The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

The past few weeks in Korea have been simultaneously busy and restful, if that is possible. Work-wise things have slowed down as we finished the fall session so I haven't had any stress on that front. However, it is the holiday season and I've had plenty of things to celebrate in my first Christmas season away from home.

To start, I ended up having an amazing birthday weekend thanks to my friends in Korea. A good friend of mine who lives in Seoul came down Thursday night for dinner and trivia, and brought me some delicious cookies and tea! My coworkers surprised me with cake and sparklers at lunch and then Britny and I had people over for an End of the World party, where I got some truly thoughtful presents. It was so nice to spend the day amongst friends and it definitely made me feel less alone and more settled heading into Christmas.

I spent Christmas day in Seoul as the guest at my friend's work potluck gathering. I had such an great time and about half of the people there were from Virginia so I was able to play the "what-friends-do-we-have-in-common" game. Its funny how small the world can be sometimes! Anywho, I ate yummy food, stole some presents during White Elephant, and had a blast playing Catchphrase. I headed back down to Anyang for the evening so I could prepare my first solo Christmas strata and skype into Christmas morning back home. My parents connected me to the TV so I could see everyone and it was almost as good as being home. I'm a little surprised at how easy it was to be away from family during the holidays, although I have to give a lot of credit to technology for making communication so easy.

It may be the season, but I have been very contemplative the last few weeks. I have been examining my  friendships and figuring out why the people in my life are so important to me (many of you will be getting letters about this in the near future). Since I have been in Korea, I have found myself questioning many of my beliefs about life and what I want out of it. It is slightly terrifying because I consider these beliefs to be central to who I am, and without them, I feel less sure of myself. I feel like I am in limbo; behind me are the things I thought I wanted, in front of me are the things I actually want, but I am in the middle and can't see either very clearly. I'm trying to embrace the confusion and stop over thinking and just enjoy whatever life chooses to bring me.

Hopefully, my vacation will give me some time to sort things out! That's right, tomorrow I leave the snowy, 13ºF that is Seoul for sunny 82ºF Palawan! I have never taken a trip with less planing, and my only real goal is to swim and hike and read. My satisfaction threshold is really low, so something would have to go outrageously wrong for me to be disappointed on this trip!

xo Julie

Hitting My Stride

Things have been going good in Korea. Well, let's rephrase that, things have been going great in Korea.  As the title implies, I really feel like I'm finding my place in here. My parents will tell you, I was a bit of a mess my first week or two here. I was completely overwhelmed not only by a new culture but the huge life transition of leaving the familiar (college, home, friends...) for a real life with real responsibilities (bills, work...). I was excited and terrified and nervous and jet lagged and there were a fair share of tears.

But slowly and surely, I began to make this place a home. A home that is full of friends and adventures and laughter. I've pursued my passions, both old ones and new ones. I've made the unfamiliar familiar. I'm a regular at (many) coffee shops. I've managed to navigate banking and bills and setting up a cell phone in another language. And although my Korean is still terrible, I can get around OK on my own (with the help of my translating app and some hand motions).

There are still things that surprise me about Korea, and things that excite and frustrate me as well. And I hope that it will continue to be that way for a while. But its nice to feel comfortable here and to know I have people to be with when I don't want to be alone. Although I'm sad not to be with my family during the holidays, I'm excited to spend them with people who have quickly become very important to me.

Anywho, I hope you are all having a wonderful holiday season and are eating all the good food I can't cook here (although I finally got a toaster oven and can (try to) bake some goodies). And happy end of the world! If something goes down I promise I'll give you a heads up :)

xo Julie

Cold

I love winter. I really do. It is my favorite season, full of rosy cheeks and snow and sweaters and hot chocolate. But winter in Korea might truly test my resolve. Veteran English teachers have told me that this cold snap we're in is unusual and came far too early and that it shouldn't get *too* much colder, but I hesitate to believe them. Korean cold is the kind that seeps into your bones, leaving your extremities permanently cold (perhaps that might just be the lack of heating in my office, but I rarely feel comfortable and warm). Korean cold is wind that cuts to your core. Korean cold is wearing three layers on every part of your body. Korean cold means snow and ice that never seem to melt, creating an outside venture into an ice skating adventure. 

