Saranghe Korea

June 2nd was my last day of school, June 3rd was my last workday and then after having a slumber party with Jina, Kristen and Menya at the Incheon Hyatt, I boarded an Asiana flight on June 5th headed to the US. What an incredible 5 years. I can't put it all into words. What a wonderful door the Lord opened for me. My life is forever changed. Yes, there were tears on my flight out. Again.

❤️

The RoK. The Land of the Morning Calm and the City of Neon Lights. Kimchi nation(cucumber being my favorite). Seoul, the safest city on earth where people return your wallet and the change is still in it. OEM and CityLight churches. Hongdae. Countless cafés. Seoul Foreign School,great kiddos-proud to be a part of a 104 year legacy. Matchy matchy. Bokbunja. Milkis. Mekju juseyo. Doenjang jjigae. Gogi and samgyupsal. Pillow-fight flashmobs. K-dramas. K-pop. The subway songs. Sunrise hikes. Service-ee. Face masks. Noraebang Etude House. Adventurous Seoul. And most importantly: spiritual growth and unexpected/amazing friendships-chingus!              Kamsahamnida Hannanim! What a great 5 years!

So thankful to Him for this wonderful experience! I'm so glad my international teacher career started here (and that I was able to do it twice). Korea, you will always hold a very special place in my heart. 

Teach in a foreign country: check! 

Teach in Asia: check!

Oh Korea.

How can you sum up 5 years?

Lantern Festival

Umbrellas at a mall in Hongdae

My favorite time of the year, 2013

Loved going to this amazing flavored samgyupsal place

The traveling rubber ducky made its way to Seoul in the fall of 2014

Hiking Bukansan 

Jail museum

Exploring Busan with mom in May 2015

Korean McDonald's is the future! March 2016

The updated Adventurous Seoul list

I came here with a list of about 20 things to do. Who knew the list would continue growing and that I would add many more things to it? I explored every corner of this wonderful country and I was thankfully able to explore so many other countries in Asia. Sometimes I'm still in shock that this dream of mime came true. I love that I can explore the world without giving up my beloved profession! Thank You Hannanim for opening the doors, for the never-ending surprises and for the wonderful opportunities.  대한 민국 사랑해!

