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

The Challenge In October, I embarked on a new adventure/challenge/crazy-person-thing called the Seoul-to-Busan bike tour. The goal was to ride a bike from Yeouido, Seoul, in the NW of South Korea, to the estuary where the Nakdonggang River meets the East Sea in Busan, in the SE of the country. The trail was roughly 572 kilometers (355 miles) from start to finish. I combated a constant, unrelenting headwind on very hilly, sometimes mountainous, roads. Please join me in a visua

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

Bongeunsa Temple is a serene and historic Buddhist place of worship, nestled into the modern hustle-bustle of Gangnam in South Korea. Buddha's Birthday is typically filled with festivals, colorful decorations, and a myriad of people writing and lighting prayers for candles and lanterns. Despite the limitations of the ongoing pandemic, COVID-19, worshipers and observers gathered at Bongeunsa to celebrate and pray for good fortune. An imposing Buddha statue reaches toward the

Perhaps you're living around Seoul and looking for the best things to do here, or maybe you're just dreaming up your exciting post-pandemic vacation! The good news is that I've got a ton of insider information for you. For the past year, I've been working through my bucket list of things to do in Korea. (Hey, it's a hard job, but someone's gotta do it.) I've visited all the popular, highly-recommended touristy places, and in my second year here, I've been combing my way throu

There are two constants in life (in Korea): 1. There will always be another mountain to hike. 2. There will always be a temple somewhere around that mountain. Buddhism has a deep-rooted presence in Korean history, culture, food (like temple food!), architecture, symbolism, and more! Roughly 23% of Koreans are Buddhist. When you visit the temples, you are bound to hear the metronome-like taps of a drum, monks chanting, and otherwise, the natural silence of peaceful mountains a

Ryan picked us up on a main street encased by Korean restaurants and franchises, Korean signage, and an uncountable number of Hyundai and Kia cars. He drove a flatbed pick-up truck, wore his staple beige cowboy hat, and explained how a guy from Texas found himself living in South Korea for more than a decade. The cityscape faded in the rear-view mirror as industry approached. We were alongside commercial trucks and passing warehouses. Ryan made a right turn as we drove parall

“I feel like right now, if I died, I could honestly die happy because I’ve already done everything I wanted to do. Except for travel to...

**Welcome to my new series called "Candids"! This interview series is all about you. Everyone has a story to tell or something to teach,...

Yesterday was officially my KOREA-VERSARY! What an amazing year it's been! I took the leap (or rather the plane ride) on January 7, 2020, and arrived in the Seoul-ish area on January 8th, exactly one year ago. Since then, I've been exploring wherever my feet can take me. I've always had my trusty camera at my side, as well as a GoPro and my phone, and I've been shooting some video, in addition to the million photos I've posted. But I haven't shared any of the videos until now

We finally made it to the DMZ, the buffer zone between South and North Korea! Here are some photos, background, and stories. My two large takeaways from this trip were: 1) Looking at the world map, I'm acutely aware of how close Seoul is to North Korea. Learning that North Korea could easily launch mortars into my location just south of Seoul creates a much more acute awareness, as well as a very sobering one. It is highly unlikely that this will happen, but I have a higher r

I have a confession: My guilty pleasure is panning for gold through Craigslist. Every several months or so, I like to rake through the...

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

Happy Hanukkah, my Hebrews and Shebrews! I usually write a punny post for this happy holiday, but it's a different sort of year. I've...

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

Hey, guys! I'm still here! Do you ever think about doing something over and over again, to the point that it feels like you've actually done it, but really you're just playing the fool? This draft has been sitting untouched for months, and between my struggle with time management, tiredness from the go-go-go nature of life, and the hesitation to publicize political thoughts, this post has had a gestational period that rivals that of a human baby. So, let's finally give it leg

When the COVID-19 outbreak was first reported, the Korean government initiated a communication campaign that Koreans accepted with near unaminity. (You can read about my experience here .) Masks were in full fashion. Streets were bare. Foot traffic ebbed and flowed for a couple months. Businesses struggled. Many people lost their jobs. Other businesses pulled through, like, fortunately, my for-profit academy. Innovative thinking and quick adaptation was a must. Koreans flatte

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