Last Weekend

I am currently enjoying my last weekend in Korea. Next Saturday I leave to return home. It has been quite a year and quite an experience teaching English here. I am very happy I decided to do this and grateful that things have turned out so well. At times, it was not easy and some days were hard, but I will look back at this as a life changing experience. I have to thank my family and friends for all the support and encouragement they have given over the last year. I could not have done it without them!

This weekend I have plans to meet friends in Seoul and pack. I know next week will be crazy. The new teacher arrives on Tuesday. She will start observing and training on Wednesday. I will have a few days to show her the ropes then she will be on her own. I remember that feeling of arriving here and being thrown into everything. It is overwhelming and at times I felt like I had no idea what I was doing. But, it takes time to adjust and eventually everything works out.

I am excited to return home and also sad to leave my students and friends here. My kinder students found out last week that I am leaving and they kept asking why can't I just stay for another year? They also asked if I like Korea or America better. Then they said if I like America better I did not love them. Some days they drive me crazy, but I know I will really miss them when I leave.

It is a bittersweet feeling to pack and say goodbye to life here, however I am ready for the next adventure in life...whatever that may be!!

Cooking Class and Chuseok

It has been a busy month here in Korea. At the beginning of the month I started taking a cooking class on Sunday evenings. There are four classes and every class we learn 2 or 3 Korean dishes. It has been fun and the nice part is the chef prints out the recipes so we can take them home and try it. I am excited to make some of the dishes for my family when I get back home.

Last week I also had three days off work for the Korean holiday, Chuseok. This is one of the major holidays here. Everyone returns to their hometown and spends time with family. I stayed in Bundang and visited sites in Seoul I have not been to yet. I went on a temple visit with my friend Becky. We went on a tour, had a traditional tea ceremony, and meditation with a monk. It was a cool experience. To celebrate the holiday at school we had a fun day last Monday. We played traditional Korean games with the kids and it was so cute to see them dressed up in the Hanboks.

I have 4 weeks left in Korea before I head back to America. I am excited and looking forward to going back, but it is going to be bittersweet to left the people and students here. Life is so different here and I will have to re-adjust to life in the states. This past year has been wonderful and quite an experience. I am looking forward to going home and seeing friends and family.

Here are some pictures from a palace visit in Seoul, my cooking class, our Chuseok celebration at school, and the temple visit in Seoul.

August Update

Hi! Hope everyone is doing well. Things are good here in Korea. The weather has been hot and humid....I am ready for a cool down. Also, July and August are very rainy and last week the river right by my school flooded. Hopefully the rain will stop and the temperature will cool down.

Our August field trip was supposed to be to the pool right by our school, however it got cancelled. The kids were disappointed, but soon got over it. The new semester starts on September 1st. I should be getting new elementary classes and keeping my kinder classes. I think everyone is ready for a change in classes, but I am going to miss my elementary students.

My next break will be September 21st-23rd for Chuseok. This is a very important holiday for Koreans. It is like their Thanksgiving where everyone goes back to their hometown to visit family. I am not sure what I will be doing for those 3 days. I may take a trip to somewhere in Korea or may stay in Seoul and check out some places I have not been to yet. Then about a month after that, I will be back in the states. I can't believe how fast the time is going. When the new semester starts I am sure we will be very busy with the changes too.

Here is a picture of me, one of my kinder students MinJun, and my sister when my family came to visit my school. Isn't he adorable? He is very smart, but quite a talker too!

Family Visits and Japan

Hi everyone,

I am on the last day of my summer vacation today (Sunday). It was great to have a week off work! My parents and sister arrived in Seoul on Tuesday, July 20th. They had a few days to adjust to the time change and see the sights around Seoul. On Saturday, July 24th, we left for Japan. We flew into Osaka and spent three days around there. We also went on a day trip to Nara. On Tuesday, July 27th, we took the JR train to Kyoto. This was my favorite part of the trip. It was not as crowded as Osaka and we saw all the Japanese cultural sites. We had two days there and on Thursday, July 29th, we headed back to Seoul. I was able to take my family around Seoul for a little more sightseeing on Friday. Then they headed back to America on Saturday. It was a great visit, but went by way too fast!! We all had a good time and of course there are a few stories from the trip.

I have 12 more weeks in Korea then I will be going back to the USA! My last day of work will be Friday, October 22th, and then I will fly out the next day. I will be back in St. Louis on Saturday, October 23rd!!! I am looking forward to going back home, however I know I will miss people and things here. It has been a wonderful experience and quite a year!

Later in August we have a field trip to the local pool. This should be a fun and very interesting day. The new semester will also start in 4 weeks. I will keep my kinder classes, but get new elementary classes. It will be nice to have a change of classes.

Here are some pictures from my family's visit...enjoy!

Fire Station Field Trip

Yesterday at school we had our June field trip to the fire house. It was a nice and hot day to be outside. The kids enjoyed it and so did I! It was nice to be out of the classroom for a while. Enjoy the pictures!