Pondering the Future

I just finished updating the blog with photos from my family's visit to Seoul.  In the week and a half since they left I've been completely exhausted and struggling to make it through each day.  I have felt unprepared for my classes (don't get me wrong here, I still plan!), unfocused, and unmotivated.  When I have a lot on my plate I tend to respond by drawing inside of myself and trying to sort things out--this is exactly what has happened.  Add a nasty cold to that and you've got my week in a nutshell.  

Today I sat down with my principal to start talking about next year.  I had received the "recontracting discussion" email almost two weeks ago and had successfully avoided thinking about it because I simply wasn't ready to deal.  My conversation with Kevin today went really well--overall he's pleased with my performance and offered me the opportunity to continue my contract for a term of 1, 2, or 3 years.  All of this is excellent news and not unexpected, but now this officially puts the ball in my court and it is time to make a decision.

It's funny...at this time last year I was ready to sign up for another three year term...now I'm just not sure.  I consider myself to be a very rational thinker.  I am also a first-class planner.  At the moment my rational, planning mind seems to be malfunctioning.  So I am using the blog as a place to put down my thoughts and seek clarity about this large decision.  Here are the facts:

On the job front...

• I am technically still employed by Spokane Public Schools and am on my final year of a leave of absence.  I am not guaranteed a position at Ferris High School (my former school) if I choose to return.  In fact, I may be placed in any open science position in the middle or high school anywhere in the district IF there are any open places.  It is still possible that I will get rifted in the Spring when the district does staffing for next year.  I really did love working at Ferris and I miss my colleagues and students, but life has gone on without me and I have accepted this.
• I am really spoiled here.  I have access to seemingly limitless supplies for my classroom, my class sizes are no larger than 21 students, I have wonderful colleagues, my students are lovely, we have a lab assistant to do lab prep for us...I do not have the same sort of job related stress that came with constant management issues, students with terrible family situations, etc.
• It has been my dream to live and work in Europe at some point in my future and staying abroad opens up so many more opportunities to make connections with teachers and administrators all over the world.  I'm still praying about the timing of this possibility.
• If I choose to return to the States, I will be taking a significant pay cut from the overseas salary and benefits to which I have become accustomed.  On top of this, I'll be paying for my own living expenses again.  I should note that I would be returning entirely debt free.
• I do feel at home in this international community--I love working with people from all over the world who have different perspectives, bring new teaching methods, and who challenge me to grow.  I am also living and working in a spiritual community, which I very much enjoy.  I can explore my faith alongside my friends, colleagues, and students.

On the personal side...

• Having my family come for a visit this month has reminded me how far away 6,000 miles really is.  I can no longer jump on a plane and go "home" for a weekend visit.  Realistically, I get to see my family and friends twice a year.  Is that enough?  I haven't been really homesick since I arrived here, but there certainly are times when I want a break from Korea and long for the familiarity of my home country.
• If I continue working overseas I can afford to travel to anywhere in the world that my heart desires.  I feel like travel has really been my best education in the last year--I have learned what I am capable of, I have met wonderful new people, and I have started to figure out who I am and where I want to be.  I can still travel if I move back to the States, but certainly not to the same extent that I am presently.
• I worry that if I move back to Washington or Oregon that I will allow complacency to set in and I won't be as compelled to challenge myself.  I am a home-body...home is always comfortable and I have to make a concerted effort to get outside of this comfort zone.  Here I see people going, doing, and learning all the time and I am inspired to do the same.  This year I am able to be both student and teacher--I still work full time but have the finances and the time to take the classes I need to maintain my teaching license plus work towards the goal of learning a second language.  My schedule is jam packed, but I have the support I need to manage this schedule.

There are so many things swimming around in my head, but these are the main thoughts that keep coming to the surface and that I've got to sort through before I make a firm decision as to what the next few years of my life will look like.  I have been prayerfully considering my options, and I am certainly open to thoughts/comments/advice from all of you who know me!

Final Days with the Family!

