Chelsea in Florence Part II

After our interesting adventure arriving in Florence, we finally got to meet up with ROmeo's brother, Javi, and sister-in-law, Shannon. We had planned the start of our adventure around their time in Italy, so the one day that overlapped was precious to us! Around noon, we met them at their hotel (which we had conveniently found last night already) and started a long and fun day!

We started by getting lunch altogether. Romeo and I had already eaten sandwiches, but we went with them to the restaurant anyway. It was really nice to finally meet some of his family. They were awesome!

After lunch, we were able to actually go to the hotel room, It was super nice! Like, as soon as you opened the door, you walked up steps into a seating area with a pullout couch (how convenient!), then there was a suitcase closet room, a bathroom, and finally the "master suit" with the main bedroom and another big bathroom. It was a very posh room, to be honest. We didn't have long to appreciate it, though, because we were off to a bike tour of Florence that Javi had booked for us.

We started the tour around 3pm. The bikes were comfortable and the tour guide was friendly, and even better, spoke understandable-English (not like some tour guides I've had in Korea,which were impossible to understand!)

We got to go to the 4 districts in Florence, which corresponded with 4 main piazzas and buildings. We got to see the Duomo, Santa Maria Novella Square, Santo Spirito Square, and another one that I can't remember. And, I am not at a computer at the moment, so I am not double checking my information; I could be wrong on names or something.

Anyway, the tour was very informative. We learned about some floods and saw statues and cool buildings and weaved in and out of massive crowds in all the places we went. We crossed Ponte Veccio bridge, and my favorite bit of information was about the reason that Ponte Veccio only has gold shops on it, rather than any others: back in the day, the very powerful family that kind of ruled Florence didn't like that the bridge had mostly butcher shops. Apparently, they would dump the bodies of the animals in the river and it would stink. So, being the classy people they were, they made a law that only gold could be sold on the bridge. And, it has lasted til today.

These are some of the best photos from our bike tour!

After about 2 hours on the bikes, we got to have a gelato. My first gelato of the trip, I got a traditional Florentine flavor that was similar to vanilla but more creamy. I enjoyed it a lot.

After the tour was over, we freshened up a little at the restaurant then went back to the Santo Spirito square where there were many restaurants. We ate outdoors at one of the crowded ones, and enjoyed wine and pastas. It was really fun, and the food was great! It has been a culinary delight being in Italy, with so many kinds of meats, cheeses and wines, especially after being in Korea, where there is basically none of the above.

At one point, Shannon (Romeo's sister-in-law) and I went to the bathroom and saw a breathalyzer machine. Of course, we had to figure out how to work it. After some hilarious attempts, we figured out that you use a straw to blow into a hole. I think the machine was messed up, though, because it said we both had 4.0, which if it was true, we would both be dead. It was fun, though!

After dinner, we went next door for some drinks. We met a very interesting old Italian man named Jimmy, who dressed and acted like a 17 year old. He was funny but a little annoying. He kept kissing my hand and trying to chat with us at the table. We had all had a little to drink, so we didn't mind him too much. Finally, around 1am we left and headed back to the hotel. I crashed out and Romeo and his brother went to a bar near the Duomo, which I was later informed that I totally missed out on.

It was a really fun day spent with awesome people. We both had a blast and it set a great tone for our trip.

Chelsea in Florence

It's been one of those days that just doesn't go according to plan... and by some heaven-sent chance, we got super lucky!

So, in order to do this story justice, I have to go back a little while. First, leaving Erin's house:

Erin's dad took us to the train station. from there, we were to take a train to the Frankfurt Main Train Station, then catch a bus to Frankfurt Hahn airport. At the train station in Hofheim, Erin told us that the tickets were about 4Euro a peice, but that they barely check tickets. She said that if we got on, most likely they wouldn't check tickets. If they did, we could just buy tickets from the person checking tickets.

We decided to risk it without tickets and just buy them when necessary. Of course, someone came to check tickets. We were a little nervous, and the person asked us for 40 Euro... per person. We were still processing what was happening when a couple next to us explained that the fine for not having a ticket was 40 Euro and the ticket checking people were very strict; we weren't likely to get out of the fine.

We accepted this, although very confused still, and handed over 40 Euro. Then the girl next to me asked us where we were going, etc. We explained out situation and she relayed it to the ticket person. By some miracle, the ticket master allowed us to only pay the regular fare. What a crazy blessing!!

Even more so, when we got off the train about a minute later, an elderly lady got off and offered, speaking Spanish, to show us where the bus stop was to catch our bus. It was fun to listen to her speak Spanish and to attempt to talk back with her. She was an amazing help to us.

We just barely missed a bus from the train station, but caught another leaving about 10 minutes later. The bus was supposed to take 1 hr 30 minutes, but instead it took almost 3 hours! Our flight gate was supposed to close at 7:25pm, but when we got there at that time, the man at the desk allowed us to check in!

We looked at our carry-on bags and even checked them in the little box: neither of them fit correctly! I was getting a very bad feeling, like I was going to be charged 60 Euro to take my bag on the flight. And, I was sure that Romeo was going to be charged as well.

But, it wasn't a sure thing we would be charged, so we decided to risk it. We hustled over to security but then i realized I hadn't separated my liquids. We had to go off to the side, open our bags, and get out all our liquids. We finally went through, but then I had to get patted down. Then, I had to take off my shoes (outside the US, you don't usually have to do this), and THEN finally got to get my things. Romeo had forgotten that he had a bottle of ketchup in his bag (attempting to avoid the outrageous ketchup packet costs in Europe) so they took that. Then, they asked him "Do you have scissors in your bag?" He said, "No." They said, "yes." It went back and forth a few times before he realized that he did indeed have scissors in his sewing kit.

Finally, it was around 7:40pm, flight scheduled to leave at 7:55pm. We hussled to the gate, and I was still expecting to get some flak about our bags. But, the lady checking boarding passes didn't even mention it! With some amazing luck, we managed to be the last people getting on the flight. And about 20 minutes later, we were airbourne and on our way to Italy!

When the flight landed, we were both exhausted and hungry from a stressful afternoon and evening. We were just ready to get to a bed. We caught a bus going from Pisa to Florence city center. It took a little over an hour, so I slept and Romeo played Plants vs. Zombies on my iPad.

We got to the train station, spied a McDonalds, and ashamedly had that as our first Italian meal. So sad! But, everywhere else looked deserted. After eating, we asked directions to Romeo's brother's hotel. We took the long way, but eventually got there. When we asked his brother's room number, we were told there was no one there by that name. My heart literally sank.

