I decided it'd be a good day to blog. It's raining, has been for the last couple days. And not just a little sprinkle or shower, no this is a serious torrential downpour. So I figured I'll just stay inside and pack for home. Packing of course gets extremely old after a while so I needed a break and have chose blogging as a nice diversion.
Much has happened since I last blogged. Mostly importantly, my mom and dad visited me here in Korea! It was a wonderful two weeks that seemed to be over in a blink of an eye, sadly. I had a really great time with them here and sort of enjoyed having roommates. :-) We did all of the sight seeing things here in Seoul and even took a trip to Jeju Island which is just south of the Korean peninsula. (OOOH now some thunder and lightning - liking this storm) Anyway, we ate lots of good food, had some laughs, they met my coworkers/friends, went biking, took a trip to the DMZ (North Korea!), and just really enjoyed spending some quality time together after a year of me living away from home. The last couple weeks have gone quickly. Work is.. .work I guess. Many new faces in the office, making work a very different place.
As of this moment, I have 2 days of work left. Monday and Tuesday, finishing out the month of August. It is definitely what I'll say is a bittersweet feeling. I really love and will miss my students. They are really great kids and such a blast to teach. I also love the country. Korea is a great place to live, amazing food, great public transportation, SO much to see and do every weekend, great friends. However, I have been away from the USA for 14 months. I need to head back for some much needed rest. Change of pace. I have no regrets about my time in Korea; in fact as a common saying here goes, "never say never about Korea" - this is a popular saying by people leaving Korea, i.e. " Oh, I'll never come back to Korea" or "I'll never work this job again" , etc, etc. but for me never is really the last word I'd use. Mike and I could both see ourselves back here, if our lives go that direction. The independence that goes with this lifestyle is something I won't find living in my parent's house.
As for our immediate plans, Mike and I will begin a month-long SE Asia trip, which I have been too busy with cleaning, packing, and just tying up loose ends at work to really realize, starts THIS coming Thursday. We depart Seoul Thursday September 2nd to Beijing. We plan to head to Vietnam next on September 8th, traveling from north to south (Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh)... next a bus around September 18th, over the border to Cambodia (Phnom Penh and Siem Reap- Angkor Wat). On September 24, we fly to Malaysia where we will make our way to a Malaysian Island, (the Perhentians) known for true relaxation as well as great diving/snorkeling. CANNOT wait for that leg of the trip. Last stop is Hong Kong, where we happened to be visiting during a time of a festival. from Hong Kong we head back to Seoul for 2 nights, seeing friends, grabbing suitcases. and then I will be on a flight back to Minnesota on October 5th.
Well, I guess this has been a long enough break from packing and the rain looks like it could be letting up soon. This could very well be my last blog entry from Korea. It has been a crazy, exciting, fun-filled year or 14 months and I couldn't have asked for a better experience!
Here are some pictures to leave you with...
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