It amazed me how fast the time with my family went!  On Friday while I worked mom, dad, and Daniel ventured out for the first time on their own.  I had heard about the music market from friends and told Daniel about it.  Being a guitar player always on the lookout for pretty new guitars, Daniel decided he had to see this for himself.  We had Paul circle the location on a map of Insadong and I wrote detailed instructions for catching a taxi and telling the driver where to go.  Thankfully they did manage to make it to the music market and Daniel was in guitar heaven.  It's a good thing his budget is small so he couldn't take home a guitar, but I imagine he'll go back if he visits Seoul again.  Apparently there are just rows and rows of instruments!  After school let out everyone joined me back at school to watch some of the girls and guys volleyball games.  There's nothing better than seeing students doing what they love outside of the classroom!  Dad was pretty impressed with the guys team and decided to start calling their prime hitter "The Hammer", which indeed he is!  As dinner time approached we headed through Yonsei to my favorite little crepes restaurant for some goodness on a plate!

Buckwheat crepe with bacon, potato, and cheese.

Buckwheat crepe with ham, cheese, and egg.

The La Celtique--caramel-apple crepe with vanilla ice cream.

Daniel had to have dessert--fruit and creme crepe with vanilla ice cream.

Before we knew it, the second weekend of their stay had come and it was time to say good-bye to Daniel.  

Bye-bye Daniel... :-(

The obligatory brother/sister shot.

We all walked Daniel down the hill to the airport bus stop on Saturday afternoon to see him off, then mom and I caught a taxi to Dongdaemun fabric market.  Even though I wasn't feeling well, I knew that mom really wanted to see this place since she's an avid sewer and crafter.  We didn't quite end up at the right spot, but nothing a quick ride on the subway couldn't fix!  Once inside the market I took her up to the 5th floor where all of the "goodies" are.  I found some fun fabric for kitchen curtains and mom just took it all in.  Since we went late in the afternoon many of the merchants started closing around 3, so this first trip was just a quick one.  I know she wants to come back and spend more time fabric shopping next trip!  Another taxi ride and we were back in Yonhi dong to do some shopping at the china store.  I had my eye on a set of new dishes (I've been on the lookout since I arrived in Seoul) and mom found a beautiful tea set earlier in the week.  We got a great discount on our purchases and returned home happy shoppers!

Mom amongst the bits and pieces of fabric and notions at the fabric market.

Sunday rolled around and the reality that mom and dad were leaving the next day hit me hard.  While they worked on getting their suitcases packed up and ready for the flight back on Monday I prepared lessons for the upcoming week and cried (this seems to be an involuntary response whenever my family leaves).  That afternoon we took advantage of the change from summer weather to fall, and the beautiful clear day, and headed out for a hike up the mountain behind the school.  I've only hiked the mountain once with Steph but thankfully we managed to make it to the top without too much trouble.  Here's what Seoul looks like from Mt. Ansan...

Proof that mom and dad made it to the top!

A panoramic view of Seoul.

Mount Namsan and Seoul Tower...it looks so close, doesn't it?

The buddhist temple

The long sort of building in the middle of it all is Gyeongbok Palace that we visited earlier in the week.

A little sweaty, but glad to have made the hike!

Dad hiding in the trenches left from the Korean war.

Mom and dad in the pagoda on our way down the hill.

I just came across a few of mom's pictures that I thought I'd add too...

The final stretch up to the top...I wasn't sure we'd all make it!

This gives you an idea of how massive this city is...and it's a clear day!!

A nice picture of mom and dad!

Debi, if you're reading....this is for you.  This is part of the path you hike up on the route to the top.

If you turn your head sideways, you can probably see us on our way down the mountain.

During my planning period on Monday I drove mom and dad down the hill to catch the bus to the airport.  It was definitely an emotional day and I was reminded just how far away I am from my family.  I've spent the last week and a half recovering from all of the sightseeing...and a nasty cold.  Now the countdown until winter break really begins...12 weeks until I'm on a flight back to the States for Christmas!

Seoul Forest and Good Eats

On the last day of the Chusok vacation we headed out into the city once again for more culture and fun.  Our first stop is arguably one of my favorite areas of town...ahhh Insadong!  I first visited this arts and crafts center last August or September and fell in love with the fun little shops and tea rooms, so I knew I had to take mom there (the guys probably could have passed on this experience).  We wandered down the main street, stopping for a few souvenirs, before it became evident that we were just torturing the men.  After a quick photo stop at Starbucks and the lucky frogs, we headed off to Seoul Forest for lunch and a bike ride.

Starbucks-a

Celebrating in Korea

Two goobs with the froggies!

Awww, mom wants in on the good luck too!

