Dream

I was a little girl alone in my little world who dreamed of a little home for me.

I played pretend between the trees, and fed my houseguests bark and leaves, and laughed in my pretty bed of green.

I had a dream

That I could fly from the highest swing.

I had a dream.

Long walks in the dark through woods grown behind the park, I asked God who I'm supposed to be.

The stars smiled down on me, God answered in silent reverie. I said a prayer and fell asleep.

I had a dream

That I could fly from the highest tree.

I had a dream.

Now I'm old and feeling grey. I don't know what's left to say about this life I'm willing to leave.

I lived it full and I lived it well, there's many tales I've lived to tell. I'm ready now, I'm ready now, I'm ready now to fly from the highest wing.

I had a dream

Well, I am now no longer near Seoul, but in Gimcheon. It is the halfway point from Seoul to Busan and a 3 hour bus ride up to or down to those cities. It's hard to document everything that happens at work, but to clarify what I probably didn't do so clearly, Ryan and I are no longer employed. Long story short, the place we worked for could no longer stay in business. We found out 1.5 weeks before the school was closing, so we were frantically searching for another job. We were also searching for a place to live as well, but with all our constant emails and phone calls from recruiters, we found a place of employment much to our delight. The director is so sweet and accommodating. We get higher pay and we still get to live in an officetel, although not as nice as the one we used to live in previously. We're not around amazing nightlife like our other place, but we're not here for much longer. We're still near Seoul, anyway. (About 16 minutes outside of Gangnam.) The only downside is that we do not start until March because that's when the new academic semester starts.

This new director is so sweet that she took us back to the subway station after our interview, bought us tea and coffee the next day as we traded and signed contracts, and then picked us up from the subway station, bought us warmed and canned coffee, drove us to the immigration office 20 minutes away, and gave us 120 KRW to spend on food, movies, etc. for our month of unemployment. I'm now convinced that nice hagwon directors exist. This is the complete 180 turn, opposite end of the spectrum we lived on for the last 5 months. It's almost hard to comprehend and break my mind out of the mindset that this is possible.

Our good friend, Mark, came up from Gimcheon to help us move, and for that I feel so grateful to him for not only that but taking us in for a month! A very gracious person to take us in, and not many people would do that without hesitating. Since being here, I've had all the time in the world, to read my historical English fiction, listen to music, blog, read articles, go to coffee shops to relax and study, etc. The things college students want to do-- take time off to travel and just do whatever they feel like doing.

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I wasn't able to finish my blog so here I am finishing it up! February 24, 2012. We've been to Busan and Jeju for Valentine's Day and Ryan's birthday. We came back after 3 nights to come back to Gimcheon for our 5 year anniversary. :) It was nice to be back in Jeju. The weather faired much better this time around albeit 10 times colder! Thank goodness there was less wind. In Busan, we went to the famous fish market and Chinatown. By chance, we happened upon a restaurant in which a famous movie was filmed there so that was pretty neat.

We have one more week left until we move back to Seoul and start work! I can't even imagine what it is to be working again. Our hours will be easier, though. Tuesdays and Thursdays are over by 4:30, I believe. Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays all go until 6:30 as usual. Our pay is higher, and it makes me glad that I finished that online TEFL course. I was never a fan of online classes--especially their "benefits." I never thought highly of them unless they got me something like extra easy credits or higher pay. I'm not sure that it makes me more qualified, but hey, I won't argue. Honestly, though, I can't imagine being on a long and tiring schedule. Kids can be angels (key words: can be) but even then, teaching is a long process that makes you completely exhausted. The rewards, although not immediately felt or seen, are received at the end when you least expect it in the present. I know this time around, working with this hagwon will be a much better experience. (We've encountered some really crazy things in the last 2 months, which are better left unsaid unless you ask me). So I'm kind of excited for some fresh air and new experiences. I still miss the kids I had to teach (some of them, anyway) but I know that these new kids I meet will be amazing and, I'm sure, just as smart.

I'll have to make the most of my time here in Gimcheon. I've learned a little more Korean and finished 2 books in a week. I'm just now starting my third, which I should be done with in another day or two.

Planning for my future outside of Korea stresses me often, but I think I have decided to take another year off to study for the LSATs again and get into some really amazing law schools now that I know my true potential and the heads I've turned this time around with my scores. If I just work harder and keep it up, I know I'll make my dreams come true, just like this one. And who knows? Once I knock becoming a lawyer out of the park, I'll pursue being a doctor, too. You've only got one life right? I'm tired of having regrets with dance, so it's up to me to make these other dreams true.