Romeo asked to use his computer to message his brother and ask. Apparently, Romeo hadn't read their itinerary correctly, and they would not be in Florence until noon the following day. I was pretty devastated. I was tired and feeling sick, and now we didn't even have a place to sleep. I almost started to cry.

We went around to a dozen different hotels in the area to find a room, but they were all fully booked. I started to lose it at one point; my bag was getting heavier by the second and it was looking grim for us. The thought of sleeping on the sidewalk somewhere broke me.

We finally found a place that had one room available, at a rate of 110Euro. I thought we should take it, since no where else had any space at all. But Romeo didn't like the idea of paying so much. I didn't either, but what else were we to do?

Romeo asked me to wait a second while he walked across the street to ask some people where some hotels were. I waited and watched him speak to a group of about 4 girls and 4 guys. They were young. After about 3 minutes, I see Romeo give one of the guys a hug. I walked across the street to see what was happening.

Apparently, Romeo had told them our story and they offered to let us crash on their pullout couch. I lost it - I couldn't help the tears coming. The guy who offered us the couch, Justin, gave me a hug and I was so overwhelmed with gratitude. They were students from America studying at the university here in Florence. They walked us back to their apartment, and I got to talk with the girls a bit. They were all so kind. Justin's roommate, Ken, chatted with us a lot and he's actually from Houston, although he was studying out of state.

We got to their apartment, which was a little ways away, but bearable. We crashed almost immediately. I slept until 10am, which was amazing. Their apartment had no windows, which I would hate to live in, but thankful to sleep in for a night. We offered to take them to breakfast, the least we could do for their hospitality, but they had to go to class and Ken wasn't feeling well. Ken ended up showing us a great sandwich shop to eat at, and directed us back to the hotel to meet Romeo's brother. Thankfully I added him on Facebook and we hope to return the favor in some form or fashion back in America.

I literally cannot believe the luck we have had on this trip so far. While we have gotten intosome potentially terrible situations, we have survived thanks to the kindness of strangers. I am so thankful and we definitely want to pay it forward in some way, because I'm sure these adventures won't be our last on this trip!

Next up, I'll share about our day spent with Javier and Shannon, Romeo's brother and sister-in-law.

Chelsea in Frankfurt

We arrived yesterday at 5:25am at Frankfurt Main Airport. Thank goodness!!! What a long flight. We tried to be smart and get seats with extra legroom, but unfortunately those exit seats = prime real estate for people waiting in line for the bathroom. *Sigh*...

Romeo had the unfortunate seat on the end, and several times people would hold onto his TV in order to brace themselves walking by. If he hadn't been so tired, I'm pretty sure it would have pissed him off. Fortunately. we were both beyond exhausted and didn't pay much attention. The flight took off a little after midnight, and I was asleep almost immediately. I woke up about 30 minutes into the flight, got a toothbrush from the flight attendant, brushed my teeth and got my pillow, then went right back to sleep. They served a meal about and hour and a half in, and Romeo woke me up for that one. Afterwards, I fell back asleep.

I was so happy when I woke up and looked at my watch; it had been almost 5 hours! I had hoped that I could get some decent sleep on the flight, but sometimes it's difficult. Anyway, I dozed for a few more hours, then started to watch Oz the Great and Powerful, ate the provided, better-than-expected breakfast, and we landed not long after. They cut the movie off an hour before we landed in order to give an in-seat tai chi demonstration video. The people in the seat next to me followed long... I just laughed.

We landed early and headed to customs. The line was insane. This woman behind me kept pushing me, even though there was clearly a long line and pushing me wouldn't help move any quicker. Romeo and I were so delirious we started laughing at this sign. If you are an EU citizen, you were meant to go to a different line. The sign read in German and English, and we deduced that bürger in german means citizen. So we pondered: is a citizen of Hamburg a "Hambürger" or a "Hamburg bürger", and are thieves from the area referred to a "Hamburg bürger burglar"? Yes, these were our musings...

Finally we passed customs without incident, then went to collect our bags. While Romeo was in the restroom I managed to get all 5 of our bags off the conveyor *flexes muscles!*

We arrived at the arrivals gate around 6:15am. We didn't see Erin, so I managed to find some free WiFi and connect to send her a message. Since our flight landed almost an hour early, she had assumed we wouldn't be done with customs and baggage claim until almost 7am. However, thankfully, she was close enough and we only waited around 15 minutes for her.

Seeing her was super awesome!!! I was so thankful that she had her car, and we didn't need to navigate busses and trains with 8 pieces of luggage. We drove back to her home in Hofheim and I marveled at the architecture and how homes are actually homes, not massive apartment complexes. It really hit me at that moment: this was the first time in over 13 months that I've been outside of Asia! I've got to say, it feels pretty good!

We toured her home, which is absolutely gorgeous, met her mom, and had a snack. Apparently, Erin and her mom are doing the paleo diet, so I had a grilled cheese made with paleo bread. It was surprisingly very delicious! Her mom makes the bread, which is even more impressive!

After that, Romeo went for a run (on which he did get lost, as I predicted. However, he did manage to find his way home before we sent out the search party), and I took a much-needed shower. Around 10:30am, we got a wonderful and also much-needed NAP!

When I woke up around 1:30pm, I wasn't feeling very good - probably a combination of jet lag, allergy meds hangover (my throat's been bothering me a few days now), and eating airplane food. I took a bath, and it was like magic! When I got out and got ready, I felt much better!

We then went out on the patio and had some authentic German beers. They were ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS!!! Maybe it's the fact that I haven't had easy access to decent beers in over a year, but these beers were scrumptious. We found out that Erin's dad' friend and friend's daughter were coming for dinner, so we got ready for that.

We had a nice little dinner party including: Erin, Erin's mom and dad, Romeo, myself, Steve (Erin's dad's work friend), and Lauren (Erin's dad's work friend's daughter). We ate Indian coconut chicken curry, homemade by Erin's mom (code name: Betty Crocker), as well as some maple spice cake (paleo cake, regular buttercream frosting). Amazing!

It ended up being both Erin's and Lauren's birthdays the following day, so we all decided to go to this local bar in town. We headed there around 9:30. I still wasn't feeling 100%, but for Erin's birthday, I sucked it up and we stayed out pretty late. After the bar closed, some guys who were friends with the owner invited us back in side for more shots, and who are we to refuse free shots?! (Well, the photo on the right shows how well I handled said free shot... lol)

Eventually we left and went to their home which was very close to Erin's. By then, I was totally over the night (being still jet-lagged, tired, and not feeling great), so I eventually wrangled everyone up to head home around 4am. As soon as we got in, I passed out!

