Renewal

To be honest, Korea isn't always my favorite place (read: I don't like it, but I can make it fun). A friend told me about this great blog, and there was one post that really resonated with me, if you want to read it. The past few weeks have contained a lot of built-up frustration and some really intense anger... and these are not feelings I do well. It's been unpleasant to be in my head, and I have been clinging *very* tightly to the prospect of vacation (which, by the way, begins in exactly 48.25 hours).

Enter this weekend: relief and renewal.

It's amazing what dancing with friends, beautiful dramatic clouds, and heart-to-hearts can do for your spirit. I feel so much better and so much more ready to tackle the next 48 hours/5.5 months than I did when I left work on Friday. :)

Gwangju's Mt. Mudeung covered by clouds. Awesome, awesome clouds.

It really is all about perspective. One of my coping mechanisms has been to break down the future by things that I'm really excited about. For example, this is my thought process right now:

1. JEJU-DO vacation!!!

2. A visit from Ariel in August!

3. End-of-summer day trips and my birthday!

4. Chuseok holiday vacation in September!

5. OCTOBER! FALL! HAPPINESS!

6. November: Harry Potter!!!! more fall!

7. CHRISTMAS/last month in Korea/getting ready for our big Asia trip!

See? Look how nicely that breaks things down! And when I look at that list I put aside the annoying frustrating crap from the Monday-Friday work scene and think about how much stuff I still have to fit into these next few months, and my entire perspective on my time in Korea becomes what I wanted it to be again: focused on growth and adventure. Assa!