The First Blog of 2009

It's hard to believe that it is August 2009. It seems not that long ago that I was just arriving to Korea for the first time-- when I visited Emily for ten days in April 2008. A few short months later, I had quit my job in NYC and was moving to be with Emily here in Ilsan. All in all, it's been an amazing experience.

I still enjoy my day-to-day life in Korea. Good food, great friends and about 30 coffee shops are all within walking distance. My first school closed at the end of January, and I had a smooth transition to my new school in February. I was very lucky. My new school is brand new. I love my kindergarten class.

I have had some amazing travels. As I blogged about (over a year ago...), Em and I had a fantastic vacation last summer to Malaysia, Borneo, and Hong Kong. I got a chance to see some other parts of Korea last year as well. Emily and I had a fun weekend to Gyeongju, a very historic and scenic area about 3 1/2 hours southeast of Seoul by train. We also had a nice stay at Seongmo-do Island on the Western coast.

Last December, we managed to scoot home to NY for a short week of family gatherings and holiday celebrations. Soon after, we spent the Lunar New Year in Emily's old stomping grounds-- Osaka, Japan. We stayed with some of her old friends that are still living in Japan and she showed me around the city. We took day trips to Kyoto and Nara. Gorgeous. I will definitely be back to Japan someday.

After Japan, I adjusted to life at my new school, and we started planning early for our summer vacation 2009-- Vietnam! It was another amazing trip. We started in Hanoi, spent my birthday on a junk boat in Halong Bay, and then spent the remainder of our vacation week on Phu Quoc Island. Fantastic food, motorbikes, and beachfront bungalows.

I consider myself fairly spoiled.

So what's next? Well, I'm due to finish up at my school at the end of February 2010. After that, Emily and I are planning to do a big last hurrah of traveling before we return to the States. We're thinking Cambodia, Laos, and maybe a return trip to Vietnam. I should be home to NY by late spring. Emily won't be far behind me, as she and her friend Kim are going to spend a month working in Australia after we finish up in Southeast Asia.

If all goes as planned, Emily and I will be seeking an apartment in Queens by the end of the summer and I'll be back at Hunter College to start my Master's in Music Ed.

Annyong Haseyo (bye) for now!