Christmas time reflections.......

I bought a Christmas tree. It was my first one ever! The lovely little fake fir is only two feet high and I bought it for twelve thousand won (the equivalent of 12 U.S. dollars). I think I am officially a grownup.

Christmas shows itself in tiny bits around Korea. It's not a huge holiday to be celebrated. One Korean friend told it was more like a "date" day, or a day to spend with one's sweetheart. The Koreans like to celebrate Chusok and Lunar New Year a bit more than Christmas. I am going to spend Christmas with my extended family in Seoul for four days. I greatly anticipate getting to spend time with my second cousins I haven't seen much in the last ten years. I have vague memories of seeing my cousins during the summers in high school for random visits to SSP basketball camps and dentists checkups. I am excited to actually share a meal with them all at once. On December 28th, I head down to Bali with three of my co-workers for two weeks. I"m still not sure what possessed me to go, or what monetary funds truly exist to fund this trip; nonetheless, I am going. I am excited for sun, relaxation, Bali dances, and the monkey forest. Don't worry, I intend to take PLENTY of pictures while I am down there! (Or steal plenty from Meredith!)

Christmas and New Year's causes one to stop and pause where life has taken them. Since ruminating is one of my favorite pastimes, I think about the past year quite a bit. So much has happened since last December. I got my first teaching job, traveled to the equator and the Galapagos Islands, made a french silk pie for the first time, rode on a Segway with my dad, traveld to Europe, got my ears pierced, and moved to South Korea. Not too shabby for a year, eh? I am now five months into my overseas journey. When I first moved to South Korea, it didn't feel real. I felt like I was on a travel abroad program for college. Over the last few weeks, my life doesn't feel like a vacation anymore. I have a life overseas now. I don't know how long this season of my life will last, but my address doesn't just include the United States anymore. I share an address with one hundred other teachers.

This past year has taught me to be thankful and quiet. I learned to be thankful for what is right in front of my eyes and not to CONSTANTLY be looking elsewhere for contentment. I learned to be quiet in the sense I actually stop once in awhile to be still and reflective. Both lessons have proven themselves over and over, even thought I continually fail to master them :)
I eagerly await the challenges 2008 will bring. I anticipate seeing family and friends in the States. I look forward to writing another entry next year around Christmas time.
Maybe next year I will actually like kimchi.


MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HE LIVES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!