Gyeongju is Korea

For lunar new year I traveled to Gyeongju with 3 lovely ladies. Gyeongju is a very historic city with many temples, royal burial mounds/tombs, and the home to the Silla dynasty capital. Instead of boring you with the details, this time I will let my pictures to the talking. Enjoy!

(L to R) Me, Christie, Rosemary

Kirstin and Rosemary

Christie

Royal Tombs

Tea time with the monk

Pagoda at the National Museum in Gyeongju

Anapji pond

Happy Lunar New Year from Gyeongju, South Korea!

Saying Goodbye

Something you learn as an expat is that people are always coming and going.

Recently I had to say goodbye to two of my good friends here. Jan and Rika. Jan is a German engineering Masters student who was here for an engineering internship. We became friends almost instantly (mainly because I wanted someone to speak German with... HA!). He turned out to be the brother I never had, because he always pushed my buttons but still cared for me. Rika is a lovely South African woman whom I always had a good time with.

When you arrive and make friends, you assume they will be your friends the whole time you are here. Slowly you begin to realize that everyone arrives at different times, which means they also will leave at different times. This life of constant change was a little odd to me at first, but then I realized that we are all here for different reasons. There is, however, one reason that seems to perpetuate most expats and that is the desire to travel. Many people come to or leave Korea for many fabulous far off lands filled with adventure and new cultures to immerse their souls into. I also have this desire, and now have come to terms with the fact that people do leave and it's alright. My college senior self one year ago would have greatly differed from this opinion.

Well, this first big goodbye went alright and I know it is just the first of many.

Here is the group having a farewell toast at my apartment.

Halfway

6 months. 6 whole months. This is how long I have been in Korea right now and I cannot even believe it. To think that my contract is half over and that I have truly established a life here. Recently I find that I often "forget" that I am in Korea. Obviously I do know that I live here, however, it now has become my regular life and seems quite comfortable most of the time. I have established friends in and outside of my city, taken a vacation to Thailand, traveled around Korea, and made an attempt to learn the language. 

I feel this halfway point is a good time for reflection on my time here and to begin thinking beyond Korea (if I do leave.) I cannot begin to tell you how many new foods you try without question when living in another country. Sometimes I ask and other times I just say ok and eat it because that's what's for dinner. Ha! I have been able to meet  people and make from friends from across the globe, especially Germany. I never dreamed that moving to Korea would provide with a good opportunity to practice my German but it has and I am thankful for that. I also have been doing alright at learning Korean. Here is where my conversation skills can go for now: Hello, goodbye, Where are you from?, What is you job?, What is your name?, I would like this, How much does that cost?, Ordering food, Using this and that, random classroom vocabulary, and a few other things. Now this may not seem like much, but I am quite happy of my accomplishment thus far and will continue to study Korean. Lastly, being here has only add fuel to my passion of travel and other cultures. I hear stories from other expats about their travels all over the world and I am instantly inspired to plan my new adventure, job, or trip.

After Korea. What a thought! I do love being in Korea, however I miss teaching music and being immersed in it each day. On the other hand, my students at this school are awesome and I enjoy teaching them..... but I am teaching them English. Then my mind wandered to the thought of working as a music teacher at an International school, but most of them require 2 years experience, which I do not have yet. This leaves me with about 3 options: renew my contract with my school and stay another year, leave Korea to travel for a bit/go home and return to a new job in another city in Korea, or just go home sub until I can find a teaching job. Since I am not keen on settling in the USA just yet, I believe one of the first two options will be the most likely. With that, I don't have to notify my current job about renewing until I have 3 months left on my contract. Right now I have not a clue which one I will pick.... and that's just fine with me.