1.     Go up Seoul Tower

2.     Go to Gyeongbukgong palace and all the palaces in Seoul

3   Go to the National Museum of Korea

4.     Go to the War Memorial Museum of Korea

5.     Wear a hanbok

6.     Go to Dr. Fish

7.     See Miso, a Korean musical

8.     Go to Busan

9.     Eat a cake a month (those pretty cakes at all the bakeries)

10. Take Korean language classes

11. Be able to read and write Hangul

12. Order at a restaurant all by myself

13. Have tea in Insadong

14. Go to Suwon and see the fortress

15. Go to Incheon

16. Go to different beaches

17. Stay out all night

18. Go midnight shopping at Dongdaemun

19. Learn the subway system

20. Learn the bus system

21. Go to noreabang

22. See a match at the World Cup Stadium

23. Go to a traditional Korean wedding

24. Go the French Quarter in Seoul

25. Order delivery on my own

26. Go to Lotte World

27. Go to Everland

28. Go to the Children’s Grand Park

29. Bike by the Han river

30. Water activities by the Han river

31. Go to a concert

32. San nakji (live octopus)

33. Stay in a hanok

34. Go to Taechon beach

35. Go to the Olympic Park

36. Watch an event at the Olympic Stadium

37. Shop at Hyundai, Lotte and Shinsegae

38. Attempt Korean fashion

39. Tres Días retreat for women

40.Yeosu

41.Make a Korean mask

42. Master the street food stalls

43. Eat a lot of galbi

44. Yeoido Full Gospel visit

45. COEX

46. Lantern Festivals

47. Han river ferry

48. National Assembly

49. Garosu-gil shopping

50. Electronics market haggling

51. DVD bang

52. Go to Jeju Island

53. Go to a Baseball game

54.Go to Club Friday

55. Learn how to make Kimbap

56. Go to Daegu

57. See Nanta

58. Hike Mt. Seorak

59. Volunteer at an orphanage

60. Volunteer at a soup kitchen

61. Stay at a hostel in Seoul

62. DMZ trip

63. Hotel staycation

64. Royal meal

65. Women of Comfort

66. Sokcho

67. Sodeamun Prison

68.Caribbean Bay

69.Jimjilbang

70. Kpop concert

71. Seoulland

72. Green Tea Plantation

73. Kimchi-making class

74. Taekwondo class

75. Have a Hanbok apron

76. Find a home church

77. Drive on my own

78. Try all types of makkeolli

79. Movie at 3am

80. People watching with mekju at a GS25

81. Join a small group

82. Drumming classes

83. Visit the presidential house, Blue House

84. Eat dog

85. Have an adjumma party

86. Hike Bukhansan

87. Go paragliding

88. Go to the Mongolian district

89. Galleria Food court

90. Find my favorite Patbingsu

91. Coffee Prince Cafe

92. Racoon Cafe

93. Sanchon Temple Food

94. Marathon TV Pajamas and exploring all night

95. Toilet Museum in Suwon

96. Majang meat market

97. Have visitors

98. Courses through OEM church

99. Learn how to make Doengjjang jjigae

100. 80s style ice-skating at City Hall

102. Zip-lining

103. Help a stranger with directions

104. Noraebang a Kpop song

105. Mess hall at Yonsei

106. Go railbiking

107. The Royal Meal

108. Chimek by the Han river
109. Hosts guests
110. Learn how to make kimbap
111. Hike the Fortress wall
112. Make wonderful friendships

January to June 2016

A quick review!

• NYE party with the family in the States
• Long flight back to Seoul, school for a few days, long flight to London
• Job fair in London!
• Freezing in Seoul and surviving another winter
• Visiting Heather in Gunsan 
• Heather's visits over the weekends
• Lunar New year at the Hyatt thanks to Menya
• Spring breaking in Thailand
• Ferry from Busan to Tsushima, Japan for the weekend 
• Hiking the Seoul Fortress Wall
• Paragliding
• Royal Meal
• Random exploring nights
• Enjoying the last week of school
• 



Lunar Staycay at the Hyatt

• 

  Paragliding!

  
  

  

  Lots of fun moments with Heather

Spring break 2016 in Thailand

For spring break I headed to Thailand and I was finally able to make it to Phuket this time! Leslie and Luther joined, too! We had a huge group and we stayed at a big, beautiful house! Real World style (minus the trash) :)

August to December 2015

• Return from Mongolia
• Start school
• Climb Mt. Fuji
• Swim at the pools by the Han river
• God of this city reunion for all English-speaking youth ministries 
• Latin American festival
• Hong Kong with Heather and Kristen for chuseok 
• Church retreat
• Window shop at the fancy malls
• Explore Kondae area
• Help out at Vida Nueva
• Menya's halloween party 
• Friendsgiving
• Berlin for MYP training
• Christmas parties
• Birthday parties
• Colorado, NC and Virginia for Christmas break

Latin American festival

Menya's 80 themed b-day party

Spirit Week

Chuseok in Hong Kong

MYP Training in Berlin!

MYP (Middle Years Programme) is a framework that encourages students to make practical connections between their studies and the real world. The MYP is a five-year program for students 11-16 years old. Students who complete this program are said to be well-prepared to pursue the IB Diploma Programme or Career-related diploma in their high school years. 

Alright, so that's all teacher-talk. Basically the Middle Years Programme (No, this is not a typo. I am proud to be an American but the program is British so I have to type it that way) is a program of study that encourages students to make connections between their education and the real world. It aims at empowering students to think about a range of issues and ideas in every class they take at school. Now, as a trained educator, I think I already do this because that's how I was trained in graduate school and because it just makes sense. This specific framework though is something that many schools around the world are adopting. Also, there are certain guidelines for lesson-planning, grading and assessments that go along with the MYP. With all that being said, I knew I had to get trained on how to deliver this framework.

Trainings are offered in various places and times throughout the academic school year but the only one that worked for my subject area and timing was in Berlin. What a rough choice. It also helps when your friend's schedule works out, too, so you can have a travel/teacher/awesome buddy at the conference. I got my paperwork approved from my administration a few months ago (yay for professional development funds!) and last week, I got on a plane, had a layover in Amsterdam and headed to Berlin with 270+ educators from all over the place to get MYPed.


The training was 3 days long and very full-on with hands-on training, examples, etc. Thank goodness they provided good lunch and snacks! I was a good student, learned a lot and I'm ready to start implementing everything I learned. Oh and did I mention that this was my FIRST TIME IN GERMANY? Of course I had to explore a little, too. :)

Traditional super tourist traveler picture

Is this real?

Working hard: check out the view!

The food was sooo good! I ate lots of currywurst and potatoes.

The Berlin Wall!

More historical areas:

Plaza 

A pretty building

Berlin Cathedral

Checkpoint Charlie

Kaiser Welhelm Memorial Church

Memorial to the murdered Jews of Europe 

Reichtag Building 

'Til next time Europe!