This morning, I couldn't believe how early I woke up; the sun was barely peaking over the horizon. I took another bath (Erin's house is so nice but it's FREEZING!!) in order to warm up, which was nice with the barely dawning daylight coming in the windows. Around 9, I made my way downstairs and eventually everyone (except Romeo, who was still passed out), came down and we had the BEST breakfast: fresh rolls and breads, farmers market strawberries and fruits, hams and cheeses, yogurt, etc. It was delicious.

On that note, I'm seriously dreading leaving Erin's. It's been WONDERFUL to relax with a friend in a comfortable, normal sized home with fabulous regular food and great drinks and awesome people. The thought of heading back out on the road again is a little daunting!

Anyway, after breakfast, I took a shower and began seriously packing my backpack for the flight tonight. It was a bit of a task, but eventually I got it all sorted. I love my new backpack (ordered from REI thanks to another travel blogger's recommendations!), and I fit *most* things I wanted. Now, we are figuring out all our plans for getting to the airport, getting the bus from Pisa to Florence, then getting to Romeo's brother's hotel. Here we go!

Next stop: Florence, Italy!

Chelsea in Shanghai

At the moment, Romeo and I are sitting at the terminal in Shanghai. We are completely exhausted. It is about 9:30pm on Monday night...

We got up this morning at about 3:45-4:00am. I got ready (a girl has to look pretty, right?!), and we headed out to get the airport bus at 5:10am. We ended up having 4 rolling suitcases and three backpacks between the two of us. We were really worried last night about the number of suitcases we were allowed, the weight maximums, and the checked baggage size allowance. I think we repacked half a dozen times. 

When we got to the airport, it was pretty busy for 6:30am. We found our check-in desk and approached the desk with a smile. Can’t hurt to schmooze the person who has the fate of our luggage in his hands! I mentioned to him that I saw on the website that for flights to Europe, there is no official baggage number, but two or fewer is recommended. He told us no problem, so we loaded up 5 bags between the two of us. 

On the fifth bag, he said, “Oh, my mistake. Only 2 bags per person.” I looked at him quite confounded, and told him once again that the website says otherwise. He said “Yes, but it was my mistake. Only two bags, but this time, it’s okay! Next time, only two bags.” We thanked him and agreed, “of course!” (ha! “next time”)

At that point, we left the desk and no more than 2.5 seconds later did Romeo remember an important document that was in his just-checked luggage, which had literally just left the conveyor belt. We hummed and hawed over if we should attempt to retrieve it, but ultimately decided that we would risk it at security (the document states he is allowed to have the medicine he is carrying with him). If security wouldn’t let it fly, we would have to run back to the check-in counter and try to find our bags, dig out the paper, then go back through security and try to make our flight. We were feeling a little scared at this prospect, so we booked it to security. I mentioned about changing currency when we saw the banks, but we decided security was too much to risk to take the time now.

We got through security without instance. They stopped Romeo’s bag with the meds, but they were more concerned about an icepack than the medicine.

When we got through that, we had to take a train to the concourse. This took some time, plus a desperate need for a tea latte and some breakfast warranted a stop at the Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf (my favorite coffee place in Seoul). We grabbed a bite then headed to our gate. Since I didn’t see any more banks, we decided to change money in Shanghai (cue the foreboding music).

We boarded the flight, and had a pleasant two hours in the air. We had been a little nervous about flying China Eastern, as we had heard from my coworker about a bad experience she had had with them, but it was actually enjoyable. In the two hour flight, we got a meal and two drink services. Both of us knocked out, myself before we even took off the ground! (Of course, the takeoff woke me back up temporarily). 

When we landed in Shanghai, we went through customs and had to get a special stamp in our passports that said we were allowed to be here for only 1 day (since we are only here for a layover, we are allowed to go into the city without a visa, but only temporarily). Once that was completed, we looked for a place to convert some money. We found one place before going into the arrivals gate, but I suggested we wait and try at a bank branch (my experience in Beijing taught me that banks are a much better place to convert currency). Well, we never found a very good deal and ended up having to pay a commission. Super bummer, but Romeo’s cool-calm-and-collected approached leveled me out. I wanted to try to find a way into the city and find a bank there that wouldn’t have commission fees, and all this jazz, but he reminded me that in the long run it’s really not that much, and if it allows us more time to enjoy the city by just sucking it up and paying, it was worth it. So, fee paid and cash in hand.

Once that was completed, we checked our big backpack for the day so we wouldn’t have to carry it around and then headed to the Maglev high-speed train. It is the fastest passenger train in the world! We got round-trip tickets and then headed for the city!

On the Maglev high speed train.

The train took about 8 minutes all told, and to give you some perspective, the subway takes an hour and a half, the bus an hour and 15 minutes. So, 8 minutes is a HUGE improvement!! We then jumped on the subway from there and went in search of my first requested site to see: the iconic Shanghai APPLE STORE!

Blueberry bunching happens in apple stores all over the world!

Despite having done some fairly thorough research (or so I thought), we ended up going to two different WRONG locations before finally finding it. We walked around the area that the Oriental Pearl Tower is located, and the Apple Store is across the way from that. We were honestly pretty wiped out by then, but we knew we had more to see! I grabbed a bite to eat (my hunger was getting the better of me). Unfortunately, I think I’ve been getting some allergies because my throat has been killing me for a few days. So, I opted for some spicy and sour potato noodles with beef. They were a very different flavor than I’ve had before, but not bad! I ate most of it, and gave Romeo the rest. He was appreciative.

When we left that area, we headed for the Yu Yuan Gardens, another spot on our Shanghai list. Unfortunately, we were not aware that one of the subway stations (the one we needed to change at, of course), was closed due to some military parade (we think). Anyway, it took a couple back-and-forth rides to be sure, but eventually we found a roundabout way to get to the area we were headed for. 

We walked for what felt like forever through some pretty interesting buildings and TONS of people hawking their wares. Romeo and I both got a little snack - he had some candied fruits and I had cotton candy (which was way overpriced!). We were too late to get into the gardens, but the area was kind of Old Shanghai, and it was interesting! After a lot of walking, my feet were dragging. Although, I did get a souvenir I had been wanting: a jade ball. It is this single piece of jade that is intricately carved with layering balls within it. The guy originally said 180 CNY, but with the sneaky help of Romeo, we got it down to 50CNY! So, less than $10. ;) After that, we decided to go take a river cruise.

We had planned this (sort of), and it was the most expensive thing we did, but it was great (albeit a little short!) We got great views of the Bund as well as the crazy Shanghai skyline all lit-up at night. We rested for a bit, had a Chinese beer for a treat, and then headed up top for some photos!

