I now have been in South Korea for a month! It's rather hard to think it's only been a month and even though time has flown by and I'm getting the hang of everything it is hard to think I haven't seen my friends or my parents in a month.
Okay, so I started this post over a week ago and I just kinda forgot to finish it. I can now add at least my first couple of insights with having worked for a month now too at my school. It definitely not what I expected but I have been able to adjust fairly quickly to everything; from my apartment, to the new food(kinda), to new people, and learning a new language. As well as teaching, of course.
I am slowly becoming adjusted to my new surroundings and have been slowly getting my apartment how I would like it to be. It's definitely not perfect, with the occasionally weird smell and location being above a convenience store, it's becoming more and more like home. I'm anticipating my first paycheck because I need to buy decorations to help make this place better for me, as well as getting photos printed that I can put up around my apartment. It will be nice also to buy a broom and a mop so cleaning the whole place won't take all day.
My stomach has not been my best friend these past couple weeks. I am happy to have been able to find food that I really enjoy (kimchi is YUMMY and Korean Barbecue is definitely my favorite meal here) but some things I am having a hard time adjusting too, mainly fish. I try to avoid having it, since every time I have it my stomach reacts to it most unhappily. I've had a couple stomach bugs but nothing that hasn't stopped me from going into work thankfully.
I've met a lot of great people here as well, some from training and some being my coworkers. It's great having such a diverse group of people to hang out with and do things with, it definitely makes adjusting here easier. I've seen bits of Seoul while going out and shopping (Oh, the fashion here is marvelous!) and it feels like the right place for me to be right now.
I'm hopefully going to start getting to work on learning Korean now, since it's time to start learning. I really need to plan my days better, as well as posting more often. With November comes my first pay day as well as the beginning of National Novel Writing Month and this year I am really going to try to get something accomplished.
Well, I should get this post uploaded and then try and get most of my hat done tonight! I'm knitting as well and improving my skill. Let's see if I can get some of my own wardrobe pieces created!
With Love,
Allison
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Monday, October 10, 2011
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Saturday, September 24, 2011
Air Travel
For the past week I have been writing, but not posting any of my entries so that O could go over them one more time...Here is an update of my flight!
I have now been traveling officially for 12 hours, and I think I could sleep for a day straight. This past week has been one of constant goings and never ending tasks to complete. Here is a quick rehash of what the day has been so far.
5:00 Am wake up call and be ready for the shuttle to the airport. I was with my parents and my mom was a bit sad so saying good bye to them was a tad emotional. My flight to San Francisco wasn’t till 8:40, but I wanted to be early. That flight went by quick, but the food wasn’t the best. Flights sure have cut back, spent 7 bucks on a “meal” that was satisfying, but still a bit much for what it was. When I arrive in San Francisco I had to still get my tickets for the international flight and I discovered that to my dismay, I was only allowed one carry-on and it had to be under 14 lbs. Yeah, I had two and neither was under 14. I did have a bag within one that I chose to bring so I could use it for work. That saved me and the woman at the counter was extremely nice to me and I was really happy with how she treated me. She easily could have charged me for the two extra check in bags I had, but she didn’t and just let me know that next time they would charge me.
I am now sitting in economy on my 12 hour flight to Seoul. I am exhausted, but in about 9 hours it will be done. I hope I can take a couple hour nap so I will sleep when I arrive, since it will be early evening.
One thing I am thankful for this international flight is that anytime I want a drink I can order some wine, which has helped me relax after some stress of getting onto this flight on time and getting my suitcases figured out.
I am going to try to study before I am off the flight but I am in desperate need for a nap!
Love to all.
Allison
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Fear dragging feet
Fear. It is such a powerful and sometimes, overwhelming emotion that leaves me nauseous, unable to breathe, and dizzy. This can also describe my reaction, and I'm sure of others, feelings about love. Leaving us nauseous, unable to breathe, and dizzy at the mere sight, touch, or sound of the one or ones we love. People will go to no ends for the people they love, fearing that if they don't, they will lose them.
Why does fear captivate and hold so closely to our ability to love?
