Well, hello, everyone! It's been a long time, but I'm back, and I'm happy to say that one of my goals for 2024 is to get this blog back on track. You may have noticed that I recently (last night at 2 AM -- good things never happen at 2 AM) broke all the photo and video links on my website. So, add that to my list of goals for 2024. Oops! But in case you were too busy wondering where my 2023 year-in-review video is, I'm happy to announce that I've finally finished the hours o

Can you believe I've been living in Korea for three years?! I can't! This is my best video-in-review ever! It's full of wacky moments, grand adventures, and the best people you'll ever know! In 2022, I hiked two of the tallest mountains in South Korea -- Seoraksan and Jirisan. I went backpacking around the sea and mountains. In the summer, my little brother got married in the Caribbean, so for the first time since leaving home in 2020, I got to visit the USA and see my family

Today is my three-year Korea-versary! In 2019, I found myself unfulfilled in life. It's like I was mindlessly collecting pieces of someone else's puzzle. I knew what the puzzle would look like --- someone else's life, someone else's happiness. My own puzzle was set aside. I wasn't sure what it would look like at the end, and I wasn't ready to invest in the mystery. That year, I took a trip to Washington, D.C. I met fascinating people, had eye-opening conversations with them,

Here are the best moments of my second year in Korea (2021)! Video highlights: Hikes BIG snowstorm!! Camping on the beach Lots of waterfalls! Beautiful Buddhist temples My cross-country bike ride from Seoul to Busan! Presenting at our big company meeting Finger-gun Santa Great friends ❤️ Btw, you can follow my adventures on my Instagram , too!

January 8th marked my two-year Korea-versary! Wow!! The first six months here went so slowly. Every month felt like three. Every experience was so new. It was like learning to function as an independent adult again -- figuring out what to eat, how to sort trash, where to buy toilet paper. Around the six-month mark, I started feeling settled. By the year mark, I had this on lock. I had explored all the big attractions on my to-do list. I was finding the hidden gems of Seoul an

I work at an English hagwon, which is a Korean cram school or academy. I teach the highest level of 6th graders (elementary school) and first-year middle-school students. This means they are very proficient in English and score very well on English tests. In our school, they spend half their time learning from a Korean teacher, who focuses on the fundamentals, like grammar, vocabulary, and reading and listening comprehension. I’m here to assist with English production: speaki

There is a Samsung store in my school's building and also three elevators. One of the elevators does not go to the Samsung floor. There are five signs outside, inside, and around this elevator that warn that this elevator does not go to the Samsung floor. Still, people get into the elevator. They push the button to the Samsung floor, and the button does not light up. Because this elevator does not go to the Samsung floor. These people are often confused. Yet, above the eleva

I've been having recurring nightmares for months, but perhaps it's because I've been living a dream? A few weeks after my plane arrived in Korea, I had the first nightmare. I was somehow back in the USA. I wasn't sure how I'd gotten back there, and I wasn't sure how I'd come back, either. There had been some sort of visa paperwork issue that could only be sorted out back in Florida, and I wasn't sure when I'd be able to book my return flight to Asia, let alone what my school

For about a month, I've been collecting ketchup packets. I've put them all into my candy bucket at work. My friends and coworkers have contributed to the ketchup fund. The goal was to get enough ketchup to not only outnumber the candies, but to also fill the bucket a decent amount. Last week, that goal was met. We've been teaching hybrid online/offline classes. I taught a lesson on gerunds to my low-proficiency middle schoolers, in which they played a game toward the end. I s

During a middle school Zoom class: G: I'm thirsty, but I won't drink water now because it is class time. Me: It's OK, G. Go get some water. G: No, no. There is [sic ] 15 minutes of class left, so I will wait. A: If you don't drink water, your throat will become like a desert. G: Do you mean that I will die?! Me: He means your throat will be dry. G: But there are no deserts in Korea, so I know that if I go to a desert, then I will die. A: So, drink some water now so you don't

Once upon a time, there was a girl who moved across the world and overcame her fears of street photography. Getting on that plane took her 13 years. Steps for getting on that plane: - Discover and embrace who you are - Have a few crazy thoughts to quit your job and leave the country, but push them away for a decade - See where life takes you - Assess if your reality matches your dreams - If your dreams are still bigger than reality, book a flight This is a story about street

It's been much too long since the last time I posted, so here's to things long overdue! The last time I blogged, I reflected on the things I've learned from the coronavirus . I can't believe that was two months ago! I've been in Korea for four months now, and I often half-joke that each month feels like three. Every day is chock-full of learning opportunities. There's a study that explains why summer vacations felt so much longer when we were kids , and subsequently why time

COVID-19 (AKA "coronavirus," AKA "corona," AKA "'rona," AKA "🎶My Corona🎶") ramped up in South Korea just before Valentine's Day, so I guess we really should've been asking people, "Will you be my quarantine?" At this point, everyone is probably sick of hearing about COVID-19, especially since it's even been going viral online. And yet, here we are. In a recent post, I pulled out my medicine-sized soapbox about taking every opportunity to learn something . I'll take this mo

Back when I was in school, as I took notes very studiously in class, I would just as studiously take notes on any funny interactions between the students and/or teacher. And that has not changed one bit since I started teaching in Korea! This blog post has two parts: Part 1: Korean Superstitions and Why Kids Should Be Hostage Negotiators Part 2: What Dolphins and Teachers Have in Common Part 1: Korean Superstitions and Why Kids Should Be Hostage Negotiators Noteworthy moments

What's the single most unexpected thing about living in South Korea? Turning an air filter face mask into an everyday necessary accessory. Looking like a post-apocalyptic movie character or like Kitana (or Mileena or Jade or Frost...or maybe the Mortal Kombat world has an air pollution problem, too)... So, what's up with the face mask, anyway? Air pollution gets pretty bad here. You've probably got a smorgasbord of questions now, and so did I! So, let's go through them: What

I'm learning a different type of normal. It's a normal I don't completely understand, yet. There are a lot of things I don't understand, yet. But I've always understood me. Not all the time. But as a whole, I've felt confident with myself, my purpose, who I am. I'm not perfect, and I'm OK with that. I've always been interested in many things, but beyond all, art and stories. Other people's stories and what others have learned. In people who have stayed positive and optimisti

There's something about being 30 that feels like I finally fit into my own shoes. At this point so far, my life experiences, the good and the rough, have molded my identity, and I have lots of practice in adapting to and accepting change. In the past 13 years, there has been a little blip on my radar, a little tugging thought that has popped up every few years. It says, "Leave the country! Make a difference in the world! Change things up!" "You're crazy, little thought," I wo