As you can see, it was gorgeous and bright! However, when we got off, it was time to head back to the airport. We took a long ride on the subway then caught our return trip on the Maglev train and ended up back at the airport at 9:08pm. Now, we are just waiting to go back through security and board our flight for Germany. It was an exhausting and full day. I can’t wait to brush my teeth (hopefully on the flight!) and have a shower (t-minus 17 hours til that can happen...). Erin is meeting us at the airport and I can’t wait to see her!!! Overall it has been an interesting and very enjoyable start to our journey. 

China has a lot of people, and a confusing subway system!

Here's to my Monday, Wednesday, Friday Kids

I wrote so much about my Tuesday/Thursday kids, I'm not sure I have many words left for my Monday, Wednesday, Friday classes! But, I'll do my best, because I know in 10 years I am going to want to go back and read this and remember them. So, I'll do my best. Here we go.

Saying Goodbye

Well, I can't believe it but my time in Korea has officially come to a close. I am finished with work, have said goodbye to everyone, and I am heading to the airport in about 5 hours. It has been an emotional, bittersweet week. I am so excited about my eminent travels, but also incredibly sad to leave this place I now call home. 

An Ode to Tuesday/Thursday Classes

Tuesdays and Thursdays have always been my favorite days of the week. Initially it was because I had a 40 min break between classes those days, but not Mondays, Wednesdays, or Fridays. Then it was because of one single class that made me actually feel like a teacher. And finally it became because of all my classes (plus the break!). I relax much more on these days, and I enjoy my classes, schedule, and kids. It's possible this is due to the fact I only have to deal with the kids two days a week, instead of three. But, I'm going to think positive and say the kids are just awesome these days. So, here it goes...

Yeoju : Wonju : Chungju : Suanbo

One of the biggest benefits of extending my contract an extra month was that I was going to get an extra holiday. And, it's one of the best Korean holidays, too: Chuseok. This is basically Korean Thanksgiving. They get 3 days of the week off, plus the weekend, so a total of 5 days off of work! To see what I did during Chuseok last year, refer here. Otherwise, keep reading.

Teacher Day (Aka: 6 Days to Go!)

Sometimes, as a treat to the kids for being good, I give them one day in class every once in a while where they get to be the teacher. It started back in the spring when I had 4 students in the class, but it has since dwindled to only two. But, today I let the kids have one last "teacher's day," as they call it, before I leave SLP.

10, 9, 8, 7 Days to Go!

So much for writing regularly until I left... but at least now hopefully there will be something interesting to say. Well, one can hope.

11 Days to Go!

I realized today that my flight out of Korea is in 3 weeks! It's getting so real the closer it gets. I am feeling the pressure of getting everything ready. Between mailing the majority of my things back to America, packing for Europe, and getting a few last minute essentials for my backpacking adventure, it's been a whirlwind, and only promises to get more crazy before I leave Korea!

12 Days to Go!

Well, it's Saturday here in Korea. I didn't blog last night, so I am making up for it here. It's been a long past two days! Yesterday, of course I had work. It was a pretty good day. Today, I packed as much in as possible. After all, I only have a few more weekends in Korea! :O

(Lucky) 13 Days To Go!

I am blogging right now during a break from packing. Yes, I said it! PACKING! Can you believe it?! I sure can't....

Happy Anniversary, Korea!

August 24th was the anniversary of my arrival in Korea (technically, August 23rd was the anniversary of my departure from America). I've been in Korea for over a year now, and I have to say I'm having a lot of mixed feelings about leaving it.

Yangpyeong Motel Excursion and Luxury Wooden Bed

Have I mentioned that I bought a new bike? I honestly can't remember. I bought it from Craigstlist a few weeks ago, and sold my old rusty tank. My new one is definitely an improvement over the old one. I actually really love it. Anyway, since I only have a few weeks left in Korea, around 6 weeks when I bought the bike, I've been trying to use it at least once a weekend. So last weekend, Romeo and I decided to do an excursion he had been wanting to take me on.

Going Short, Again.

Well, in my last blog I wrote about how my bank card went missing. Well, when I discovered it was missing, I was on my way to get my hair cut! When I got things sorted, Romeo lent me some money so I could still keep my appointment. And here are the results:

Lost: Kookmin Bank Card

Well, something everyone dreads has happened to me in Korea. I've lost my bank card. I had made it almost 12 months in this country without losing something significant (ID card, bank card, etc), but now my record has been tarnished. Yesterday, I decided to try out the new Smoothie King that BauHaus has put in around the corner from my apartment. I ordered an Angel Food, and as I pulled out my phone (which doubles as my wallet in Korea), I had the sinking realization that my card was not in its usual location. Here's the deal...

Jeju Island (Thursday)

Since I had had a very adventurous and active last two days, on Thursday I decided that I needed to do some intense leisure. I knew I needed to get up to Jeju City at some point, and decided that since I'd heard they have the best beaches in the north, I would go sooner rather than later in order to make the most of my day.

Jeju Island (Wednesday)

Wednesday morning came and I was still tired from my full day on Tuesday. But, I knew I couldn't waste any time on Jeju! I wanted to accomplish something else today, so I decided to make my way to Udo Island on the east coast of Jeju Island. I debated about renting a bike and biking TO Udo, but I couldn't figure out the actual distance and if there were actually decent roads I could bike. I also wasn't sure about the cost of renting a bike here or there, so I asked the guy at the hostel again, and he told me that they could rent me a bike for 10,000W for the day, but it was too far to ride to Udo (~40-50km). I figured I might could do that, but I wouldn't want to turn around and come back in the same day. I decided to take a bus to Udo and rent a bike there.

Jeju Island (Tuesday)

The following morning I woke up early and got some breakfast at the hostel. The provided eggs and toast and cereal, so I made some scrambled eggs with toast. I then asked the hostel worker guy for directions to a bus that would take me to the beginning of Olle Trail #6. He gave me directions, I grabbed a couple bottles of water and a snack for my backpack, and hit the road.

Jeju Island (Monday)

I'm finally getting around to writing my blogs for my summer vacation last week. It was a whirlwind vacation and now that I'm back, I just haven't had the time and energy to write. But, at long last, here it is. For summer vacation, I wanted to get out of Seoul. But, with my contract ending soon and plans for Europe falling into place, I didn't want to break the bank either. I decided that taking a domestic flight down to Jeju Island would be the best course of action.

Inaugural Bike Ride

Well, I mentioned a few weeks ago that I recently bought a bike. It is a "folder" but it's more of an iron beast. I will probably never attempt to fold it and carry it, as it weighs a ton. Literally. But, anyway, with it being monsoon season, I haven't had many chances to ride it. I have taken it to work and back a few times (on the rare day that it wasn't pouring rain), but this weekend I had my first chance to really ride it!

