This Is Where I Stand (Jan 2009)

When I first left for Korea in August of 2008, I determined that I would learn the language, travel around and enjoy myself.  I had no other career plans or expectations for the next year.  Well, I am still in the process of achieving those goals, slowly but surely.  I am even working on my writing goals by practicing my skills.  First I increased my reading time so I can rebuild my vocabulary and improve my journaling, blogging, and online scrapbooking.  That has been no small task with my travel schedule.  

Next I am looking into writing with the specific goal to submit my work.  I need to decide if I want to teach and travel more first before trying to land a job writing in a foreign country, especially since many of these jobs will likely have me right back in the states working at home.

Now it is a new year and according to tradition in Korea, I am a year older.  So let's say that would make me 26.  Since I never tacked on the two years I gained when flying here, as tradition begins once you enter the country and not just when you find out about it, I would actually be 28.  I would like to take advantage of the superstition that if you drink from the spring water at the temple site we visited, you become two years younger.  Against my inclination not to drink from community vessels (and because of the insistence of my elder coworker), I partook of the fountain of short term youth.  Therefore, I would now be only 26.  Come September, I am heading back to the spring for a birthday drink.