4 Months In

Note: This update is long overdue, and I apologize to everyone for not writing sooner. My middle school PE teacher always said excuses are like noses; everyone has one, and they all smell. In honor of Coach Drennan I won't bore you with excuses. 

I have officially been in Korea now for 4 months and have completed a third of my contract. If I were to sum up the past 4 months in one word that word would be adjustment. Living in Korea has required an extraordinary amount of adjusting.

The biggest adjustment has been leaving all of my family and friends behind back home and not knowing anyone in my new home. I miss everyone back home and think about my family and close friends often. I appreciate my relationships back home all the more, now that I have been away a few months. I have chosen to leave you all for a year though and I have had to adjust. My social life has been somewhat limited, as I have had to start from scratch in terms of making friends here. I have gotten to know my coworkers and students very well, as I spend the vast majority of time with them at work. I have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know my students. I find it is very easy to truly be myself in front of them, since they naturally provide an atmosphere free from judgement (most of the time).

Another big adjustment I have had to make has been the germs I've been exposed to. Korea has been rough on my immune system so far. I have heard that most people get sick a few times in their first month or two, but my case was more than once or twice, and it has been more than a month or two. It seems I have been sick more often than not, with constant colds and bouts of coughs. One cough lasted for several weeks and I'm pretty sure I tore an abdominal muscle from all the coughing. Working with kindergarteners, who tend to seek out germs and then promptly place their hands in their mouths and/or nostrils, does not help the situation.

The view from the third story window at our school of a clear day in Gunsan.

The weather has been one major adjustment as well. When I arrived in September the weather was beautiful. I had barely missed the mugginess of summer and still arrived in time to experience sunny days. Then gradually week by week it began to get colder as the days got shorter until finally it began to dip below freezing and snow fell. We had our first snowfall around December 8th. It was very exciting for me, as I have never lived through a real winter. The excitement has worn off though with each walk to work over icy sidewalks and through falling snow.

The same view out the school window, but it's clearly a little bit colder out.

The language is one aspect of life in Korea that can be a bit of a struggle. Living in a place where you can't understand people around you in public can be frustrating but I can say I am used to it now. I don't think twice about it anymore. In fact I have grown comfortable with it, and my coworkers and I have learned to look at it with a sense of humor in most cases. Just as I can't understand what a Korean is saying about me when I walk past, most of the time they cannot understand me. Needless to say this results in observations and comments about strangers who are within earshot but out of touch.


Although my first four months here have been rough on several fronts, I have had many great experiences so far.

I've been able to go up to Seoul twice. The first time I met up with a friend from back home who has a girlfriend from Seoul. She led us to the rooftop of a low key jazz bar, which overlooked the city and all its lights. We were very close to the Seoul Tower, which is beautifully lit up at night. Good drinks and conversation made the night very special. My second trip was just as enjoyable, but it was on a whole different plane. I was able to sign up for a 10K with a group of foreign teachers. After running the 10K we all went out together for a very fun night on the town.

A view of Seoul at night, including the 777 ft tall Seoul Tower.

One of my big goals in coming to Korea was to become a more complete runner. The weather and sickness have prevented me from running as much as I would have liked, but I have managed to get some very enjoyable runs in.

The 10K in Seoul was along the Han river. The highlight of the run was running right past a park of kite flyers. One man had a string of ten kites on the same line that must have gone up about 200 feet. It was amazing to see up close. I have also been able to explore some very beautiful areas near my home in Gunsan on foot, which is a major contrast from the urban environment in Seoul.

My favorite run is through a park called Wolmeyeoung Park, which is a very hilly wooded area crisscrossed with trails. From the top of several of the hills in the park you can see the ocean on one side and a beautiful lake on the other. Last weekend the sun paid us a visit, and I decided to go for a run in Wolmeyeoung. It was incredibly peaceful running through the forest, which was covered in snow. It was dead silent and I was all alone on the trail. I am chomping at the bit to get out and explore more of the natural beauty in this country, but the weather is not very conducive to camping or hiking right now.

I realize this post may have painted a drab picture of my time here so far, but I would describe it as more of an adventure in getting used to a new life that has been filled with some bumps in the road. Along the way I have been able to do a lot of introspection since arriving, and I feel like this has made me grow ever so slightly towards being a better human being. I am excited to see much more of this country than I already have, as the weather starts to warm up in a month or two. Happy new year everyone!