It has been an extraordinary past couple months. Work is slowly winding down and my next phase in life is slowly unfolding before me. South Korea will be my new home in just a few short months and I'm terrified. I try not to think about what is going to be coming up, but it's beginning to sink its fangs in me about how tremendous and slightly overpowering this decision is.
I try not to think about so I don't work myself up from the fear. I've had enough adrenaline kicks these past few weeks, I need a break! It only life would take a day trip and let me relax and catch up on my thoughts.
Why does fear captivate and hold so closely to our ability to love?
It has been an extraordinary past couple months. Work is slowly winding down and my next phase in life is slowly unfolding before me. South Korea will be my new home in just a few short months and I'm terrified. I try not to think about what is going to be coming up, but it's beginning to sink its fangs in me about how tremendous and slightly overpowering this decision is.
I try not to think about so I don't work myself up from the fear. I've had enough adrenaline kicks these past few weeks, I need a break! It only life would take a day trip and let me relax and catch up on my thoughts.
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Enjoying the experience
Again, lack of posts. Writing is slowly getting put on the back burner. Though I should really be paying more attention to this aspect of my life. I am trying to understand the direction my life is taking, and I am unsure of what type of Master's program to apply for in the next couple years. Next year though, I am looking into going abroad and actually SEEING the world. I know a lot of people saw this movie, Eat, Pray, Love but the book is phenomenal. I guess it's what started this whole new though process of refinding my passion.
While I am enjoying the work I am doing now, I am also missing being in WI. I miss my friends and I miss what I had there. My two year relationship is over and I'm having a hard time. And around this time of the year, it's hard to not miss the people who you love. But just like the heroine of the movie, I was just unhappy with where I was a year ago. In school, not sure where my future was going, in a relationship where I love the other so much but I just couldn't figure out what I wanted. And I still don't know now. I want these next years to be that, learning what I want. I don't have the resources to fund spending a year just traveling, so I'm hoping to get into a teach English as a second language program.
Yet though, I am making great friends here and now, I couldn't have passed this experience up for anything. I feel like this year is my first part of my story. Taking a year to give back. While at times I wish it was more hands on and I saw more of the difference, I know that I am doing a lot of good. I'm learning a lot as well being at this school and working with this program. So maybe the first word in my own version of Eat, Pray, Love is Serving.
I feel that the volunteer work I do right now is helping me look at what I got as a child. While this private school is filled to the brim with uppity brats, there are the few that I have gotten to know that do volunteer work because it makes them feel good and they love doing it. They don't do it for recognition anymore, they are not doing it to make their college applications look better, they are not doing it because their parents are making them, they are doing it because they want to. Of course, some of them volunteer because of those reasons and while they are not bad reasons, I had the same reason for volunteering in high school, those students are just not as excited about it. The students who have that passion are great to work with and inspire me. That inspiration is great and does help when I'm sitting at my desk staring at my computer screen and wondering what the heck I should be doing! It's funny to think and go back to where I was in 2006, waiting to hear back from colleges and trying to to figure out what I wanted to do. Did I want to go into architecture? Did I want to go into journalism? Did I just want to go into English? I had no idea! I thought college would help me pick a passion, but it didn't.
So now, I'm cynical about finding a passion for my life and maybe it's time that my passion just be living my life! Why not? I have nothing (besides an empty bank account) keeping me from living my life to it's fullest. Serving is helping fill a hole I have, fulfilling my need to give back. This year isn't really all about me, it's about what I can do to make something better. I need to just enjoy this experience because I don't want to look back next year and think I should have done something differently. It's time to just enjoy life.
While I am enjoying the work I am doing now, I am also missing being in WI. I miss my friends and I miss what I had there. My two year relationship is over and I'm having a hard time. And around this time of the year, it's hard to not miss the people who you love. But just like the heroine of the movie, I was just unhappy with where I was a year ago. In school, not sure where my future was going, in a relationship where I love the other so much but I just couldn't figure out what I wanted. And I still don't know now. I want these next years to be that, learning what I want. I don't have the resources to fund spending a year just traveling, so I'm hoping to get into a teach English as a second language program.
