4.01.2015

[The Insta Life] Welcome, Spring.

The last time I did an Insta Life, it was freezing and I was still reminiscing about sweating my butt off in Thailand. And now I can see cherry blossoms when I ride my bike all over town, and I'm slowly starting to put my heating fan to rest (it's still cold in the mornings!). Time flies, right? 

It's interesting because I didn't think I was in a honeymoon phase when I came to Korea, but now that I'm falling out of it, I can tell that I was. It may not have been as extreme as my first time here, but it still had this glorious period of everything being new. I was constantly discovering something, whether it was my surroundings, something about myself, or something about others. Now half the expat teachers here have left or are getting ready to leave in the upcoming months, and things seem both unsettled and settled at the same time. I'm getting used to the rhythm again, preparing myself to be here for longer than a year. Maybe its partially my allergies, this coming out of the honeymoon phase, and a little sadness at everyone leaving, but I found myself in a bit of a funk last week. 

I think I've had my major exploring phase, and now its time to organize and sort everything out before things get crazy once more. After all, I've got Japan and Seoul Jazz Festival in May, more goodbyes, future summer camps, a hopeful renewal, and a vacation back home for sure coming up. As much as this stagnant feeling is trying to get at me, I know I need this April rest in order to reboot myself.  With that said, here's what I've been up to!

  • Cherry Blossom Hot Chocolate at Starbucks- Is this everywhere or is this new? I have never seen a Cherry Blossom theme at Starbucks, and it's adorable! 
  • Strawberry Picking- I went to a friend of a friend's farm and we went strawberry picking! Not as glamorous as it sounds, but just as fun. Also, side note to photographers. Photographing the palms picture is actually really hard.
  • Smoothie Bowls- Check out my fancy smoothie bowl recipe here. These things never get old.
  • Bus Rides- Best place to sit on the cheap bus? In the exact middle in the very back. A lot more space.
  • Fish Stairs- I had seen these fish stairs in one of the Seoul instagrams I follow, and I was pretty excited to finally see it for myself! And here is my post on Ihwa Mural Village for more.
  • Countryside Schools- Back to school. All my schools changed this year, so yes, that means I've taught a total of 8 schools, ranging from 3rd to 9th in Namwon so far!
  • CATS!- Oh, my cat love is real. Maybe realer than most love stories. 
  • Farewell Potlucks- Another expat teacher is leaving this month, so our church group gathered to bid her farewell. As sad as goodbyes are, you can't complain about the food that emerges from these dinners. 
  • Sunsets- I love spring, and I love seeing sunsets. I still find that line from Wild to be so fitting: "There is a sunrise and a sunset every day, and you can choose to be there for it. You can put yourself in the way of beauty."

2 comments :

  1. Lovely pictures! <3 Now following you on Instagram! :)

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    1. Thank you so much :) I just looked at your Instagram and followed you back :)

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