Lately
Despite a rough cold and a yearning for spring like I’ve never felt, life is pretty peachy lately. My classes are going well. The first graders are precocious, curious, and smart as whips. My other students are all doing great in their classes and seem to be enjoying them more than last year. I’m able to patiently deal with problems and have helped institute department-wide policies for class management. The kids now better understand classroom expectations and know the consequences. The three-strikes-you’re-out policy keeps me from getting frustrated and tearing my hair out like last year. I still roll my eyes at some of the parental complaints but I’ve learned not to take it too personally. (Yes, believe it or not, we have to go over the alphabet since your special snowflake of a child isn’t actually perfect.)
Stuart and I are happy, eating well, and loving blogging. It’s nice to have an outlet as a couple, as cheesy as that sounds. I like seeing him show off his cooking prowess to the world. I’m excited that he’s realized his place is in the kitchen (lolz) and know he’ll be a great chef one day. I feel lucky to reap the benefits of his labors. He continues to surprise me with his capacity for love and care. We celebrate our one year anniversary next month! I am so happy to call him mine.
I miss my recently departed friends terribly. I’m trying to branch out with new people, but forging friendships is hard. I’ve been feeling rather out of touch with the people I love most, which makes it difficult for me to find the confidence to pursue new friendships, oddly enough. I did start a language exchange with a coworker (mostly for her to practice English since my Korean is so lacking). I’m enjoying her company. I really like to talk with young Korean women about how our lives compare here. She’s interested in feminism and we’ll be reading some feminist texts together soon. ^^
Life after Korea is still up in the air, but I’m less concerned about it than I perhaps should be (today—last night, different story). I’m researching jobs, had an interview yesterday, and am open to what comes my way. I am not set on a city nor do I have a real plan. I’d like to be in education, but other than that I am unsure. I even have doubts about that path. I’ve been feeling more connected to the art world than I have since college and hear it calling my name. However, the museum/gallery world is much more competitive than suits me. I suppose I need to ratchet up my museum and gallery attendance and call it a day. have moments of despair and stress, but overall I’m doing my best. I’m lucky that I have options if I have trouble finding a position that suits me. Coming back to Korea, for one. I’d rather not, but I know it’s on the table. Regardless, I’m excited to see what comes next.
