63 -Exactly Nine Weeks Left...

In nine weeks, I'll walk home from work, either by my usual route: up the escalator and around the courthouse or for a change, up the narrow side street by the shanty town. My bags will be packed and ready to go.

I hope to then...

~haul them down the two flights of winding in my apartment, walk out to the corner

~get into a taxi that will take me to the express bus station.

~board a bus bound for the Incheon Airport

~get on a plane bound for Shanghi

~connect to a plane bound for Newark Liberty International Airport.

~wait in a customs and immigration line (well, I don't really hope for the the "waiting" part, but necessary evil, I suppose)

~confirm that I have not travelled into any rural areas in the past 30 days, nor am I carrying more than $10,000 worth of merchandise...

~hand over my passport

~receive my passport back (... and I'm hoping they say "Welcome home.")

And finally, I hope to...

~walk out and meet my mom.

I look forward to this day as the last page in my "English Teacher in Korea" chapter and the first page in the "Rest of My Life" chapter. Of course I have my own desires, wants, goals, plans... but I know that they're none of them worth the time it takes to think them out. Oh, God Almighty Creator of the Universe, give me grace to dream dreams that You would want me to dream and the courage to make them come true.

Preparing for the 100 Day Countdown...

In preparation for my last 100 days in the country, I have been trying to think of something that I could do once a day, for 100 days, that would make me a better person. I kicked around a couple of ideas: take a picture a day (which I might actually try), learn a Korean phrase a day (which might be a good idea... but more on that later), or find a joke a day (which I also might try, if only for your benefit, dear reader). Try as I might, though, I couldn't come up with one distinct thing that I would be dedicated enough to do for a solid 100 days, as is the point of this exercise.

Though I have my moments of sloth, I'd like to think that I have cultivated some daily habits of which I am enormously proud. My good-lady-mother and her dear-mother before her have been faithful journal-keepers, and so I have kept a daily journal faithfully since 2000. Also at the *ahem* "strong insistence" (and shining example) of the good-lady-mother, I have learned the habit of a daily meditation time, which has also served me quite well. I offer these as examples (to myself, mainly) that strong, beneficial daily habits are worth pursuing.

Is it cavalier to think that I would be dedicated enough to post once a day for 100 days? Perhaps, but darn it, I will give it my darn-est. I spent the better part of yesterday evening figuring out how to install that darn counter you see in the upper left-hand corner (seriously, that little thing took me close to an hour) but now that I know how to do it, I'm guessing (hoping?) that doing something similar might take less time in the future.

It seems like that's often the way: it takes a long time to learn a skill, but once you master that skill, it becomes easier, (and dare I say more enjoyable?) to use. I am trusting that this skill of distilling my day into a blog post, and the discipline of carving out a few minutes to post it, every day, will become easier --and more fun-- as the days count down.

So, here's to this grand 100 day experiment!

(and thank you very much for reading. :) )

Notes from the Homefront, part 2010

Have been home for a bit over a week and it's been a blast.  Two snow days, a trip to Minagic, and a visit to upstate NY.  What more could a girl ask for?   

Right now, am visiting the lil' sis in Nashville with momma and our aunt Merry.   We've gone on a "thrift shop tour" of the city, visited the puppy park, Centennial Park, (including the Parthenon).  We ate dinner at the Rainforest Cafe, which was campy over the top tropical fun complete with simulated thunderstorms, chattering monkeys, prism rainbows and aquarium walls.  We swung by the Gaylord Opryland hotel for a quick walk-through, just to say we'd seen it.  Caught a water-light show, and almost got lost in the epic vast-ness of the place, with its glass ceilings and winding portico walkways.  

We're planning on church tomorrow, then driving home super early on Monday morning, starting out around 3AM.  It's a 14 hour drive and I have a phone interview scheduled for Tuesday at 8AM.  It'll be tight but I'll be there, standing up and smiling, with my resume taped to the wall.

As I prepare to transition home within the next six months,  ("home" -- how I love the sound of that word....) am actively searching for my next landing pad. I know that my preference is to stay in the northeastern US and I am also thinking that the "love of childhood" bug has bitten me and I might also want to stay in education.

We'll see how it all pans out.

Korea is forever a part of me... but home is where I belong.    

    

  

Almost Christmas

The good-lady-mother has requested an update, and so I oblige.  This one isn't going to be as comprehensive as I would like, but will hopefully be something quick to let you know that I'm thriving and jiving out here in South Korea. 

The Christmas season is upon us and I've put up my tiny little-shrub-with-lights-on from last year and strung fairy lights around my window.  Have been in the workship ("workshop" but I'm watching TNG) of late producing delightful holiday knicknacks that may appear a bit rudimentary, but keep me out of trouble, at least.  The season is a bit quieter out here in SoKo, no Santas on motorcycles or massive light displays, but I'm finding that really, I secretly miss it all.  I miss the Macy's windows and the tree at Rockafeller Center, I miss the tackiness and the over the top and the gosh-darn-it-why-not-it's Christmas kind of thing.  I miss people and places and home.        

But in spite of that missing, there is a kind of satisfaction and peace that rests on me now. Joseph Addison has said: "The grand essentials to happiness are something to do, something to love, and something to hope for." This morning, while I was brushing my teeth I realized that socks on the floor, felt "joy" stocking on my wardrobe, world maps and dream boards on the wall, I've never been happier.  The grace of God has brought me safe thus far and I trust that His grace will lead me home.  

If it's been awhile since I've seen you, I miss you.  Know that I think of you often and thoughts of coming home-- coming home well-- keep me going.  Until then, I will continue to work, live and love the Lord my God with all my heart, with all my soul, and with all my strength.  I am hoping and praying that you will do the same.  

Merry Christmas!  

Serious, Non-Life Threatening Conditions, Part 7

Dear Friends and Family in Michigan, Florida, Calicalifornia, and beyond:

(Mom, Mezza, Aunt Dianne &Uncle Art, Aunt Rosi &Uncle Ed, Aunt Merry & Uncle Brandt, Aunt Kathi & Uncle Jerry, coolest cousins in the world Eddie, Julie, Josh and Jess) 

I am absolutely fine. 

Kim Jong-Il and his various incarnations are beating the war drums, but I feel like that's really all they're bringing to the table right now.  

Nothing wrong over here except a serious (but non-life threatening) case of The Lazies.  

Prescription Cure: A good, swift kick in the backside.   

Prognosis: Good, as long as said cure is received.  

Am loving the new location and job.  Co-workers are smashing good fun and church is faith incarnate.  

Hoping you all are well!

~ChrisTIanna

What I didn't tell them in the interview...

My dirty little secret: I'm looking forward to having my own apartment so that I can practice (violin, piano hopefully, marimba, kazoo, etc.) at all hours of the day. Oh, yeah. I try not to do that now in order to avoid waking up my ridiculously hard working good lady mother.

I'm carrying on my violin on the plane as my one "personal" item. Helpful hints and advice have included wrapping the instrument up in a bag to prevent cracking due to loss of humidity, and remembering to remove extra strings from the case, lest they be confiscated as the dangerous weapons that they so clearly are...

My college violin teacher tells a story about practicing his violin in the student apartments one afternoon (quietly and with the mute on). Some old guy starts banging on his door and yelling at him to stop making such a racket. My teacher is baffled as he can't see how he could possibly be making that much noise. The next day, that same old guy comes knocking on his door again and apologizes saying "I'm very sorry, it wasn't you."

I'm prepared to feign innocence if questioned about a "racket". Complete deniability is essential.