For my first blog of the year I wanted to do the cliche thing and review the past year. I want to count my blessings, learn from my losses and move forward into the new year with a few new goals.
I'll start with the last day of last year and work forward as that is when so many things in my life began to change. December 31, 2008 I was living in
Mesta Park in Oklahoma City with my best friend/
lifemate Kate and my long time boyfriend David. This was the day that David moved out. Only a few days before I had told him that I was considering moving to South Korea to teach English. At that point, my hauling off to South Korea was just a thought, a dream. He decided it was best if we parted ways if that was my goal and understandably so. This was the last day we lived together and as he moved the last of his things out I handed him a wooden duck that had plagued our mantel since he moved in. We made a quick joke about how amazing he believed the duck to be and we hugged one last time before he was really gone. There were no tears, just the knowledge that we were prepared to begin the next phase of our lives.
Because he had rendered me dateless for new years eve, Misty and Joe graciously invited me to be their date :) Kate at the time was still living in the hell of Micheal Jackson (not the celebrity, but rather the douche that she had wasted too much time on!) otherwise she would have been my date! As I sat on Misty and Joe's couch I told them about my plan to move to South Korea to teach English. Their response was positive, but even as I was saying the words I remember not truly believing this was a goal that I was actually going to achieve, but rather a passing fascination.
That night went great and I had a wonderful time with amazing friends bring in the year 2009, the year that has changed my life forever.
In January Kate quickly broke up with
MJ and it was the final time AKA the final liberation! To this day we reflect on that day as the REVOLUTION! I was working at a company as an admin and practicing my PR skills by writing press releases and tracking media coverage for my company as well as working as a liaison between clients and programmers. It was a good job, but for some reason my boss, his wife and I couldn't quite find a workable groove between us. However, I met some amazing girls,
Onawa and Brandy were a dream to work with! We had a great working relationship and formed a friendship that I hope will continue on as I watch them from afar.
I also worked at Cafe 501 in Edmond. I worked there about 4 nights a week. It was a great place to work and if I go back to
OKC without a job I hope that they will take me back. I made a lot of friends working there, not just co-workers but the regulars that came in.
All the while, working two jobs and day dreaming of living in Korea I began the search for a job. It wasn't until February that Scott came across a job at
Wonkwang University. He interviewed and got a job and then he suggested me and I interview and was also hired! The same day I found out that I was hired in Korea, I found that my boss at my current company had already posted my job and was most likely planning on letting me go...although he denied that was what was going on.
Getting the job was half the battle. There was a ton of legal paperwork, background checks and other forms I had to get completed and I was only given a short amount of time and no guidance. This is the point I call the turning point. As I sat on my couch with Scott and Kate staring at the list of items I would have to have completed in only two days I had a choice to make. I could tell Mr. Han (my potential boss) that I could not make the deadline or I could cowboy up and get it done. I was so nervous I could have vomited. I decided to send Mr. Han an email telling him I would have the forms to him by the deadline.
After a lot of meditation, prayer and thought I decided my going to Korea was the best option for me at the time and I found an unprecedented peace in my life. I no longer felt unsure or nervous about my decision. Friends and family alike brought up all the questions that had been spinning in my head constantly since the day I decided to go to Korea. Some of the questions were aimed at making me rethink my decision, but most of them I think were just out of pure curiosity. I too was curious what living in Asia was going to be like...at that point I was just going on faith that it was going to work out.
My birthday February 25 - I flew to Houston to visit the Korean Embassy to obtain my Visa. I had to do a short interview and I was approved. I flew back to
OKC where my mom and aunt Barbie greeted me at the airport and we drove to my aunt
Kackie's (aka Kathy) house for a little birthday celebration. It was an amazing day and I was so glad to spend it with my family.
As for my friends, we celebrated my birthday/ going away the following Saturday and I was awed by the turnout of friends I had for my party. The night was beyond fun and we enjoyed ourselves in the final days before my departure.
This was my going away party with my friends! :) A toast to my new Asian life!
The next day all of my family gathered for dinner and I was equally surprised at the turnout I had with my family. Everyone came and offered me hugs and tears as they were concerned that I wasn't just going to leave for a year but for an indefinite time. It was one of those days that you realize how much the people in your life mean to you and how much you mean to them. As we dined together I felt loved and appreciated and proud of myself.
Me with my mom, dad and brother at my going away diner.
March 1st - My first day in Korea!!! I arrived at the airport, bused my way to
Iksan, stumbled into my apartment and slept probably three hours before going to my first day of work. I was nervous and excited but confident that I was doing what I was supposed to do. March went by with me being in complete shock that I was in Korea and that I had actually done it, I actually packed up and moved across the world!!
The entire month was well documented on my blog for a couple of reasons. 1. Everything was new and exciting. 2. I had no life.
I had just began an adventure in teaching and looking back on how my classes used to go I feel sorry for my students at the time. I was clueless about what my teaching style was and I wasn't very good at making my students speak. Now I consider making everyone speak and get involved in conversations my specialty. I have goals for them and a set weekly schedule.
April - Moving into April I was finally joined by Scott who gave me a sense of security and familiarity that I had been missing. It was nice to have that pioneering spirit, but it was even nicer to have someone who understood me completely.