To combat this cold, I've just booked a vacation to Palawan in the Philippines! I have a week of paid leave between each session, and mine falls the week of New Years. I leave at 8:00 AM New Years Day and am planning on just staying up the night before to ring in the New Year and then heading to the airport. It is a short trip, 5 days/4 nights, but I found a decent deal on a flight and my 3 STAR HOTEL was only $140 for the whole trip and is on the beach! I'm so excited to relax and explore the island and the Filipino culture (and eat delicious food!!).

 This is where I will be in 3 short weeks!

I had a very relaxing weekend decorating and organizing my apartment. Saturday night, an Irish friend in Anyang had a mulled wine party (probably my favorite winter drink) complete with delicious mince pies! I got terribly lost trying to find her place, but made my way there eventually.

I had a proper 'lie in' on Sunday (this is one of my favorite British terms as it perfectly describes lounging in bed but not sleeping) before meeting a few friends to go to an art exhibit in Seoul. The museum had a special exhibit on Anish Kapoor, an artist I really only came to appreciate after taking a 3D art class and learning just how difficult it is to execute abstract 3D art. After the museum we went and delicious food at this noodle place. I also had my first 7brau, a Korean IPA that was so good it made up for the disgrace that is Cass and Hite. All in all, a very excellent weekend! 

7 brau makes 3 types of beer: Pilsner, IPA, and Stout.

This is my favorite piece by Anish Kapoor. When you stare into the blue hole you truly loose all sense of orientation and it looks like you are staring into the abyss.

xo Julie

And I just got hit by a car...

To top off a glorious day of food poisoning, a car legitimately hit me in a crosswalk on my way to trivia (granted at a very slow speed and it was just my arm....but still...). Expats here talk a lot about how Koreans are terrible drivers and never yield the right of way to pedestrians, but this was the first time I have had a car actually refuse to stop when my crosswalk light is green. The driver also had the audacity to roll down his window and ask for my number in case his car was damaged! Sometimes Korea.... you drive me crazy!

xo Julie

Snow and Food Poisoning

Well the big news here is that is snowed! We got about 5 inches total yesterday and it was magical...until the cars started driving and turned the city into a gray-brown slush pool. But anyone who knows me knows how much I LOVE snow so I was excited to see the first snowfall!

My new wind/water/snow-proof jacket arrived just in time!

Snow from my office building!

On the bad side, I spent the entire night up with a grueling case of food poisoning. Not sure if I got it from the restaurant I ate lunch at yesterday or contaminated kitchen stuff cooking chicken last night, but either way today has been a lay-in-bed kind of day.

Lucky for me, the new instructor arrived last week and because today was pretty light on classes, she was able to go in and teach them for me. Its so nice to have another foreigner in the office to talk about Korean-isms that can be frustrating. She's also my roommate and things have been going great so far!

So what have I been up to the past few weeks....  Well I've hiked a couple mountains (surprise surprise) and explored Seoul a lot. I spent one Sunday with a friend shopping for Christmas presents in Insadong, an area known for its traditional handmade crafts. We also visited an English bookstore in Itaewon (the 'forgiener section') which I will now make many pilgrimages too as they sell used English books at a great price! I also explored another adorable area called Samcheong-dong after a hike where I finally tried honey bread- a monstrous dessert served in coffee shops here. For some reason, Koreans think this is an American dessert, which, to my knowledge, it is not. It was ok, but for 1000 calories I would choose to indulge in something with a little more substance!

Honey bread...really only something you can appropriately order in large groups.

So that's been life in Korea. Not too exciting I guess. Sometimes I forget that I am living in Asia. My life has become somewhat routine, just like it would anywhere. Work, friends, hobbies. Sometimes, usually on the bus ride home from work, I have one of those moments where I think to myself "God I LIVE in ASIA. I have to remind myself that I am living in a completely different culture and I need to go out and see more of it. Other times, I think of all the time I have left here and how I want to focus on building a life with good friends and adventures, not building a photo album of tourist pictures. The key is to find a balance, which I will hopefully strike one day. But in the end, I think life is life anywhere.

xo Julie

A Quick Thought...

