Katie's Wandering Seoul

Since starting the entire process of coming to Korea EPIK and my recruiter have done a pretty good job on helping me to prepare for this adventure.  From getting interviews set up, helping me with all my documents, lesson planning, teaching, and Korean culture they are all things they we were told about.  No, nothing could really prepare any of us for the adventure we were beginning but everyone involved tried really hard to help us along the way. Since coming to Korea I have found my little Korean family.  I have met so many people these past 9 months and I'm thankful that I have found a family in Korea.  We speak on a regular basis, we see each other daily or weekly, we have traveled around Korea together as well as to different countries.  Being away from your family and friends at home is scary and hard, but having this adventure with all these people has been and I'm sure will continue to be an amazing time together is something we all need to cherish a l...

It's funny how things can change so quickly here in Korea...or I guess just life in general.  In the past month I have gone from being at the top of the world, crashing hard very quickly and then coming back out on top. With Lucy in Class Mr. Kang introducing them to the school The end of September was a time that I had been waiting and literally counting down the days for for months before it finally arrived.  My family finally got to come to this crazy place I call home and see how we live our lives here in Korea.  I was so excited to actually have them here.  I get to talk to my mom often, and I see her face through Skype on a weekly basis but its just not the same as having them here in person.  They arrived on a Friday, my school let me out early to go and pick them up from the airport.  I was so excited when my mom walked through those doors.  We immediately ran to each other and a few tears made an appearance.  They were...

I realize that it has been quite some time since I have posted a blog on here and talked about my travels.  I'm happy to say that I really don't have too many complaints. I have gone at least 2 weeks (maybe more) without being talked to or corrected about my clothes or my classes!!!!  I'm taking that as a huge step with my relationship with these teachers I work with.  I also have more teachers, not English teachers, speaking to me...in English YAY!!! Beth and I outside the station! Since my last post the Sangjuers have traveled a little more around the small country.  We went to Busan at the beginning of the month.  It was so great to spend time on the beach! We did a little shopping, spent a while on the beach having a few drinks, had a really good dinner, and then had a night out at bars and clubs.  I always love going and watching the Koreans dance...it's just very different than the way we dance at home, but I love it.  We did see a fire w...

I am calling this country the ugly duckling country because it has seriously turned into this beautiful country in the past week or so.  The cherry blossoms were out a few weeks ago, lasted about a week and then they all fell off the trees.  BUT now flowers are starting to bloom and all the trees have their leaves back.  I went hiking yesterday with Beth, to the same mountain we go to every week (2-3 times a week) and it was seriously like we were in a totally different place.  We stopped a few times and said...is this even the same mountain, I'm not sure I know where we are.  Needless to say we did manage to make out way down the mountain safe and sound and never got lost, so don't worry. I'm really looking forward to my next couple months here in Korea, because our little Sangju group has so much planned around Korea.  This weekend we will be going to Busan to enjoy a little beach time.  I'm very excited seeing as Busan was my number one place that...

I have about 15 minutes left in my day until I can leave and go home.  I really should be lesson planning for my classes, maybe try to get ahead, however these computers are just way too slow to do much on them.  I go to try to make my presentation or look something up on the internet and it takes 50 years to switch things, so I'll write a blog instead! Gyeongsangbuk Palace in Seoul Beth, Heather, and me in Seoul We went to Seoul this weekend for St. Patrick's day.  We went up on Friday night, and came back to Sangju yesterday afternoon.  We had a lot of fun, and Seoul is absolutely huge!!!  We went shopping during the day on Saturday...there are so many different stores.  Western stores and Korean stores, it was so great!  I know that I don't have to worry about finding clothes that fit me!  We decided that we will just make a girls weekend back up there so that we can go shopping.  The guys weren't really into the whole shopping...