This week is special. Bobby and I have spent one year living and teaching in Korea! This has been the most eye opening, influential, inspiring, challenging, forgein, enjoyable, and life changing adventure of our lives. Unlike most teachers here in Korea, we signed a 19 month contract. No one we have ever talked to here has heard of anything besides 12 months. Lucky for us, we are very happy with our circumstances! While most teachers are packing up there things and ready to move on to new experiences, we are happy to be here for another 8 months. We get to enjoy another beautiful summer and fall here (and then suck it up through another cold winter) before we will have to think about packing up our things and moving on to OUR next adventure.
There are so many things we still want to experience before we leave: a makgeolli making class, learning to make a few of our favorite Korean dishes, exploring more of the country side and other cities, hiking, visiting more temples, eating at new restaurants, and spending more time with all the people we have met and become so close with over here (all while Bobby continues his mad scientist brewing).
I remember the day we arrived in Korea. We missed our flight from Seoul to Busan so we had to stay in a love motel that was near the Seoul Airport. The hotel gave us a small bag with soap, two shower caps, ten condoms, and one toothbrush (you do the math). The next morning we took the first flight out of Seoul to Busan and met two of our co-teachers at the airport. We all crammed into a cab (our luggage taking up most of the room) and rushed to our school to meet the rest of our staff. Then they told us we are going to lunch. I remember staring out that window the way a child stares out the window the first time they go to a city. I was soaking in all the new buildings, the signs I couldn't read, and watching the well-dressed Korean men and women going about their lives. The taxi weaved through small streets overran by people. Everywhere I looked there were tall buildings and bright lights. I had no idea where I was or how far away I was from our school/apartment. Our co-teachers (Kate and Brian, both Korean) took us to a Korean BBQ restaurant for our first meal in Korea. They brought out tons of small plates with little side dishes in them like cucumber, soy bean threads, tofu, and kimchi. I remember Kate made a comment about how badly she wished they could order beer, but she didn't want us to get in trouble at work. The food was wonderful compared to the airplane and convenience store food we had been consuming for days. It was also nice to get to know Kate and Brain.
It took us about 4 or 5 months to find that place again. It turns out it is only a five minute walk from our apartment in Seomyeon, the downtown area of Busan that is a five minute walk from our apartment. We had actually walked past this restaurant many times until one day I realized it was the same one Kate and Brain took us too! We ended up going back a few times and even brought Woody and Kyoko there when they visited (more on that here)
We figured we HAD TO go back to this place on our 1 year mark in Korea. We invited a few of our Korean/American co-teachers/friends to come with us. We tried a new style of marinated beef (which was much more expensive, 26,000 won VS 8,000 won PER PERSON) and had a few bottles of soju
(a traditional drink to have while eating BBQ). Like always, it was delicious!
We are so happy to be living abroad. It has always be our dream to travel and see the world. It is such an amazing opportunity to not only travel to other countries, but also to have the experience to live and work in one. It has shown me things that would not be possible if I were just visiting. This has been a year of my life I wouldn't trade for anything.
HAPPY ONE YEAR to us living in Korea.
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