A Year in Review

After 4 hours of sitting on the runway at O'Hare and 13 hours in the air, I have completed my 11th trip across the Pacific Ocean and am back in Korea. I had intended just to take a short nap so I could go into Seoul tonight. My short nap turned into an 8-hour nap, and I woke up at 11 PM, having slept right through my alarm clock. It looks like I'll welcome 2008 from my cozy little apartment.

2007 Year in Review

January--I returned to Korea on my 7th trip across the Pacific Ocean. Complications from a root canal sent me to the endodontist, my new hero. I experienced my first earthquake. I got my own classroom at the school.

February--I celebrated Lunar New Year with Catherine and her family. My pants split in class one day. I started teaching full time.

March--I traveled to Jeju Island for a 4-day vacation and climbed Mt. Halla, Korea's highest peak. I started working at the preschool in addition to my regular school. I stopped working at the church.

April--I watched the sunrise from the east coast of Korea and almost watched the sunset from the west coast on Easter. I helped coach Miss Korea. The staff of my school spent a weekend in the mountains.

May--Adorned with lanterns and spring flowers, May was Korea's prettiest month this year. I was the English-speaking MC for the inaugural ceremony of Educators without Borders. I watched the Lotus Lantern parade and visited two big temples in Seoul for Buddha's Birthday.

June--I walked through a big public market that got creepier the deeper I got into it. I moved to a bigger apartment that has a full-sized refrigerator and washing machine. I went to Chicago on my 8th trip across the Pacific Ocean.

July--I spent the whole month of July in the U.S. with my family. We celebrated Mom and Dad's 30th wedding anniversary by going to The Color Purple in Chicago. We drove around Lake Michigan on a family vacation.

August--On my 9th trip across the Pacific Ocean, I returned to Korea. It was a very hectic month at school.

September--The month for traveling. I visited the DMZ, North Korea, and China. The highlight was spending a day hiking on the Great Wall.

October--Beautiful weather meant October was the month to be outside. I went hiking at Songnisan and Gyeryongsan National Parks and took field trips with most of my students. I ended the month in Samsung Medical Center's emergency room with pneumonia and a kidney infection.

November--I joined the gym with Catherine and was very dedicated--for about a week. Everyone came to my apartment to celebrate Thanksgiving.

December--I helped clean up the oil spill at Mallipo in Taean County and was misquoted in a major Korean newspaper. I made my 10th trip across the Pacific to spend Christmas in Chicago. I made my 11th trip across the Pacific Ocean and am back in Korea.

While having lunch with friends in Galena last week, I broke a tooth, which means that the year has come full circle. I'll begin 2008 in much the same way I began 2007--I have an appointment with the endodontist on January 2nd.