April 4
th was a day that changed me forever and in ways that I can't even completely understand. Even now, 9 months later I still have a problem accepting that the love of my life has moved on and that I will never see him again. The rest of April was like a blur. I was able to go back to Oklahoma for a couple of weeks then it was back to Korea where I went to back to work as a zombie version of myself for a couple of weeks.
May - In May I was blessed to have a friend from Oklahoma come to
Iksan and join me in my Korean adventure. I had met Stormy while I was home for David's funeral. Although we had attended the same high school she was older and we had never met or talked until I was in Oklahoma. She was interested in how I decided on Korea and wanted to join. After countless emails she was here and there was no looking back :) Also in May I was able to travel with some friends to an island, one of my first trips in Korea other than day trips.
June - The first weekend in June Scott, Stormy, Brandon and I took a memorable trip to meet our friend Greg in
Busan. We spent our somewhat long weekend there enjoying the beginnings of Summer and the joys of friendship. Also in June I had the opportunity to travel to
Geoje to visit Greg and to see where he lived. It was my first back roads road trip in Korea (thanks to
Iksan Greg). I got to see a lot of Korea's remarkable country side. And who could forget the beautiful beach in
Gyeokpo and night swimming?!
July - I continued to explore new places in Korea. For fourth of July we went to
Jeonju and enjoyed a lovely benefit auction and then the next weekend was
Mudfest in
Boryeong where Stormy met Anthony and Lee who ultimately changed our Korean experience. After the
Mudfest we traveled to see them in
Osan and we've never looked back. I have spent more weekends in
Osan in than in
Iksan! Other items learned in July --- Monsoons are not to be underestimated!
August - Half the month was spent in anticipation of my trip to Thailand and the other half was spent in Thailand learning about myself. August was yet another turning point in my life. As I sat alone on some of the most beautiful beaches in the world I found myself still feeling incomplete and lonely. At that point I had not faced the reality that David was gone and that he was not coming back no matter how much I begged. At one point in my trip I didn't speak to anyone (more than a food order) for 5 days. When I came back I was quite and changed. I felt a little hardened by my experience. I realized that I could no longer go on pretending that the past never happened, I had to face the truth and realize that I had to move forward (although I'm still struggling with this daily). Thailand was an amazing trip and I made some lifetime friends on those beaches, I in no way would call the trip a fail. I learned that I am even more independent and capable than I ever thought possible!
September - Back to Korea, back to teaching. At this point my classes were getting easier for me to teach and I was slipping into a nice routine with my students and improving my teaching style. This was also the month we made a trip to Seoul to participate in the Mass Freeze.
October - More trips!!! I went to
Daegu for the weekend to visit a friend I had met on the plane. We took all the touristy trips and enjoyed a fun night out. This was also the month of the
Kimchi Festival that I was dying to attend. It was a bit of a let down as far as a festival, but I was able to make my own
Kimchi that made it all worth it :) This was also the month I met Chris, Scottie, Ricky and Mike, Luis and Marcus and
Yarko. I've had a great time with all of these guys and couldn't be happier at our chance meetings. I met Luis and Marcus on a the train from
Daegu back to
Iksan. They were taking the same path as me and I knew that I liked them when after only a few short minutes I had talked them into joining me in the
nore bang (singing room) on the train! The next weekend I met Chris, Ricky, Mike and Scott the country and western bar in
Osan. Yes! I too was surprised such things existed! :) Chris continued working with me to teach me how to two-step, you would think me being from Oklahoma that I would have picked that up some time, but I sure didn't. On the way home that weekend I met
Yarko, who helped Stormy and I celebrate Halloween.
November - November I spent nearly every weekend in
Osan visiting our new friends and enjoying country music/dancing. It was also my first Thanksgiving away from home. It was hard to think that I was missing my favorite holiday at home, but I was comforted knowing that I would be with them in just one month! :)
December- Half of December was spent anticipating going back to the US. I was nervous and anxious. I wondered if my friends would think that I had changed, I wondered if I would be able to deal with being home without David being there. I worried and worried. One of the last nights before I left Korea for home
Dayla, Stormy and I stayed up enjoying wine,
soju and good company. We comforted each other and embraced the changes we had made in ourselves over the time we had been away.
The second half of December was spent in Oklahoma surrounded by friends and family. I had a great time while home all except for the stupid blizzard that thwarted my plans and ruined Christmas with my dad's family. Through the storm I was able to get some good QT with my parents and friends. It was great to be home and I consider the trip home a success. New Years Eve I was at the same bar I brought in the previous year at, but this time it felt different. I felt older and more thankful for everything than I ever have on previous new years.
Going home -Thirty hours of traveling is never fun - but thanks to
Unisom sleeping pills I was able sleep through most of my long flight and so far I've been right back on sleeping schedule!
Looking back on the past year of my life I feel proud that I have accomplished some major goals, learned a lot about myself and did something exciting with my life! This year has been a year of true peaks and valleys and it is a year that I will never forget.
Thanks 2009 for all that you have given me, I promise to take the lessons with me into 2010 and beyond.