Hansel and Gretel

So this week has been madness. Summer vacation is next week and it's been quite a week leading up to that. We had monthly tests on Monday. We usually have 1 week to grade, write comments, make report cards, get approval from Jackie, and hand them out to students. Well, this week Jackie decided we should have everything back to the kids before summer vacation begins. With 5 classes taking a test on Monday, that meant I had around 50 tests to grade, write comments, and make report cards for. It has been extremely stressful! On top of that, the week after vacation we are having writing contest (again) so we had to make all our classes writing prompts to hand out this week. Bonus, Tuesday we had to leave work early to go to a staff dinner. I don't think I've been this stressed about work in a while! But, only 2 more days and then I'm officially on vacation!

Color Me Rad: Seoul

Well, my dad left this past Thursday. I was a bit lazy in uploading his diligently written blog posts (sorry, dad!) but they're up now! It was really amazing to have him visit and we got to spend a lot of time together. I wish it hadn't rained so much because Korea really is beautiful (too bad he could barely see any of it thanks to the fog and haze and rain). Alas...

Scott in Seoul Part V

This the last entry for guest blogger Dad.  It’s been a wonderful week.  After the slow start with my luggage and a soggy yet event filled weekend, the last three days have been good.  Museums, palaces, secret gardens and public transportation. 

Scott in Seoul Part IV

(This was written one week ago, on Sunday, July 14!) 

Today was not as eventful as we had planned.  Mother Nature put a damper on outdoor activities.  Then again, rain is what happens during monsoon season.  So, plans got altered but we still had a great day.  With a late start to the day we headed over to see Ed, Heather and the kids.  Chelsea had a hankering for some good ole American cuisine. A Subway sandwich and a double chocolate cookie did the trick for her.  I opted for Taco Bell challupas.  

Scott in Seoul: Part III

The weekend got off to a good start. I tried a Korean style burger joint that reminded me of a place in Perryton, Texas, called The Dixie Dog: flavorful and greasy. The fries weren’t greasy and spiced really well. In the afternoon I checked on my route to the military base near the Museum of Korean History.  This was to be my first time venturing beyond the ‘hood, taking the bus and subway without Chelsea.  My time to meet Ed (my buddy from the Air Force) was 5 P.M.  Between putting some cash on my T-money card (transportation), catching the bus and subway it should take a little less than one hour.  I figured I should give myself some “get lost, then get found time” so left an extra 30 minutes early.  Good decision Scott.  

A Saturday with Dad in Seoul

Back to Chelsea again... I asked my dad to write a blog about our adventure from today, and I have yet to read it! I wanted to write my own post and have his be completely separate; we will see how the two points of view compare :)

Scott in Seoul: Part II

It's Chelsea's dad here again. My first days in Seoul have been uneventful.  As of Wednesday morning, still no luggage.  I guess my luggage spent an additional day in Beijing seeing the sights.  I did call in the morning and was informed they were in Korea, or perhaps that was just to get the American off the phone...  Oh well, more waiting for me.  

Dad Comes to Korea: or, Frustrations with Traveling

As the title suggests, my dad has arrived in Korea! It was not without hiccups, however...

Scott in Seoul Part I

Hello to all of Chelsea’s blog followers.  Once again, Chelsea has a guest blogger.  This time it is ole dad.  I came to SW Asia about 20-plus years ago, but this is my first time to East Asia,  Anyway, the trip over was your typical international, multi-leg, multi-airline, 24+ hour day.

Recently in Seoul

I feel like I should write a blog tonight. Not about anything specific. I just felt like it was the right night for it. I have been putting off blogging for a few reasons. Mostly, I have been having a great few months and I weirdly don't want to share my happiness with the world. Might sound selfish, but this blog is completely public and sometimes you just want to keep those happy memories to yourself and those closest to you. I want to keep them treasured in my heart, rather than out on the open blogosphere for all to see and read. But, life has been interesting lately so I should probably share a bit...

Daecheon Beach

Well, this weekend was another adventure. I am getting addicted! I think Muju re-lit the spark in my adventure spirit, and now that I feel more comfortable and confident in taking the buses into the Korean countryside, I think it will probably be growing into a full-fledged flame.

Geocaching: Kyung Hee University

I hate when, after an incredible weekend, you feel that let-down of "real life" and the boringness of everyday routine. Of course, nothing would followup last weekend without being a bit of a let-down. But, I still felt a little 'blah' regardless. It's the ups and downs of life, I know. 

Muju Firefly Festival: Part II

So, where was I? Ah, yes. I stepped off the bus in Muju and had one of those "woah, what now?!" moments. I was kind of on a high from having successfully navigated the Seoul/Korea public transportation system (with the amazing help of the tourist information hotline!), so I was feeling brave.

Muju Firefly Festival: Part I

I am so excited to be writing this blog post right now! I haven't had a really good adventure to write about in quite some time, so this is extra exciting. This weekend I ventured out of Seoul into the real Korean countryside and had a blast doing so!

Lotus Lantern Festival

This blog is a bit late. And by a bit, I mean like several weeks. Back in May, before I went to Busan, I went to the Lotus Lantern Festival here in Seoul. It is a Buddhist festival to celebrate Buddha's birthday (I think), but basically there are a TON of lanterns hung around and a parade of gigantic lanterns. So, after some delicious Mexican food at Vatos in Itaewon, my friend Romeo and I went to the festival.

Bibimbap and Other Korean Foods

I've been missing veggies lately. Odd feeling, but its there. So, after work tonight, I went to the local market and bought some sprouts, carrots, potatoes, bibimbap sauce, and eggs. I decided that since my favorite veggie-packed Korean meal is bibimbap, I would give it a try making it in my own kitchen...

Busan: Sunday

Can't believe it's taken me a week to finally finish my blogs about Busan! I've kept myself busy and out of the technological world this weekend, and it was a very welcome break! I watched all three Lord of the Rings (Extended Editions) on Saturday (which took, including breaks, about 13 hours!) It was a mad idea but I loved it. I am lucky that I have a friend and neighbor here that is as much of a LOTR freak as I am (and can actually quote the movies BETTER than I can), so we watched together. But, anyway, back to Busan...

Busan: Saturday

After our late night Friday, and having gotten so little sleep before, everyone slept in on Saturday morning. Unfortunately, I was relegated to the bunk next to the massive east-facing window in our room, so I was awake at 7am... I napped off and on until 9, then just played Candy Crush on my iPad until the rest of the girls woke up a little while later.

