Random Thoughts on Life, Exploring, and Hearts

"Time flies when you're having fun."

Maybe they should add: " . . . or trying to figure out how to work and live in a foreign country."
It's amazing to think that just last week at this time, I was sitting in the seat of a van (with a strange looking seatbelt) making small conversation with a pastor and his wife as we made the journey from Incheon Airport (which is on an island!) to the apartment in Daebang I would begin to call home. Life has a funny way of sneaking away from you. One moment, school is all you know, but for all 17 or so years you cannot WAIT to get out of there. The next moment, you're preparing to graduate from college, so proud of yourself. Then, BAM!, you open the door to the real world and life yells, "SURPRISE!", throws confetti in your face, and blows a noise maker. "Bet ya didn't know I could sneak away and surprise you so easily, did ya?," it remarks as it snickers snidely. Growing up, I, as I'm sure many of you do, remember adults always saying how I should just appreciate being young and not be in a hurry to grow up because it happens at exponential rates and before you know it, you're sitting 80 years old sitting in your chair wondering where life scampered off to and if it did it while you were napping. I've gotten to the point in my life where I not only realize it's true, but I tell it to those younger than me. Yes, I know and don't worry, I'm shaking my head at myself because now kids get to classify me as old . . . at 22 years of age. Anyway, that was a nice little sidetrack, but I'm not sure how it came about. I get distracted easily and love to go off on tangents. And that's why all my students will love me immensely.

Living here keeps me busy. I'm always doing one thing or another: teaching class, preparing for class, thinking about class, learning I have a new class, dreaming about class. Yeah, classes take up quite a large part of my time. But for any of my friends who have taught - those who teach here have no idea how easy they have it. Once I begin to learn the books and get into the routine, this will be way less time consuming than student teaching ever was! It's just having classes randomly throughout the day, the first one beginning at 7 a.m. and the last one ending at 9:35 p.m. I have some pretty good breaks in between though, and use those to get ready for . . . that's right, class. Today was the first day I've ventured onto the streets by myself and it was to go a couple of blocks to Home Plus Express to buy some rice. Think about it: American girl from the country and a town of 1200 people; went to college in a small city (some might call it a very large town); always told to keep an eye out when in a large city; now surrounded by huge buildings, millions of people who speak a foreign language, and street signs that are, for now, unreadable. Slightly intimidating. But, I have made a promise to myself to begin walking the streets . . . in no other way but appropriate, however (don't worry Mom and Dad. lol).

My first real venture into the city was this weekend with Nomfundo. For 10,000 Won, we took a tour bus of the entire city of Seoul - and we didn't even get to really explore half of it! But let me tell you, I am now SO excited to explore the museums and markets and palaces and mountains without having to worry about whether or not we're going to miss the bus. My thirst for culture is slowly but surely becoming quenched, one weekend at a time.

Speaking of culture, I experienced my first church service at which the pastor spoke in a foreign language and the translator spoke English. I thought I would be extremely disengaged but, as it turns out, one can learn about and feel the love of God in more than one language. Amazing, yeah?! Duh, Ashley. And I can still make friends when I'm in a foreign country, too. Never would've guessed that possible, but hey, David invited me to join his new Sunday morning sports group, Sooji is going to teach me Korean and gave me a lovely Korean textbook as a gift, and Sarah invited me to go hiking with her sometime! Things are beginning to look up. I guess if you keep your chin up long enough, the ground just has to level out so your eyes leave the ground and see blue skies . . . shinin' on me, nothing but blue sk . . . oh, I'll stop singing now. I get carried away sometimes.

Your home never leaves your heart - the people you love, the places you know, the things you do. Maybe, just maybe, it's easier than it seems to clear a space in the corner of your heart for another group of people, places, and things - another home of sorts. I'm thinking my heart might just be big enough.