Language Expeditions

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…” (A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens)

In complete vulnerability, I have been trying so hard not to acknowledge that our experience in Korea so far has been disappointing in several ways. If I didn’t say it, it would make it less real. But I would also be lying by saying that there haven’t been amazing moments as well.

I’ve recently reflected a lot on the past several months and decided to do a mindset reboot. We came into this experience with very high, and very specific expectations of what it would be like, what goals we would accomplish while here, which is probably the reason for the disappointment in some areas. We focused so much on certain things that we missed the moonwalking bear.

Yes, I said what I said. Watch this video to get what I mean.

I recently was talking with a friend on the phone and told her about this video. I actually said it was a dancing gorilla when I was talking about it, but they still understood the point I was trying to make. Then I thought about what I said and realized I needed that advice for my own situation.

The ups and downs of life happen wherever you go. Chaos is ever present in schools even in Korea. Debates about curriculum, discipline, and other policies are still had. Some students take school seriously, others don’t. The issues presented in the classrooms in the US parallel the ones I’m experiencing here.

The expectation (I think) was that teaching in Korea was going to be…different. I’m not quite sure how, but just not the same as in the US. While there are certainly differences, maybe I was hoping the problems just wouldn’t be the same.

So, going back to the moonwalking bear reference.

I’ve been focusing so much on what’s going wrong, that I haven’t been able to notice what’s going right.

I was so stressed about selling our house (officially sold on November 15, 2024!), that I didn’t notice the kindness and emotional support people around us were giving.

I was so stressed about missing people back home and not having community, that I didn’t notice the connections slowly being made with the people around me.

I was so stressed about work issues, that I didn’t notice the skills and valuable knowledge I was soaking in from observing others.

I was so stressed about not hitting specific goals, that I didn’t notice the victories in other areas of my life.

I was so stressed about my husband’s wellbeing, that I didn’t notice how our marriage was becoming stronger as we support each other through this experience.

I was so stressed about stress, that I didn’t notice the joy that is present every day.

One hard lesson I’ve realized is that you have to be the person you want to be every day. Identity isn’t found in location, it’s found in your thoughts, your actions, your habits. Moving across the world doesn’t change the person you are, your mindset does.

I’m tired of stress ruling my mind and my life. I haven’t been able to blog or write because of it. I’m fighting back and reclaiming my peace that I’ve surrendered in all the wrong ways for too long. I’ve officially decided to not miss out on anymore moonwalking bears.

PHOTO AND VIDEO DUMP FROM PAST FEW MONTHS

School Retreat at Jeju Island (October 2024)

Quick visit to see our church family in the US in November 2024

Family wedding in US November 2024

Fun with a friend when she came to Korea!!

Record snowfall in Korea on November 27, 2024 (about 18 inches of snow!!)

Caravaggio art exhibit in Seoul with some coworkers

Such a powerful exhibit of stories from survivors of North Korea

Christmas decorations at work

Coex Starfield Mall in Gangnam with Christmas decor

Seoul Light Festival at Cheonggyecheon Stream

Airport fun

Khantoke dinner and performance in Thailand

Such a fun photography tour experience at the temples in Bangkok, Thailand

One of the pics from our Thailand photo shoot (The Grand Palace)

Delicious mango sticky rice dessert that we learned how to make in a cooking class in Chiang Mai, Thailand!