It was about a thirty minute subway and bus ride to Seoul Forest from Insadong so our first order of business upon arriving at the park was finding a bench and eating lunch.  From there we located the bike rental and procured ourselves some bikes for an hour of exploration.  It was pretty comical to watch the bike rental man trying to make the seats high enough for dad and Daniel--they ended up on mountain bikes with very uncomfortable seats (another ball buster according to Daniel).  Mom and I chose old fashioned looking bikes with baskets...think Julia Roberts in Eat, Pray, Love.  The four of us were quite a sight--Daniel and dad trying to figure out the best position on the tiny bike seats and mom and I wobbling back and forth because the steering on our bikes was pretty bad.  None-the-less, we managed to spend nearly a full hour biking around various parts of Seoul Forest.  I learned that the park includes several fountains, a sculpture garden, a skate park, playgrounds, a cafe, and an equestrian center....plus more that I'm sure we didn't see!

Walking up to Seoul Forest--a haven of green in a very big city.

It was a warm day, perfect for playing in the fountain.

A super cool sculpture/play structure.

More fountains

Mom, dad, and Dan with their awesome bikes.

Book sculpture in the sculpture garden.

More sculptures with the city in the background.

Mom playing on the rocking bridge.

I told Daniel I didn't think he could make it over to the boat platform without falling in the water, so of course he had to prove me wrong:).

Success!

I'm pretty sure there was a sign in Korean that said "No bikes on the bridge" but we biked across anyway!

One more ride through the serene sculpture garden before leaving Seoul Forest.

By the end of our hour we were all pretty tired, so we hopped on the subway and headed back to Yonhi-dong to spend the rest of the Chusok holiday relaxing.


On Thursday I went back to work and left the family at home to fend for themselves.  Not surprisingly, they didn't venture much further than Yonhi dong (Seoul can be a little intimidating I suppose).  Daniel came in and hung out with me during a day of study halls.  That evening I took mom with me to my ladies bible study and the guys joined some of my school friends for a trip to the Korean BBQ!  Ruth, Paul, Gabriel, Sofie, Greg, dad, and Daniel made their way down the hill to a kalbi (beef) restaurant and spent the evening eating Korean (the first time for the guys).  They cooked their own meat on the bbq pit in the middle of the table and both guys tried kimchi for the first time.  Apparently Daniel was only planning on trying a small bit but was unsuccessful in his attempt to cut his kimchi into a small bit with a spoon so he ended up with quite a mouthful of fermented cabbage and chili paste!  Here are a few photos Ruth took of the guys...

The typical spread at a Korean bbq.

Dad trying the kimchi!  Notice the beef on the bbq.

Satisfied customers:)

Getting Folksy

In an attempt to give my family a glimpse of Korean life as it once was, I decided they ought to visit the Korean Folk Village in Suwon.  When I went on this same trip last year I had the luxury of traveling direct via school bus but we had to get there the old fashioned way...by taxi, then subway, then bus.  It was a long trek but we arrived at the Folk Village just in time to see some acrobatic feats.  Daniel watched in awe as the trained acrobat, an older Korean man, proceeded to walk a tightrope (with no net) and do a move that Daniel called a "ball buster" as he dropped down and caught the rope between his legs, then bounced back to a standing position.  It definitely looked painful but was a very entertaining show.  

From there we doubled back to the photo studio where I convinced my entire family to dress up in traditional Korean costumes and get a family photo taken (coming soon!).  We spent a couple of hours meandering about the village, exploring traditional dwellings from different parts of the country, and watching master craftsmen at work.  

Mom and the totem pole dudes.

A master potter throwing a pot from special clay.

Leave it to Daniel to find the traditional toilet:).   It's a little too rustic for me!

Checking out the carvings made by another craftsman.

After stopping for a picnic lunch we checked out some of the traditional products being sold, then had a little fun hopping back and forth across the river on a variety of interesting and mildly dangerous bridges.  My dad is still in shock that there wasn't a safety rail to be found and on one bridge made entirely of stepping stones he stood in awe as a lady in high heels just about toppled off of the rocks and over the waterfall as she followed her children across.  

Two goobers...

...and two more:).

The aforementioned "stone bridge"...too bad we didn't capture the high-heels lady in this shot.

Traditional house...looks cozy.

Awwwwwwwww

Wazz up?

We ended our visit with the farmers dance performance (super cool drumming and dance/martial arts moves).  

It was then back on the bus, subway, and into a taxi after which we collapsed in the air conditioned haven that is my apartment.  Whew!