Sorry for the lack of substance in this post, I swear I'll update you all on how things are going in the next few days.

I stumbled across this article the other day and it is definitely resonating with me during this adjustment period. 19 Things You Should Stop Doing In Your 20s

I'm a recent college grad with a decent amount of life experience, but still terribly naive in many ways. Starting my first real full job has forced me to learn some hard lessons fast. Those realizations are only multiplied by the fact I'm working and living in a foreign country. Some of my favorites (and most applicable) are:

1. Stop placing all the blame on other people for how they interact with you.
13. Stop considering the same things you've always done as the only options there are.
15. Stop approaching adverse situations with anger and frustration.

If you have the time, read the article and let me know what you think about it!

xo Julie

Bukhansan, Noraebangs, and Volunteering

Hello Internet world! Its been a busy, busy week here in Korea. I feel like I'm starting to find a good balance at work between my teaching duties and all the administrative things I need to get done, so I've been feeling pretty productive. The next instructor arrives in a week. I'm working on making sure she has everything she needs in her apartment so her transition can be smooth (hopefully!).

Good news, I found a place to play trivia in Anyang! This summer, my dad's friends graciously let me crash their weekly guys night trivia game and I had been hoping to find a place here to carry on the tradition. Luckily, there is a pub right near my house that is run by an American and does English trivia on Thursday nights! Its also a great place to meet other expats living in Anyang.

On Saturday I did another hike with Climbing in Korea. I'm starting to think I should rename my facebook album "Pictures of Julie on Mountains (in Korea)". I'm really loving the challenge these hikes offer. Just the right combination of aerobic and strength exercise plus the added adrenaline rush from the crazy routes we take to the peak. This time around I felt a bit more knowledgeable about what to expect and found people asking me questions about the best way up various sections and such. I also got to reconnect with the girl I met from UVA a few weeks back! Its good to feel like I'm starting to create a group of friends in Seoul/Anyang that I can explore the city with!

Icicles on the mountain!

The view of Seoul from 836 meters up.

It says 0 Celsius. Enough said.

After hiking, I had my first noraebang experience. This is the Korean version of Karaoke, but you and your friends are in a private room belting your hearts. This was definitely an activity that was eased by some soju, but I had a pretty good time. Worth the experience, even if I don't go again (although I was able to show off my rap skills, which if I may say so, are superb). See Anthony Bourdain's take on the noraebang for more context here. We followed this with a round of bowling, which caused me to miss the last subway train by less than a minute, resulting in a pricey cab ride back to the city.

Lastly, on Sunday I went into Seoul again with another teacher I met at trivia to feed the homeless. The organization meets every Sunday to buy food, package up the meals, and then distribute them to the homeless around the area. I didn't notice many homeless people in Korea at first, but lately have been seeing many people living in the subway stations. I really enjoyed volunteering for this group, although when it comes to volunteering I like to know more about the particular issue to give my actions some context in the greater socio-economical surroundings. I also like to have a bit more personal interaction with the people I am helping. However, the experience was really rewarding and I met some great people who showed me ways to find other volunteer activities.

I don't have too much planned for this week expect for Thanksgiving themed trivia which *may* include pumpkin pie....

xo Julie

Exhilaration

Today I bought a bike. It might be the best decision I've made here. The ride home from work was exhilarating. The cold night wind blew in my face, making my eyes water and my nose run. My numb fingers grasped the handlebars, occasionally pulling on the brakes. My breath appeared in white clouds that flew by my head. My legs ached as I pushed faster and further down the road. I was a disheveled, runny-nosed, wind-blown, smiling mess by the time I got home, where I cooked a steaming plate of garlicky pasta with broccoli, tomatoes, and shrimp. All in all, I'm feeling quite independent and grown-up in my home of Anyang.

xo Julie

Korean Logic and Other Things

Things have been going pretty well over here in Korea. I have been working a lot so exciting adventures have been sparse. This week my schedule is changing from working Tues-Sat to Mon-Fri, which is SO much better. Its nice to have my days off during the weekend when most people are available to meet up. I have spent some time exploring my neighborhood, which turns out to be in a perfect location. I live in Hagwon-ga (or private school area) which is full of schools and next to an area called Pyeongchon Food Court, which is about 5 blocks devoted to restaurants and bars. Its nice to have so many things to do within walking distance, especially as the temperatures are starting to drop.

