One Year Reflections

A few months ago, when I was making my decision to stay in Korea for another year, Ryan asked me something like, "What have you learned from Korea....What from Korea will you carry with you?" My answer went something like, "I've learned that I miss and appreciate my family and home." Maybe my reason behind this is because Korea seems to be such a family oriented culture, I miss having that part around me. Maybe also since its tough to be away for a full year.

I think I've grown as a person quite a lot. I've learned how to deal with people in ways I've never dealt with before....bosses, friends, students. I think the job of a teacher is a wonderful thing to teach anyone to become a better person. Kids are some of the harshest of all judges, but they can also be the most forgiving.

Living on the island can be a great life. Sometimes I feel like a king riding around on my motorcycle chariot. I can do anything or go anywhere I want. I can even do nothing if that's my fancy for the day or week. The work load is grumbled about, but in reality, its pretty posh....especially when you compare it to most Korean's.

Korean culture seems to be quite difficult to break into without a bit of a grasp of the language, which will be a focus of the next year. I'm inching my way into it little by little and its quite rewarding. I hope to say at the end of next year that I've learned something from Korea proper.