Yet though, I am making great friends here and now, I couldn't have passed this experience up for anything. I feel like this year is my first part of my story. Taking a year to give back. While at times I wish it was more hands on and I saw more of the difference, I know that I am doing a lot of good. I'm learning a lot as well being at this school and working with this program. So maybe the first word in my own version of Eat, Pray, Love is Serving.
I feel that the volunteer work I do right now is helping me look at what I got as a child. While this private school is filled to the brim with uppity brats, there are the few that I have gotten to know that do volunteer work because it makes them feel good and they love doing it. They don't do it for recognition anymore, they are not doing it to make their college applications look better, they are not doing it because their parents are making them, they are doing it because they want to. Of course, some of them volunteer because of those reasons and while they are not bad reasons, I had the same reason for volunteering in high school, those students are just not as excited about it. The students who have that passion are great to work with and inspire me. That inspiration is great and does help when I'm sitting at my desk staring at my computer screen and wondering what the heck I should be doing! It's funny to think and go back to where I was in 2006, waiting to hear back from colleges and trying to to figure out what I wanted to do. Did I want to go into architecture? Did I want to go into journalism? Did I just want to go into English? I had no idea! I thought college would help me pick a passion, but it didn't.
So now, I'm cynical about finding a passion for my life and maybe it's time that my passion just be living my life! Why not? I have nothing (besides an empty bank account) keeping me from living my life to it's fullest. Serving is helping fill a hole I have, fulfilling my need to give back. This year isn't really all about me, it's about what I can do to make something better. I need to just enjoy this experience because I don't want to look back next year and think I should have done something differently. It's time to just enjoy life.
Monday, October 4, 2010
Slow at the grind from 7:30 til 4
I never thought that I would be more exhausted from sitting at a desk all day to running between classes and work. I also didn't think I would be passing out every night by 10, since I'm getting up by 5:30 in the morning.
It's not that bad, I'm sure I'll be getting used to it sooner than later, even if almost two months have gone by since I started! Thankfully, I'm getting more projects every week so I'm no longer dawdling my time away as I was for the past several weeks. I'm thoroughly enjoying my experience as I have gotten to know my fellow VISTAs and see more of New Hampshire.
Who ever thought though school should be at 730 in the morning is a masochist. I have never really understood why it has to be so gosh darn early! I remember being up by 5:45 to make my 6:50 bus in VA, and getting up almost just as early for high school in MI. It is interesting...it never seemed to be so hard to wake up in the morning!
I have also started developing a taste for coffee (yuck) every morning, except today thankfully. I just hope I don't turn into my mother who gets up an hour early every morning in order to drink her two cups of coffee before work. I like my sleep.
Life seems to be moving along very slowly, as work has not been very busy for me. I am hoping, and that prayer has been answered, for my work to pick up. I'm thankful to have two separate supervisors who have projects for me to do, I'm just hoping I don't have weeks of activity and then a month of waiting.
Well I hope the fall is treating everyone well!
Love
It's not that bad, I'm sure I'll be getting used to it sooner than later, even if almost two months have gone by since I started! Thankfully, I'm getting more projects every week so I'm no longer dawdling my time away as I was for the past several weeks. I'm thoroughly enjoying my experience as I have gotten to know my fellow VISTAs and see more of New Hampshire.
Who ever thought though school should be at 730 in the morning is a masochist. I have never really understood why it has to be so gosh darn early! I remember being up by 5:45 to make my 6:50 bus in VA, and getting up almost just as early for high school in MI. It is interesting...it never seemed to be so hard to wake up in the morning!
I have also started developing a taste for coffee (yuck) every morning, except today thankfully. I just hope I don't turn into my mother who gets up an hour early every morning in order to drink her two cups of coffee before work. I like my sleep.
Life seems to be moving along very slowly, as work has not been very busy for me. I am hoping, and that prayer has been answered, for my work to pick up. I'm thankful to have two separate supervisors who have projects for me to do, I'm just hoping I don't have weeks of activity and then a month of waiting.
Well I hope the fall is treating everyone well!
Love
Sunday, August 1, 2010
New post!