Last weekend I went on another Meetup with a different group, to visit the gochujang (or red bean paste) festival and the Seonunsa Temple. The festival was ok, although the smell of fermenting beans and gochujang can get to you after a while. However, I did eat a bowl of the world's largest bibimbap! The temple was really interesting although I wish I had had more time to explore!

A man with a professional video camera made us pose for this shot, followed by an action shot yelling "fighting!". I might end up in some promo add for fermented bean sauce or something.

Stirring the world's largest bibimbap! And no, there were no cases of food poisoning.

I also visited the Seoul Lantern Festival with a girl I met on the apple hike a couple weeks ago. Life size lanterns light up a stream that runs through the center of Seoul. The lanterns begin depicting scenes of tradition Korean life and end with Spiderman and Pororo (a Korean cartoon). Here are some pics for you to see, although my camera is terrible at capturing what they really look like.

The entrance to the festival.

Goblin lanterns under a bridge.

Pororo and friends (accompanied by their theme song)!

Apperently all children from America are Native Americans...

Lastly, I've been encountering many instances of "Korean Logic" in my first few weeks of teaching classes. The quotes are necessary as I am starting to think that logic doesn't exist in Korea. Korean parents (who are crazy picky by the way) would like for me to have extended discussions with their children about colors/textures/etc in art class, but I cannot use a translator. I am supposed to let the child approach the art project however he wants and let them be creative, but the final product must look exactly like the example. These things are completely contradictory, but still expected of me! It can get really frustrating because I don't understand how to give them what they want. A few other non-work examples of Korean logic: while Koreans seem to fairly germaphobic (hand sanitizer, masks, etc) children aren't taught to cover their mouths when they cough and no-one will use tissues, just sniffle. Also, apparently all Korean food is healthy, including white rice, fried chicken, and soju. My logic-centered Western brain is just not getting it!

xo Julie

Ambling Over Rocks and Clods of Earth

Sorry for the long delay on this post, and sorry in advance for its length! Its been a busy week in Korea, and this post may seem a little scattered brained. The title is a refernce to my favorite Neruda poem, which ahs been running through my mind a lot lately. You can find the rest fo the poem

First of all, I moved into my apartment! Yay! Its not perfect, although from what I have heard it is quite spacious as far as Korean apartments go. It has two bedrooms (one is for the next instructor who will arrive in November) with a kitchen/living area (there is room for a table and to move around, but no couch) and a Korean style bathroom (which simply means it is one tiled room where everything gets wet, but not a squat toilet!). I'm still cleaning and setting everything up, but it feels great to have my own space. I live in a residential neighborhood, right next to a park and a middle school. It takes less than 5 minutes to get to the restaurant/late night area and a quick bus ride to both work and the Seoul Metro.

Wednesday night I went to a basketball game with the Anyang Meetup group. While I'm not really a basketball fan, it was nice to get out and show some Anyang pride for our championship team KGC. The fans are really intense and it was fun shouting cheers and jumping up and down. After we went for "chicken and hof" or fried chicken and beer. Fried chicken if big over here, but you DO NOT eat it with your hands, or even a knife. You take two forks and kind of pull at the chicken until a mouthful comes off the bone. It was harder than learning to use Korean style chopsticks. (In case you were wondering, there is a difference between chopsticks, this explains it all.)

Part of the Anyang group at the basketball game.

We won!

We started having some "open classes" on Friday and Saturday in advance of our Grand Opening on Tuesday. It was great to finally be around children and goof off and have a blast! So far, the kids have been awesome, but I have to say that 5 year old Korean boys have about twice the energy as American ones. They were bouncing off the walls and working up a sweat! After they finished playing their moms were wiping them all down with baby wipes. I have learned that Korean really dislike sweat.

