As of today I'm done teaching regular classes at my school. The next three weeks will be full of speaking tests and contests, special study classes and final exams, and then six weeks of summer vacation will begin. Though I'll still be working quite a bit, I'm going to have more free time than usual, and I'm feeling the need to make good use of it. Thus, project summer. Here are a few things I hope to spend time on in the next two months:
1) Blogging: This blog has been severely neglected in the last year or so. I haven't stopped thinking about things I want to write during that time, but I haven't found the motivation to actually write them. I still need to write about the rest of our January trip (Laos and Thailand) for petes sake! Also, I'm about 90% sure I'll be leaving Korea at the end of August, so I'm feeling the urge to document my life here. I'm hoping to write a post every week or so.
2) Photographing: I always seem to be taking a lot of pictures, but I feel like I haven't sufficiently documented some of my favourite things about Korea, so I want to spend a couple of hours just walking around our town taking pictures. This place is full of good photo ops.
3) Studying Spanish: I bought a "Teach Yourself: Spanish" book months ago and have yet to get past page 5. While I realize I won't be fluent with just this book and two months, I figure it's a good start to learning the language I most want to learn. I should really just move to a Spanish speaking country, as I've picked up quite a lot of Korean without even trying.
4) Reading: I spend too much time in front of my work and home computers. In fact, almost all of my time at home is either spent cleaning, cooking, or watching a computer screen, but when I snuggle up in bed with a book and my boys, I am most content. So, I'm going to read more. Book suggestions are welcome.
5) Working out: We've been going to a local gym for a few months, but my efforts have been sporadic and inconsistent, so I'm attempting to up those efforts to gym visits (or playing tennis) 5 times a week. Weekends are not meant for working out.
Last week I turned 25. It seems like a rather monumental birthday, if only because I can FINALLY rent a car. I made sure to celebrate in style, with lots of good food, friends and fun. D and I had dinner at a favourite Thai restaurant in Seoul, then we joined some friends for drinks and cake (and party hats!) at a relaxed bar, and ended the night at a basement place called "Reggae Bar" that felt exactly like someone's hippy living room. It was wonderful. I decided I would like to have a picnic the next day, so we made our way to the only real park I've ever come across in Seoul and made an afternoon of it, complete with cupcakes, brie, baguettes, and frisbee. Here are some pictures. Only this year did it occur to me that I've had a picnic on every one of my last 5 birthdays. I started a tradition without even realizing, but I fully intend to continue it.
So, 25. I feel like an official adult now, which feels both awesome and terrible. I feel more in control of my life than I ever have before, but also much more responsible for my actions and decisions. I love the freedom I have to live how I choose, but I feel the guilt that comes with it more now. I've also never been so aware of how scary and dangerous the world is, though I feel like it is wide open for me (and others) to explore.
This year has been a test for me, but also an opportunity. I don't
think I would have come back to Korea if I had known that the tension
between north and south would escalate so high this year. It has
caused me a lot of anxiety to be
living in North Korea's backyard, but it has tested my endurance and my
strength of character to have stayed. There is no way to know whether
I will be in danger while I'm living here, but I'm proud of myself for
dealing with the anxiety and being as responsible as I can be in this
situation. At the same time, this year back in Korea has given me the
opportunity to achieve some of my goals. I've had the time and money
to finish two courses I needed to take. I've had the great chance to
meet and work with Korean and foreign artists, and I've been able to
pay back my university debt. It feels like my 25th was a very full
year.
Looking toward my next year, my goals are not so clear. There are certainly things I know I want to achieve in the next 3-5 years, but none of them seems particularly urgent. I think it's a foregone conclusion that I want travel to remain a big part of my life. Though it scares me a bit, I'm not sure I'll ever get over the need to explore and experience new places. I'm also certain that I want art to become a bigger priority in my life, and that teaching has become important to me as well. For the time being, I'm trying to take the societal pressure to achieve the expected standards off of myself. All I want at 25 is to have purpose and balance in whatever I'm doing.
