Another Year.

I realized my last post was a little vague, but I've decided to stay in Korea another year.

Some people probably think I'm crazy, and some people probably don't understand why I would ever leave America in the first place.  Well, I can't say for sure why I left last summer, but I know why I am staying.
 This was an easy decision for me.  I simply can't imagine going back to life in the USA yet.  Throughout the year, when I was asked whether or not I would stay, I would always answer "maybe" or "I'm not sure yet."  I think I was waiting for something to go terribly wrong, but that never happened.  I remember reading stories online about how some people would hit the "6 month mark" and feel overwhelmingly homesick and depressed.  That never happened either.

Of course, I miss everyone at home, but thankfully I'm able to keep in touch through skype, facebook, etc.  It's weird to think that I've been away for almost a year, but really, not much has changed back home.  I feel like I'm missing out on tons of stuff, but it turns out, I'm not.  Life is just going on as usual, only I'm not there.  It seems like time is just standing still even though I know it's not.

I'm staying because, right now, I love Seoul.  I love living in a huge city where there is always something new to see, but there are still places that I  can go every week to make it feel smaller than it is.  I still love eating Korean barbecue, nangmyeon, street food, kimchi jigae, etc.  I love going to sports games, movies, and public events and NOT get ripped off on food and drinks.  I love the general cleanliness of the expansive subway.  I (actually) love "looking like" the people that live here.  ( I wasn't sure what I would think of this, but it's nice to blend in with the crowd instead of knowing that I look different).  I love meeting really interesting people, whether Korean or foreigners.  I love that (most) foreigners have at least one thing in common which is we are teachers, we live in similarly sized houses, and we make a similar amount of money. (This means there's no corporate-climbing a-holes to deal with).  I love when my students say funny Konglish stuff when they try to talk to me.  I love the enthusiasm of (most) Korean workers in the service industry along with the preciseness of the Mcdonald's sandwich making.

So, among many things, this is why I'm staying in Korea.  I can't wait to get back to good ole' America for a visit in a couple of weeks, but I know that I'll be itching to get back at the end of it.