Holidays spent with awesome friends made me forget some of the things I was missing during that time.  One of the best holidays I ever experienced.

6.   Kim visiting - Kim's visit came at just the right time. She brought a little bit of home and it having Angie, Kim and I together just always makes life better.

7.   Trips to Costco - always an adventure and usually gives me time to hang out with a good friend over samples and hot dogs and sodas.

8.   All other friends visiting from USA - Who knew Korea would be such a draw. It was amazing to share my Korea experience with friends and reconnect with friends I haven't seen in years.

       

9.   This past Wicked weekend - I pretty much said it at the beginning but I'll say it again. I have a dear fondness and affection for the women I spent last weekend with; they have truly made my Korea experience amazing.

And of course...    

Notes from my students

10. Teaching – I love, love, love teaching these kids. Every day I am surprised and amazed. While every job has its shares of ups and downs, and this job is no exception, the highs definitely outweigh the lows.  There is not one, ok there is one, of these kids that I would not go to the mattresses for in a heartbeat.  They are the hardest part about leaving Korea.  The notes, stickers, drawings, etc. they have made for me I will treasure for the rest of my life.

"Drinking" our tropical cupcakes pre-Wicked

Not too bad after not showering.