My next adventure was hiking again with the Climbing in Korea group. We went to Buramsan mountain just outside Seoul to celebrate one of the organizers birthdays. This hike was way different than last weekend, which was really just walking a paved path up a hill. This weekend was Korean style hiking, which basically means taking the most direct path to the summit, climbing whatever rocks are in your way. After some google searches, I have determined we were scrambling, a mix between hill walking and rock climbing. I have never done hiking like this before, and I had so much fun! It was all about trusting your instincts and committing to every move you made. You simply had to trust that the person holding your foot in place wasn't going to falter, and you couldn't hesitate when you were helping some one else.

Typical Korean hiking adventures.

Taking a rest and enjoying the view. We were about halfway to the summit.

A little higher up, catching our breath.

The final part of the climb to the summit, no ropes involved.

At the summit with some new friends!

I accidentally looked down halfway up this rock. That was a bad idea.

I'm really thankful I was able to do this hike. Its something I never could have managed a year ago, and something I never would have never tried on my own. I now know that I am strong and I can crawl and climb and pull myself up a mountain. It was completely exhilarating (and slightly terrifying) to look down once I finished each section and see how high I was. I'm really proud of myself for choosing to stay with the hard group and I felt even more accomplished at the summit.

After taking a much easier route down, my shaking legs were thankful for some delicious Korean barbecue and some (not so delicious) soju consumed sitting on a toasty warm ondol. The food was delicious and the company even better. After dinner we enjoyed some Korean game that is some kind of mix between volleyball and soccer where I discovered my 5th grade goalie punting skills are still in good shape. All in all, it was probably the best day I've had in Korea so far and I'm looking forward to many more hikes to come!

This week we open our first center and begin our preview classes! Can't wait to meet all the Korean kiddos!

xo Julie

Mungyeong Sae Gae and Apples

This weekend I was able to get out of Anyang and see a little bit of South Korea. Friday night I finally purchased my T-Money Card, which works similarly to London's Oyster Card. The great thing about the T-card is that it works in cities all over South Korea, not just Seoul. It also gives you a discount on the regular fare and allows you to transfer between the subway and the bus on the same trip for no extra cost! Equipped with my handy card, I left my apartment at 5:45 AM ready for my journey. The subway system in Seoul is widespread and efficient and even though I live in a separate city, I am really as close to many parts of city as if I lived in the Seoul proper.

I met up with the Meetup group Climbing in Korea to hike the Mungyeong Sae Gae pass and visit an apple festival. I am really thankful I found out about Meetup so early on because it lets me meet so many other expats (and English speaking Koreans) that I can't meet because I am not with a program. I sat next to a wonderful lady named Miae and we chatted the entire bus ride. Funnily enough, there was a recent UVA grad on the trip as well! We got to spend some time together on the hike and figured out which friends we had in common! I met so many wonderful people from all over the globe who are in Korea for various reasons. Some were new like me, and other had been there for 5 or 6 years. Everyone was so welcoming and gave me tons of advice on living and working in Korea. I will definitely be taking another trip with them soon. It felt great to get out in the country side and hike some beautiful mountains! Not to mention the bushel of apples I brought home! If only I could bake something tasty with them...alas I have no oven. (Side note, I did hear about the possibility of baking in a rice cooker and found this recipe, so here's hoping!)

We hiked through 3 gates that used to mark the ancient road from Seoul to Busan.

 The leaves are just starting to turn so you get a great mix of red, yellow, and green

Hanging out in an Apple Pagoda!

Crazy designs on the apples

I move into my apartment this week! Yay for my own space!

xo Julie

Observations, Frustrations, and Jubilations

I've been mentally developing this post for a few days now and I think it is ready to be solidified. Sometimes I notice that blogs, especially travel ones, can easily veer into the negative side of things. Its not surprising as I think people generally share those negative experience that stick out to them more often than everyday acts of kindness and positivity. It is really important to me that I share both with you all, so here are a few things I have experienced while here in Korea

Observations (these are neither positive of negative, just unique things I have noticed about Korea)
-Parking: Everyone backs into spaces here, even in crowded garages. It takes so much skill and I doubt I could ever master it.
-Elevators: Koreans always seem to take elevators, even if it is just down one floor.
-Bathroom Shoes: They wear different shoes in the bathroom than in the rest of the office. There is a communal pair of sandals left outside for you to use.
-Garbage: They seem to produce so little. I feel like a trash producing machine sometimes!
-Exercise: People seem to really enjoy walking, biking, hiking etc. They always make some excuse to go outside and get fresh air.