Busan: Friday

I have been really terrible about writing blogs recently. I guess I have just gotten a bit busy with work. It is nearing Open Class season so there is a lot of stuff to do at work and by the time I get home, I am so exhausted I just fall into bed. I am also running in the mornings, so I don't usually have extra time. Finally, with the weather gettting beautiful again, I take advantage of all the time on the weekends! This past weekend was Buddha's birthday - a national holiday here. So, I took advantage of the extra day, and went on a mini-vacation.

Korean Kids Say the Darndest Part IV

Here we go again. My kids are so stinkin' cute sometimes, that even when they're being "naughty", I still laugh. It's the curse of being a teacher. I need them to respect/fear me, yet I think they're all hilarious.  For example:

Running

When I very first got here, someone told me about a running path near a stream in our neighborhood. Did I ever go look for said running path? No. Did I even have a clue which direction it was in? No. But, in March I started to feel like I really needed to exercise again. So, when I happened to be pointed in the direction of said running path, I decided to make running a priority again...

Henry

I know I really need to up my blogging game. I reread a few of my early posts from the fall tonight, and realized that I have seriously fallen off the wagon! I vow to try to do better... As for right now, I have some good news!

Teacher's Eyes Are Sick

As the title suggests, I am having some problems with my eyes. For several months, my left eye has had on-again off-again redness and sensitivity. It wasn't conjunctivitis, because there was no discharge or itching, just redness and a little light sensitivity. I got some eye drops from the pharmacist and have generally written off the problem. It would happen again every month and a half to two months, but would always go away within 2-3 days. I am not a big fan of going to the doctor, so I avoided going.

Meetup: Gyungpo Cherry Blossom Festival

This blog is a couple days past-due, but I have a good excuse, I promise! I will get more into that in the next post, but basically I've been having some eye trouble. But, Sunday Gramma and I went on a Meetup trip to Gyungpo to see the cherry blossoms!

A Day and a Half

Gramma is not as dedicated of a blogger as myself and my mom have turned out to be. Alas, I am going to blog our adventures from the past day and a half... Since she left off at lunch on Friday, I'll pick up with Friday night when I got off work.

Gramma in Seoul

Hi to all of Chelsea’s followers,

I am your guest blogger today.  I am Chelsea’s adventurous Grandmother.  I was in Belize earlier this month with Dos Amigos which is a dental/medical mission group that goes into the mountains of Southern Belize to offer care to the Ketchi Indians. One village we went to had not had any Dr. or DDS. In their village since we were there last which was seven years ago when we were there. I told you this so you would know I am adventurous.

North Korea Hysteria

Everyone is freaaaaking out about the "elevated tensions on the peninsula." Everyone, that is, except the people living on the peninsula in question. I have literally not heard a single Korean mention the situation, and life is going on business-as-usual here. The media reports are blowing this situation up, but there is virtually no indication of "imminent war" here. So, in response to the dozens of emails and messages asking the same question, I have an answer...

Speed Dating

As the title implies, I tried speed dating this weekend! The company that puts on international parties hosted a speed dating event yesterday in Gangnam, so I signed up on an impulse. I got Meghan to go with me, thankfully, because I really didn't want to go alone! (I read a stat that says 60% of females go to these events with their friends, 90% of guys go alone!)

The Rosie Diaries: Saying Goodbye

After about a month of indecision, I decided this week to find Rosie a new home. I felt like the reasons I got her were just not working. While being a sweetie and very cute, she did not provide much alleviation from loneliness and just seemed to be another responsibility. On top of not feeling like I was getting much out of the relationship, I felt guilty most of the time for not spending as much time with her as I should. And, I couldn't let her roam around my apartment because of the small places she could get that I couldn't rescue her from. So, with a heavy heart, I decided to look for her another home.

Babies

This is a post that I really wish I had photos for. Unfortunately, I don't. Today I went to Eastern Social Welfare Society in Hongik University area of Seoul to volunteer with the orphan babies there. I went with a friend I met at church, who goes every Sunday.

Meetup: Nami Island

While I ended up wasting my entire Saturday in bed recuperating from Friday night's excursion, I did take advantage of my Sunday. Meghan and I went on a Meetup to Nami Island on the upper Han River. Nami Island is about 5km in circumference and there are loads of tourists, but most of them are SE Asian rather than American or other Caucasians. So, basically, Meghan and I were the only white people. We saw a French couple, and I thought I spied another girl but couldn't be sure she wasn't Asian... 

Turning 23

Well this past week was my birthday! I don't have the best track record with birthdays. I always get quite wrapped up in everyone else's enjoyment, and don't usually have the best time myself. Thankfully, that was only partially accurate for this year as well.

It's Official... I Love Korea.

This weekend I came to a realization. I love Korea. It's taken me a while, and there's definitely still some things that I don't like and haven't gotten used to. But, in my day to day life, I love living here. I guess that's why I am looking to come back for another contract! It's kind of crazy...

(Korean) Kids Say the Darndest Part III

This post, we will focus on some of my older students. While my youngsters are adorable and at times hilarious, mostly they are annoying (especially recently!). On the other hand, my older kids have been particularly amusing. Today was a gold mine, so I had to share immediately.

Introspection

There are so many weddings happening back home these days. The combined forces of getting older, and being away from everyone, makes it seem that everyone I know is getting engaged or married right now. Of course, it's not actually everyone. But it's a lot. And it kind of emphasizes to me a bit how I've been feeling lately (which actually doesn't have much to do with weddings...)

Changes

The past couple of weeks have held a lot of changes for me here in Korea. I'd like to say I don't mind change, but admittedly I don't care much for it. I get used to the people I have in my life, and when someone leaves it, or my situation changes, I feel less in control. Which I hate. With a passion. So, the past couple of weeks have been a bit hard for me.

Noise Basement

Well, the 3 day weekend is upon us! March 1st is Korean Independence Movement Day and it's a public holiday. Korea has surprisingly few public holidays, so we have very few days off. While I wish this extra day off would fall a little further into March (since we just had Lunar New Year, and our next holiday won't be 'til mid-May), I was still excited to get the extra day off.

Skiing at Yongpyong

This Saturday, I went on another MeetUp trip, this time to go skiing! I had yet to go skiing in Korea, so I decided to go for it. Skiing is very popular, almost as much as hiking in the warmer weather. Additionally, the 2018 Winter Olympics will be held here so I took the opportunity to hit the slopes where that will be happening in a few years.

Yukhoe and some Hangul

This week has been really great. I've been writing mostly about Beijing, but in the mean time some awesome things have been happening as well. It was so nice to only work 3 days after I got back from China, and then have another weekend! On Saturday I got my hair highlighted again at Hair & Joy; it looks really good! It was at the point where my kids would ask me "Teacher, why is your hair brown here (points at roots) and yellow here (points at ends)?" In my defense, I think they only noticed it because they are so unused to seeing people with blonde hair. It probably looked like quite a contrast to them, but I don't think other westerners noticed THAT much....

