Backing Up and Going Forward To a Second Year

I need to back up a few months to give you some perspective. As stated previously I am 16 days a way from my 1st year anniversary for living abroad. How exciting is that really!! Who knew? I arrived February 18, 2009 on a 1 year contract with a private school. Private schools are as much the norm here as are public schools. Education has a high priority here and parents who can afford, and many do, send their children to private schools once they leave public school for the day every day.
I went right to work the very next day. I suppose they wanted to make full use of their investment. Ten months into my contract, My God had another plan. The private school began to experience financial troubles and the "spiritually driven financial bail out plan" was put into play for me.

Out of the blue I received a call from an acquaintance about a Public School position. Those jobs are highly regarded here. After looking into it, I knew it was indeed a no brainer and that I would be breaking my contract at the private school. I am now working in a public school and have a new contract through December 2010. So now I'm officially going into my second year.

The challenge is greater but so are the benefits. I have more students but they are older, so I don't have to play hide and seek, or chase children into the classroom. It's also an all girls middle school, so that's kind of nice. It's not a Utopian environment but I love it just the same. I have a lovely office and multi-media in my classroom so that allows me even more creative flexibility.

I had a friend tell me how surprised she was that I made this move and that she did not think I'd last 3 months. How wrong she was and how little she knows about my God and my adventurous spirit!

FIVE MONTHS LATER and GOOD INTENTIONS.....

My plane landed at Incheon International airport on the evening of February 18th, 2009. Who knew that it would be a 5 month delay, which I quickly tagged as 'divine".

The process of getting here and the reality of departing and arriving ebbed and flowed like a battle between good and evil that culminated into a surreal adventure......

Let me pick it up from when I received the official confirmation call. But one quick observation: This Blog was also started 1 month shy of a year. I really need to break out of this pattern.

THE OFFICIAL CONFIRMATION CALL

My brain was not prepared for what I was about to hear. "We have a school for you when can
you fly out? We need you here by February"

My body seemed to take on a personality of its own. I was no longer cognizant. I wanted to feel
elated but instead I felt nervous which quickly began to morph into panic!

What's this... I asked, fear? Why? Isn't this what you'd been hoping for? A big break, a cash flow opportunity, a major change in scenery yes? After all you asked and received, you sought and you found, ok knocked and the proverbial door was opened. And on top of all that it had taken 5 months. So what was with the anxiety? My nemesis! Fear of success. I began to second guess my decision but knew that my hat, coat and shoes were already over the fence and I had to follow.

Although I felt the 5 month delay was Divine, (gave me a chance to do more research, the value of the money had declined and was on it's way back up, vote and celebrate the election of our first truly African-American President in the USA, etc) I did not expect the emotional tail spin that I went into. This lasted almost until my day of departure.

But I fought it like a soldier to keep my faith strong and to quiet the crop of nonsensical "what ifs" that kept looping like an on hold message.

Once I boarded the plane my panic turned into excitement and anticipation. I was back. I was almost giddy, tripping really thinking about how now at this mid stage of life I was doing a 180. What!


Annyeonghaseyo!,

That's hello, I am now in South Korea in the city of Incheon, I arrived on Wednesday 2/18.I had a very smooth 13 hour flight from Chicago to Japan then 3 hours from Japan to Seoul.

I've managed to find my way to a late night store on day one and then my Director took me to a large market, sort of like meijers, except this has three floors and a shopping cart escalator on yesterday. I found that to be so cool.

My apartment is a newly constructed, efficient studio but very nice. The heat comes from the floor and the bathroom is the shower. There is a drain beneath the pedestal sink. A bit odd but I've adapted. Culturally the Koreans don't stand to shower but the sista is not dealing with squatting to shower.

A really cool feature is the key. It's keyless and uses a wireless device that's waved across an infrared light to access the building. Then at my apartment door I input 4 digits on a key pad to unlock. It auto locks when I leave.

The weather is similar to home, they have 4 seasons. Because I just arrived I've missed most of winter and spring is coming just like at home. There were lite snow rain showers last eve but no bitter cold.

My internet is not on in my place yet so I'm online at the school for now. Once I'm connected I'll send out photo's and a bit of video that I'm trying to do a daily entry on.

I'm loving it and I'm not coming back!

Destination Seoul

My quest to re-invent, re-direct, to re-locate has now been REALIZED. After months, weeks, and sooooooooooooo many years, I've landed an opportunity of a life time.

The chance to live outside of the country and do what I've always wanted to do.......................

Teach.

Nothing, unusual, fancy, or glamorous, just teach. To impact the the lives of those who are still experiencing...............W.E.W. Wide Eyed Wonder.

It will be challenging, defining and always humbling but I'm so up for it.

I now intend to maintain a consistent blog. I'm intrigued to know in what form it will now take on. I just can't wait.

For some, no big deal, but for me, Dorothy from Kansas!!!!! It's the world!!!!!!!!!!

Stay tuned!!!!!!!