Frustrations (no explanations need)
-The packs of older women who stop walking and simply stare at me as I walk past. No amount of smiling or waving on my part changes their expression and I feel a bit like an animal at the zoo.
-I find that I am often laughed at for things I do differently, which on its own I can deal with, but some days it happens every hour and it can wear you down. Examples are: forgetting to take my shoes off at work, putting soy sauce on rice, drinking lots of water, not speaking Korean perfectly etc
-I also find that I have to defend myself a lot, mostly in the work place. I am making a lot of decisions regarding supplies and art curriculum, and am meeting more resistance than I expected. Its not anything that my coworkers are doing wrong, just an adjustment I need to make in my expectations.
-Being left out of the loop. I am often told what I am to do right before it needs to be done (for example, I was told to head to the cafe with my boss and upon arriving found out I was interviewing a translator). I like to know my schedule for the day and prepare accordingly for it, so it has been difficult to just jump into whatever activity is going on without any notice.

Jubilations (to end on a positive note)
-The kindness of the people around me never seizes to amaze me. Some examples:
      -The coworker who always seems to have a treat for me, be it clementines or cookies or simply a smile and good morning.
      -The mother who nudges her child to smile and say hello when I pass by on the road.
      -The hospitality of my boss, who has let me stay in his apartment and always insists on paying for everything, from meals to hiking trips.
      -The coworker who noticed I was cold and brought me a warm cup of coffee.
      -My co-teacher/translator who never hesitates to help me learn Korean words.
      -The waitress at the restaurant I go to for lunch who likes to practice her English with me as I practice my Korean with her. The interaction will always end with a laugh or smile.
      -And many more daily jokes and smiles I can't begin to list

The more time I spend here the more I fall in love with the people, the culture, the food, and the scenery of Korea. I know that some days I'll be frustrated and angry, but that is true anywhere you live. The more I focus on the things that truly bring me joy each day, the easier it is to adjust to life in Korea.

xo Julie

Adjusting

Now that I have been here almost a full week, I feel I can finally update you all on what I'm up to over here. The answer is: not all that much.

I arrived on a weekend, and the first couple days were pretty much devoted to curing my jet lag. My boss showed me around the city on Saturday. I am actually living in Anyang, which is much larger that Gunpo and has much more to do. I was able to explore a bit on Sunday and took a run (albeit much longer than I originally intended due to my utter lack of knowledge of where I was going) along beautiful streams with giant fish in them. I haven't had a chance to take any pictures yet but they will come!

I have spent the past few days delving into all the work I have to do, and let me tell you, there is A LOT. So many aspects of Romp n' Roll that I took for granted (supplies, organization, etc) I am now setting up. I definitely have a lot to accomplish before we open in 3 weeks!

However, I can tell you that working 9:30-6:30 in an office in Korea is just as boring as it is in America. You still get that weird tingling/pain sensation in your upper back and shoulders and I can't stop looking at my watch and thinking "one more hour!"

I'm still apartment-less and the search is going slowly. I can't tell if my boss is sincerely looking or trying to discourage me from choosing to have an apartment (the other option is to live with him, his wife, and his two children). While his offer is really generous and I don't mind staying there for a little while, I feel I won't really be settled and feel at home until I have my own place and can go about my business without feeling watched all the time.

On happier notes, I have been trying some AMAZING food and I decided I definitely like Korean food. I also am finally getting to know some of my coworkers. Only about 5 people in an office of 30 people speak English, and they were a little shy at first. We have now established friendships on the love of coffee, wine, and my ability to do the Gangnam Style dance. I knew that would be useful.

I have a bunch of fun plans for the next few weeks, including hiking the Mungyeong Saejae Trail, going to an apple festival, and attending a basketball game for Anyang's Team! Soon to come: a post on my observations of unique Korean behavior.

xo Julie

99.5

That's how many pounds of luggage I schlepped halfway around the world. Dropping my bags off Thursday morning I was ecstatic. "Yes I made it! No charges for me!" Picking the bags up Thursday evening I was in pain. "How could I have possibly packed so much stuff??"

