The Adventure: Part 2

Adventurous Seoul: The Sequel!

I'm back in the Land of the Morning Calm! I got back the first weekend in August (late Saturday) and thanks to Misty, I didn't have to drag my suitcases up the infamous Seoul Foreign School hill (YAY for Misty and for a school has cars that you sign out!). I was exhausted after the 20 hour trip but thanks to my roomie, my bed was made and I just crashed for the night.

The next day I was wide awake at 5am (oh don't you love jetlag?) so I figured I'd unpack my suitcases and take my things out of storage so that I would be ready for the first day back at work. I also went to the supermarket to get the basics. After unpacking and going to the supermarket, I headed to Onnuri. I was tired but I missed it a lot over the summer and I wanted to see all my chingu deul (friends), too. We went out for samgyupsal (yum) and I stuffed my face with all the yummy Korean food that I didn't have all summer.

 I'm living in a new building this year (E-dong) and I also have a roommate, Kristen. Kristen is an expert international teacher with previous experience in her native California, Norway and Egypt.  (Side note: Kristen and most of my colleagues here are pros at this international education thing, which makes me want to do this for life! ) It's nice to live with someone again as I really do NOT like living alone and we both got a pretty sweet deal for being roommates  (because the school was in need for more single housing for the new teachers) Cha-ching!

Back of E-dong

Front side of our building. We're on the first floor

Kristen!

Monday it was time to get back to work. We had lots and lots of meetings but a good amount of time of eating and catching up with everyone, too. (PS: My favorite part about teacher work-week at any school: how much they feed us!). That first week was spent in more meetings and  planning for the year as well as setting up and decorating my classroom.

Celebrating the end of work-week by having galbi....yum

After teacher work week was over, some of us headed to Itaewon (the foreigner area of Seoul--NOT my favorite place of Seoul because it doesn't feel like Korea. I only go there when I want good Thai food or brunch)for an international teachers scavenger hunt sponsored by 10 Magazine. It was a good way for people to meet each other and get to know the Itaewon area. At the end of the scavengar hunt, we all gathered at a Canadian bar for some food.

My team

SFSers

Dinner and night out in Hongdae with chingus

Lots of rain in Seoul

Those rain-boots have been so helpful...

My second Sunday back, I went with a few SFSers to the Filipino church in Seoul. We then headed to the Filipino market for a light lunch.

Good thing this country is on my list because I liked the food A LOT.

Around Seoul Foreign School 

Which flags can you name?

First Day of School!

The atrium in the middle school and  some of the countries represented at SFS.

Pagoda on campus

The newly renovated gym right here on campus--I've even been working out consistently---go me!  I'll be starting Zumba and Insanity again soon and hopefully Les Mills classes, too!   (Trying to be healthy...hahaha)

With "Ms. Skidmore" on our first day!:)

My door

My desk

Alright readers (all 10 of you....) now that I'm back, you have 10 more months to come visit me in SoKo!!! Get on it!

The Korea-To-Do-List

If you know me, you know I'm big on making lists and scratching things off of them.
Now here I am back in my Korean adventure knowing that I have 10 months to do a lot of scratching :)
Last year, I definitely was able to do a lot and I'm not planning on slowing down this year,  so here it is, my list for Korea:


*some of these I've done multiple times or I'm planning to do again*

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 (I have an addiction to these pretty Korean cakes or “caekuhsuh”J

10. Be able to read Hangul

11. Take Korean language classes

12. Order at a restaurant by myself

13. Have tea in Insadong

14. Go to Suwon and see the fortress

15. Go to Incheon

16. Go to the beach

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 (yet another obsession)

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. Try octopus

33. Visit hanoks

34. 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 (still in process)

39. Tres Días

40.Go hiking

41.Make a Korean mask

42. Eat a lot of street food

43. Eat a lot of galbi

44. Yeoido Full Gospel

45. COEX

46. Lantern Festival

47. Han river ferry

48. National Assembly

49. Garosu-gil

50. Electronics market
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. Hanok stay

62. DMZ

63. Lotte Stay

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. Buy a hanbok

ETC, ETC, ETC!


