With the new semester comes change: more students, more classes, longer working hours, etc. Apart from work, I aim to implement changes in my schedule. I want to exercise more and join a gym near my
I really want to explore Korea outside of the city. I love the city life, but every time I look down a street, I can see mountains in the background, quietly resting above the hustle and bustle of my urban surroundings. Its like a constant reminder that there are places that are not here, and they beckon me to escape the noise of all of this, to enjoy the Korea that has always been here.
I've been offered to go to Busan quite soon, but I have been told by the experts that I should wait until it is warm outside to go. I think that a coastal city would probably be best enjoyed in such conditions.
I really want to go hiking up a mountain. I need to get some proper mountain hiking attire (aka not brand new Pumas or Nikes) and enjoy the cool weather that we currently have. I think that maybe being alone in nature instead of alone in an apartment in the middle of a busy city might have a nicer effect. I'll see.
I have been meaning to go to the War Memorial of Korea for a few weeks now, and on Saturday I am finally going. I was waiting to go with others but now I see that if I want to get certain things done here, I need to assert myself.
Plans are easily ditched here in Korea. A friend of mine and I recently talked about this dynamic; He mentioned that since foreign English teachers are here for a finite time (usually a year or two), they have this mentality of "this is not permanent, so I'll treat it more like a vacation" as opposed to college life, where most people accept that they are going to be there for at least a few years. I have to agree with this observation. I am learning a lot about that.
I have never been so financially comfortable in my life, and the economy is great here. There are no obvious signs of recession. This prosperous atmosphere, along with the fact that most everything is new and "different" to me as a 외국사람, leaves me with little feeling of being homesick. I do miss my friends and family, but there is little to miss about unemployment and existential stagnation. If my friends and family could magically move here instead of the States, I doubt I'd want to go back, save for a visit.
I know many people who, despite enjoying Korea, really look forward to leaving. I understand that I am still very new to all of this, but I suppose some people really give a shit about American amenities to the point where they will allow that to determine their path in life.
The good thing is, my life is mine, and I'm not worrying about how long I'll be here or when I am leaving. The autonomy to feel it out / play it by ear, so to speak, is a wonderful thing. I do not feel pushed to leave at all. If anything, I want to continue this adventure and truly Wander.