The flight was uneventful and quite painless, despite the slightly crotchety older Korean man next to me who refused to get up any time I had to go to the restroom which resulted in many awkward lap crawls across three seats. I do have to say the food on Korean Air is probably the best airplane food I've ever had. Customs and immigration was truly uneventful and remarkably quick, although the Korean government now has my photo and fingerprints on file in case I actually carry through on all those crimes I was planning to commit. The real adventure began next.

First, let me just talk about these luggage carts. I knew from my travels in Europe that luggage carts are free and widely used (something America should really catch up on). But the Korean carts were something else. I couldn't use the damn things at all!! After about 15 minutes of playing Tetris with my luggage and the cart, I figured it out. But I felt a bit like an American idiot as all these Koreans mastered them easily and then just started at me.

Now I was a bit worried about being able to find my boss once I arrived. He assured me not to worry and that he would find me. About an hour later, I began to think that wasn't true. So I'm alone at the airport in Korea with 100+ pounds of stuff, what to do? After walking up and down the terminal for a while, peering at various groups of people with hopeful smiles, I decided to page them over the intercom. Still no luck. By now it is 7:00 pm and i have been at the airport for 2 hours. I found a computer to use the Internet and sent my boss and email letting him know where I was and asking for his phone number. He responded immediately saying he thought my flight was arriving the next day and he would be there in two hours. TWO MORE HOURS HERE?? No way. He then decided I should go find the taxi stand, ask them to call my boss, and then he told them where to go. As I slid into the back of the cab, I finally relaxed.

About 10 minutes later the cab driver starts saying something, getting more and more urgent every time he repeated himself. "CHUN! CHUN!" I frantically said "mo-na-ra-dut-kke-sso-yo" or "I don't understand" and he kept yelling "CHUN BLAHBLAHBLAH CHUN!!). Let me tell you, getting yelled at by a Korean cab driver when you have been awake for more than 28 hours is not a pleasant experience. I figured out what he meant eventually (there was a toll booth and he needed the money to pay for it) but it was an experience.

Finally I arrived at my boss's apartment where I will be staying for a little bit while we search for an apartment. I blissfully slept for about 5 hours until the time difference hit me and I ended up wide awake at 1:00 in the morning. An eventual first day in Korea to say the least.

xo Julie

The Final Countdown

So in about 58 hours or so I will board my plane in Richmond to begin my 22 hour journey to South Korea. Finally.

I was supposed to leave in June. And then July. And then August. Who knew background checks and visas were SO complicated?! Nevertheless, I am equipped with a visa, a plane ticket, and (hopefully) an apartment to stay in and am ready (as I'll ever be) to head off. It's actually been quite nice to have been able to enjoy this summer. I got to spend time with my amazing friends and family and have proper goodbyes. I also feel more prepared for the role I am about to take on.

For those who don't know, I am headed to Gunpo, South Korea (a suburb of Seoul) to serve as the Education Manger for Romp n' Roll Korea for the next 2 years or so. Romp n' Roll is a Richmond based education enrichment facility providing gym, art, and music classes for kids between 3 months and 6 years. I began working at Romp n' Roll in high school and have loved the past five years full of summer camps, birthday parties, and classes. Romp n' Roll focuses on play based education, so everyday work feels more like playtime. The company expanded into China a few years ago where it has been hugely successful and now we are venturing into South Korea!

I wavered on the idea of keeping a blog during my time in Korea. I've never been very good at keeping a diary (although my 9th grader journal did last an impressive 27 days), but perhaps knowing someone out there in the vast Internet universe is reading this will make me slightly more dedicated. I'm hoping this will serve as a way to keep people up to date on what I'm doing, from travels to misadventures and more.

Anywho, I should probably get back to packing as I have already filled one suitcase and still have about 8 million things to somehow stuff into the other. I keep adding things to my "DO NOT FORGET TO PACK" list which currently contains 63 items, including my beloved Cookie Monster, who I could not possibly make this journey without.

xo Julie