Please provide more ideas:)

Summer vacation

After completing my THIRD year of teaching (has it really been 3 years already?), and my FIRST year of international education, I was ready for summer!

Ahh summer....a wonderful time of beaches, bathing suits and NO WORK (if you're in the education field...hehe). Although I loved my year in South Korea, I was definitely ready to head back to the US for 8 wonderful weeks of summer vacation. On Sunday, June 12th, I carried my luggage down SFS's hill and waited for the airport bus to Incheon International Airport. I gave myself plenty of time for checking in, security and last minute gift shopping. Then at 4:00pm it was finally time to board my flight back to the good ol' US of A! I had a layover in San Francisco and then finally landed in DC at about 10:00pm.I was so excited to see my family!

Here's the rest of my summer:

Family time in Gatlinburg, Tennessee: a cute, country town that is also the home of Dolly Parton's Dollywood! We also went to the Dixie Stampede which is a dinner theatre where the audience members fight against each other in a good-natured way as Southerners and Northerners battle to win various horse competitions. We had a blast at Dollywood, at the show and just walking around this little country town. I thought Virginia was southern but not quite like Tennessee! Who knew this Pennsylvanian born Honduran could be such a Southern belle? :) HI Y'ALL!:)

Miss Dolly Parton

Only in the South!

Our picture at the Dixie Stampede

Dollywood

         

Horses at the Dixie Stampede

All over Virginia of course (Fredericksburg, Lynchburg, Staunton...)

Giving Amy her Korean Starbucks mini mug

Sam cheesing it up

Counseling girls in Stauton

 Visiting Meg and Dave in New Jersey: We did a lot of relaxing by the pool and eating:) Ya know, the usual.

With Meg

Pool-side

The traditional "Guess" pose

Boston and NY: We met up in NYC for dinner and then took the Megabus up to Boston where we toured Harvard, walked around the city and had great seafood.

Inside the Cheers store

Waiting for Breakfast

Boston Harbor

Seafood dinner! Me, Annie, Melanie and Kim

All over Northern Virginia: My friend Brittany got married at the beginning of July.  As the other bridesmaids and I planned the Bachelorette party, a skydiving groupon opened up and we had to do it! 

Bucket List item!

I survived!

With the Bride!

The wedding party

Back in VA: I spent time with my brother and his little girl...my cute niece!!!! I love Londyn!

Londyn!

Maná concert: After many years of waiting (I've been a fan since I was 7), I was finally able to see Maná in concert. We saw them right outside of DC with 20,000 other crazy fans! I wasn't surprised by the fantastic show. I will definitely see them again. I hope they tour in Asia!

Arizona: In mid July I went on a short trip to Arizona.

Scottdale

I survived the 5 hour hike in very HOT AZ weather.

Don't look down!

Canada: The last weekend of July, Meg and I drove to Ontario, Canada to see Heather. We stayed in Windsor one night and saw The Tea Party at Caesar's after hitting the slot machines for a little bit. We then went to her hometown and spent time with her mom and went to Lake Erie.

 Summer lovin'...

Pedicure with my OMA:)

Well hi Dolly!

Jack and his Taekwondo gift:)

A few other summer events:

-Went to Concord University in Athens (West Virginia, not Greece :) ) to take a licensing exam
-Got my nose pierced
-Scratched off Ohio and Connecticut from my "States" list (every summer since teaching, I try to see new states)
-Ate A LOT of Chik-Fil-A
-Drank a lot of sweet tea
-Ate a lot of southern food
-Saw lots of movies
-Finished Season 5 of How I met Your Mother
-Re-watched seasons 3 and 4 of Saved by the Bell

Saying "see-you-soon" :

brother!

This summer was a blast and I can't believe it's over (I go back to work on Monday for teacher work-week and I have the usual back-to-school nerves). Now I'm sitting at Narita airport waiting for my connecting flight into Seoul. Saying see-you-later to everyone at home was hard but I'm looking forward to my adventure in Korea and reconnecting with my fellow Seoulites and seeing my students.

Here's to another year!