Well, it certainly has been a while since I posted! I had been busy figuring out a lot of things, relationships, friendships, and where the heck i was going to be once I graduated. I am very happy and lucky to have been given a position in AmeriCorps Vista in Manchester, NH. I am excited and nervous, since I'm starting in about two weeks. I have training and such coming up, so I'll be meeting all the other Vistas in the program with me. But here is a brief synopsis of what has been going on in my life!
1. I graduated from Marquette
2. I moved in with my parents, and was there for a month...
3. I have been working for my aunt in IL, taking care of my cousins...I'm trying to earn money so that I can buy a new laptop since unfortunately my Maccy is dying :(
4. I have a job! YAY! I'm super excited about it. Here is a small run down of what it entails
I will be working under the volunteer coordinator at a school in Manchester(I'm not giving to much specific specs, don't want anyone stalking or me getting the school in trouble). I will be put in charge of a portion of the volunteer opportunities for both the middle school and high school, and I'll be in charge of coordinating the annual Habitat for Humanity trip the high school does. I'll also be working with a program that resides in the school, called BreakThrough, which helps under privileged kids with school work and helps them stay on track to go to college. I already saw what a day looks like for their summer camp, which is how they start off the program in sixth grade. It follows them up through high school. I'll be helping with workshops, getting volunteers, and coordinating activities to get the kids excited and focused.
I am super excited to be starting soon and with my last week at my aunts. I was able to spend time with my boyfriend( :) ) and see friends who I hadn't had the chance to say bye to really when I left at the end of May. Living at my parents for the first month was super boring, but having now joined a gym, I am getting back into shape.
Now here are the ideas that I want to do with this blog. I have another, which I am going to be using to focus on building a writing repertoire and less of a day to day blog. That blog had originally been designed as a "Lessons Learned" and I'd like to continue it as such. As I graduated with my Writing Intensive Degree, I want to possibly use this blog to post stories/ chapters and also as more serious writing of essays and such. I would love to get into a MFA Creative Writing program, but I need to work on it first. I think I will start by posting a story I wrote awhile here in the next couple of days and then see how many people post feedback. I'd love for comments from some of the readers I have!
Anyway, this is starting to ramble so I must be getting hungry! I'll occasionally post on how my work is going and what I'm doing, but not so often I hope!
Enjoy your summer's everyone! It's almost over!
1. I graduated from Marquette
2. I moved in with my parents, and was there for a month...
3. I have been working for my aunt in IL, taking care of my cousins...I'm trying to earn money so that I can buy a new laptop since unfortunately my Maccy is dying :(
4. I have a job! YAY! I'm super excited about it. Here is a small run down of what it entails
I will be working under the volunteer coordinator at a school in Manchester(I'm not giving to much specific specs, don't want anyone stalking or me getting the school in trouble). I will be put in charge of a portion of the volunteer opportunities for both the middle school and high school, and I'll be in charge of coordinating the annual Habitat for Humanity trip the high school does. I'll also be working with a program that resides in the school, called BreakThrough, which helps under privileged kids with school work and helps them stay on track to go to college. I already saw what a day looks like for their summer camp, which is how they start off the program in sixth grade. It follows them up through high school. I'll be helping with workshops, getting volunteers, and coordinating activities to get the kids excited and focused.
I am super excited to be starting soon and with my last week at my aunts. I was able to spend time with my boyfriend( :) ) and see friends who I hadn't had the chance to say bye to really when I left at the end of May. Living at my parents for the first month was super boring, but having now joined a gym, I am getting back into shape.
Now here are the ideas that I want to do with this blog. I have another, which I am going to be using to focus on building a writing repertoire and less of a day to day blog. That blog had originally been designed as a "Lessons Learned" and I'd like to continue it as such. As I graduated with my Writing Intensive Degree, I want to possibly use this blog to post stories/ chapters and also as more serious writing of essays and such. I would love to get into a MFA Creative Writing program, but I need to work on it first. I think I will start by posting a story I wrote awhile here in the next couple of days and then see how many people post feedback. I'd love for comments from some of the readers I have!
Anyway, this is starting to ramble so I must be getting hungry! I'll occasionally post on how my work is going and what I'm doing, but not so often I hope!
Enjoy your summer's everyone! It's almost over!
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