Every time I think about how much time has passed since I moved to Korea, I am taken aback. While I don't feel that my time here has been dragging by, it also doesn't seem to be racing by as quickly as it has been. This week marks three months since I first arrived in…
Continue reading ➞ Life in Jinju: Three Months an Expat
Although this isn't my first year living on my own, it is my first year living so far from my friends and family. In the weeks leading up to the holiday season, I was a little skepticle about how I'd spend Thanksgiving, my first holiday in Korea. But as Thanksgiving day approached, plans became more…
Day in and day out, it's easy to lose track of how much time has passed. As each day comes and goes in my new life, I sometimes forget that it's already been over two months since I first arrived in Korea: excited, hopeful, and a little overwhelmed. Now, as I sit in my 4th…
Last year for Christmas, my friend Hannah got me one of those prompted journals where you answer one question every day, for five years. The idea is that you write every day, and see how you grow and change over time. One question for the month of October that really made me stop and think…
On a sunny October weekend, I was lucky enough to take a trip to two new places in South Korea, Andong and Pohang. The trip was an overnight adventure planned out and taken by my school, so on a cold Saturday morning, I boarded a large travel bus full of students and those who work…
Continue reading ➞ Traveling Korea: Andong (안동) & Pohang (포항)
I think it is inevitable that as we grow, we always believe the people and places we love will grow with us. I think back to 2015, a year full of authentic optimism, a year when I truly believed I could and would call the mountains of Northeast Pennsylvania my home forever. Looking back, I…
When you think about the most important people in your life, friends and family, is there anyone you would cross the ocean for? Is there anyone who would cross the ocean for you? Traveling around the world to see someone is not an easy task. It takes planning, acquiring time off, and booking a flight,…
After almost six weeks of living in Korea, I experienced by first bout of homesickness. While it only lasted for a day, it was still enough that it was front and center in my mind throughout the twenty-four hours. There are a lot of different events that can trigger homesickness for people. For some, it's…
It's hard to wrap my head around the fact that I've been in Korea for an entire month. I waited months that felt like an eternity for the day I would board my flight to get here, and now an entire month has passed since my plane touched down in Incheon. Reflecting on this past…
After two weeks of teaching, all I have to say is that teaching is hard. Quite possibly, it's one of the hardest things I have ever done. I tried not to kid myself going into it; I knew that my babysitting experience and time as a tutor for other college students would pale in comparison to what…
Continue reading ➞ Adventures in Teaching: My first two weeks as an educator