Beijing: Final Thoughts

Tuesday was pretty uneventful; wake up early, pack up everything, check out, and head to the airport. I wanted to write one last blog as more of my thoughts on my experience in China as a whole, rather than try to fit this in somewhere in my chronological account.

Beijing: Quintessentials

Monday, February 11, 2013. 8:00am

Finally having gotten a full 8 hours sleep, I awoke for my final day of China. I had a number of things still left on my list of "Must Do", and was determined to enjoy a full day of Chinese exploration, no matter how tired I was.

Beijing: Mutianyu (Great Wall of China)

Sunday, February 10, 2013.  7:00am

With about 2.5 hours of sleep, I groggily come into consciousness to John Mayer (again) singing to me. But when my eyes finally opened, I saw a pair of eyes in the bunk bed across the room from me looking at me with what I thought was a death stare. I hastily turned off my alarm, and got busy getting ready for my second day in Beijing.

Beijing: The First 24 Hours

Saturday, February 9, 2013. 4:00am.

Having gone to bed at 11:30pm on Friday (rather than around 9pm like I'd planned), 4am came extremely early. But, as soon as John Mayer started singing to me I couldn't stop thinking "I'm going to China today!" So, with a big smile across my face, I got ready for the following 24 hours...

Onnuri

I haven't been going to church recently. I can't say exactly what it was, but I wasn't feeling at home at the church I'd been going to. But, I miss church. So this week, I scoured the internet for English services in Seoul. I found a few large churches, but I really wanted something specific. I wanted to be sure that the church's beliefs and values were aligned with my own. So, I finally found the website for Onnuri English Ministry, which has campuses in two locations. I decided to go to the location near Yongsan held at 4pm on Sunday.

Puppy Fever

This summer I lost my childhood pet dachshund Molly. I'd had her since I was 7 or so, and I remember when we took her home. She lived a long and full life, being the most beautiful and sweet doxie ever known to man. She never met a stranger. She licked you til your skin was raw, but you couldn't pry her off because she was just so darn cute. It was so hard, taking her to the vet that day. She was in pain, been struggling with some heart problems her whole life, and finally it caught up to her. I held her paw as she passed away, but I know she was finally out of pain. I was in mourning for a while, but ever since then there's been a puppy sized hole in my heart. Of course, I still have my other baby, Maggie. And she's been so good! But, I've pretty much always had two.

First Day of New Classes

This is my 100th post. Wow. I can't believe that I've written so many, or that I've been here long enough to have that much to say! It is so close to halfway. It's bittersweet. In the next month, I'm going to be losing Erin (she will go to Germany to be with her family), but we will get a whole new group of teachers. I know that I'll find someone in there that I can bond with, but I'll definitely miss Erin. And while it's so exciting knowing that I've made it halfway through, and only a little more than 6 months to go, it's also a bit sad to think about leaving. As much as I miss home and basically everything, I think I've done well in making this my life now. But, there is a time for everything under the sun...

Schedule Changes

Well, today I got the news I've been waiting for all week. Starting next week, we will have a new class schedule. I've been praying and praying that I get rid of Henry's class, and that I keep my 3SAP kids. So here's the breakdown of what happened:

(Korean) Kids Say the Darndest Part II

My kids are just hilarious sometimes. Sometimes they are total pains in the butt, but on the whole I like them. Which is saying something, because I know a few morning (kindergarten) teachers who say they genuinely like approximately 0 of their students. I'm lucky, because I've got some good ones... Since the last time I wrote about their hilarity, I've been attempting to keep a list. Of course, this list has been spread out over probably 5 different scraps of paper, stuffed into various pockets, and subsequently lost. So, I'm going from memory here...

Beijing Update

Well, less than 3 weeks 'til my adventure to China! I am getting super excited!!! However, there have been a few issues that arose recently.

A Good Day

Today was just a good day. A really, really good day.

Planning a Vacation

Last week I got some bad news that my boyfriend will not be able to visit over Lunar New Years like we had been hoping. I haven't seen him since July 31 and by Feb 9 it will be over 6 months without seeing each other. Thankfully we have FaceTime, but of course that only helps so much. Anyway, it was very depressing news, so I decided that I needed to take advantage of this upcoming holiday (4-day weekend) rather than mourn my lost time with Michael.

(Korean) Kids Say the Darndest Things

I wish I had begun a log at school, of the things my kids say to me. I'm sure I would have a lot more funny things to tell about, but I did make special note of two things today that made me laugh out loud in class.

The Rosie Diaries: The Smell of a Hog

I just realized that I have neglected to do a "Rosie Diaries" entry since I initially got Rosie! I mean, I think I have mentioned her in some other posts, but she really does need her own entry. Things with Roise have been up and down, but not nearly like with Reggie. In general, I would say that Rosie and I get along well.

Happy New Year / Happy Anniversary

Wow, it's January 1, 2013!

It's a time for celebrating new hope, new life, and a bright future.

It also happens to be a milestone in my relationship with Michael: our first anniversary. So, in lieu of lots of writing, I'm going to share some highlights from our past year together, in photos. While these certainly do not cover everything of our relationship in the past year, it does bring back some amazing memories.

Since we began dating, we have both gotten new jobs, moved across the country/globe, and faced hardships in our lives. But, we have stuck by each other's side (emotionally, if not physically), and I am counting the days until we are together again. (FYI: it's 245 days)

I love you, Michael.

Korean Essentials

Jjimjilbang: a large, gender-segregated public bathhouse in Korea, furnished with hot tubs, showers, Finnish-style saunas, and massage tables.
Noraebang: small rooms, rented by the hour, which contain microphones, TVs, tambourines, lighting, alcohol, and songbooks. Think: karaoke (but in Korean) that is only with your friends/coworkers (not in front of an entire restaurant or bar)

Post Office

Yesterday was another good day of vacation, albeit a slightly less active one. Erin and I needed to go to the post office, and decided to go together. I needed to send a few things back to my mom and Michael, and Erin needed to start shipping her things back to her family (namely, her clothes). After a relaxing morning taking my time getting ready, we met around 2:30. I had a bag of things to mail, and Erin had 2 suitcases.

War Memorial

I can't believe it's already my third day of vacation! It feels like it just started. I guess because Christmas was a holiday, it didn't feel like that should actually count against my "vacation" (ha!) and also because I was quite busy! Yesterday, I laid in bed all day and, while that was relaxing, it certainly wasn't a good use of my time!

Winter Woes: Part II

I guess I have to admit it: I'm sick. I don't really get sick that often. But let me tell you, being sick alone in a foreign country without momma here to help, or anyone for that matter, makes however sick you actually are 10x worse feeling. I woke up with a sore throat on Sunday, but was able to fight it off Monday and Tuesday. But Tuesday when I got home from the base, it hit me like a ton of bricks.

Christmas

I'm attempting to get back into the routine of blogging on a consistent basis. This break should provide enough material to write on, but it's when the routine resettles itself come January that will be my real test of endurance. Maybe I should start just blogging my opinons, or ideas. We'll see! For now, it's Christmas here in Seoul...

A Pre-Christmas Weekend

I think I am still a little bitter that we have to work on Christmas Eve. I mean, not bitter... but, it makes Christmas not as exciting, I guess. I shouldn't let something like that affect how enjoyable my Christmas is, but knowing I still have another day to work before I am truly on vacation is really hard. It's been a good weekend, though.

An Assortment

I don't have one central topic for tonight's blog, so it will be an assortment of things that have been going on in my life. Not even sure where to start! I guess I'll go back to the weekend.

Open Class: 3SAP

About twice a year for each of my "SAP" classes (the more intense classes) I have to have an Open Class. Each time it is held, it is a little different. But, in December I have 2SAP and 3SAP Open Classes. I also technically teach a 4SAP but they are also called Leap High and I don't have to do the same things with them. Weird. Anyway...

The Rosie Diaries: The Great Exchange

It is with a small amount of regret and guilt that I write to you now. Reggie is no longer with us. Please, allow me to explain...

Korean Healthcare

I've had my first legitimate experience with the Korean healthcare system. Yes, I had my medical check back when I first got here, but that was mandatory and everything was arranged for me. This time, I did everything from setting up the appointment to getting there to figuring out the system all by myself.

The Reggie Diaries: Handling

It's been a little stressful with my new pet hedgehog Reggie. I only got him on Saturday, but I've already questioned myself in buying him. I know I needed something to keep me from being so lonely, and he is certainly taking my mind off of home, but I'm not sure that it's any less stressful!

The Reggie Diaries: Adoption

I've hinted the past few blogs about a decision I made about improving my state of mind, and in particular my loneliness. Last night I took the plunge and ... I adopted a pet hedgehog.

This might be a total shock to you. I only told a few people about this, because I wanted to be sure I was doing it for the right reasons, and I was sure I really wanted to take on the responsibilities of pet-ownership. After some thinking and quite a lot of reading, I decided to get one.

Speech Contest

Once a year (aka: once a contract), I have to work on a Saturday. Today was that day. I had to come in to work in the MORNING (yuck!) and be a judge/interviewer for the SLP Speech Contest. Back in early October, all the kids had to do a Writing Contest. They HATE Writing Contest.

The After-Effect

I knew this would happen... Mom comes and I live on cloud 9 for a week. And now, she is gone, and I'm back to living in reality. And reality is only a few hundred square feet of living space, a 20 minute walk to work in freezing temperatures, and hundreds of screaming Korean children. *Sigh...*

I need to fill you guys in on what's been happening at work recently. It's a mess but it will make my current state of depression more understandable...

Abby in Seoul Part III: What to Expect When Visiting Seoul

(Blog posted by Abby) I've been in Seoul for 6 days and I will be leaving tomorrow to fly back home to the States. Since I've now experienced it, I thought I'd give some information to those of you who plan on coming to visit Chelsea, or even those who may have stumbled on this blog and would like information about visiting your child or your friend who is Teaching English in Korea. I capitalized that because it deserves it.

Abby in Seoul Part II: So Many Steps

I'm writing this post without seeing Chelsea's blog because she wanted to write her blog and then have me write mine and kind of compare our viewpoints. I am positive I won't be able to remember everything and in the right order, but it will be fun to see her post after I write this one.  I actually won't even TRY to list everything, I think that could be kind of boring!

Whirlwind Weekend

Well, as you saw from the previous entry, my mom is in town!!! She arrived on Wednesday night and it was fabulous! I was eagerly awaiting her arrival when the taxi driver called me. I figured he wouldn't know how to get to my building exactly since it is on a side street, but I looked out the window at the front of my building and there was a van and a little blonde standing next to it looking around! I flew down the stairs faster than I've gone in a long long time, and into my mommy's arms!

Abby in Seoul Part I

It's Abby here, Chelsea's mom. I have finally arrived to visit Seoul, South Korea, but really, my daughter! Thanks Chelsea, for allowing me to be an author of a post on your blog.  I've been in Seoul about 24 hours now. Of course, the trip here lasted nearly 24!  I flew out of Houston on Tuesday morning, and arrived in Seoul on Wednesday evening. Sounds super long, but it's especially that way because I "lost" 15 hours on the trip over. I think I'll "find" them when I return next week.

Preparing for a Visit from Mom

Well, in 24 hours my mom will be in Seoul!!!!!! I didn't realize I would be so desperate for a touch of home only 3 months into my year, but her visit couldn't have come at a better time. It is beginning to be holiday season and seeing my favorite mom is just what I need!

No. 2233 to Dongdaemun Night Market

Thursday (that'd be yesterday) was an unexpectedly awesome day. Wednesday was just plain crummy; the effects of cold weather and living so far from my family and friends wearing me down emotionally. I woke up feeling much better in general on Thursday. Tuesdays and Thursdays are just automatically better, thanks to a free period and generally much more awesome kids.

About Teaching

Mostly I write about my life outside of work. Sometimes I write cute stories, but mostly I stick to what I think people will find "interesting" ... aka: what I can illustrate with photos! But, since this is also partly about me and my journey, teaching is what I do and I need to debrief (so to speak).

Winter Woes Part 1

I'm sure that the harsh, cold, dry Winter will bring many woes upon my Southern heart this year. The past 7 years living in Houston where temperatures in the 40s induce panic and unending Facebook statuses remarking on how frigid it is will certainly make living through a South Korean Winter verrrry interesting.

Korean BBQ

This week is going fairly better than last week, so far. Although, it's only 2 days gone by, so I can't really say for sure. Last week was tons of tests, and therefore tons of report cards to write. That is probably the worst part of my job. Writing comes easy to me, and if I still have a hard time then it must be pretty bad, I'd say. This week has been fairly unremarkable as far as work goes. Finishing up report cards that were delayed due to retests, etc.

Seoul Lantern Festival

Today was probably one of the best Saturday's I've had in Korea. I was productive, got out of the apartment, but I was not stressed out or in a rush or hiking a mountain. This is a particularly good feeling, since the last few Saturdays I've felt were wasted by having to do one thing or another, rushing here or there, etc. Today, I allowed myself the luxury of no alarm, waking up gradually, as my body allowed. It was bliss.