Assure

Just wanted to let you know that normal life is still happening in South Korea.

Not, like, my "I go on awesome adventures and speak in a foreign language and live in Asia" normal life... but my "I do laundry and work out and cook meals" normal life.

I think it could be easy to romanticize my experience of moving to a foreign country to start my career. Yes, I chose it for the adventure and opportunity to learn about myself and the world.... but I still do normal things here.

I go grocery shopping.
I work out in the morning.
I teach classes.
I grade assignments.
I celebrate birthdays.
I go to church.
I meet new people.
I clean my apartment.
I wash dishes.
I go to school meetings.
I send out way too many emails.
I sing and play the day away.
I dread making dinner after work.

These are all things I could have done in the United States.
I chose to do them somewhere with somewhat of a language barrier, surrounded by a culture other than my own..... but I'm still living a very normal life. It's not all solo sea kayaking, eating foods I can't identify (though I have done my fair share of that), plane rides, and "soul searching".

so, to those of you who I'll see in the states during Christmas time... don't be surprised if I'm still the same me. I'm still Emmalee, living a normal life... just a plane ride away instead of a car ride away.

Things I'm very excited for in the near future:
seeing my friends and family, duhhhhh
Chipotle.
USING MY OWN OVEN TO BAKE UP A GIANT STORM
Fairmount Avenue United Methodist Church
Clyde, Maggie, Yogi, and Snowflake (aka The Herd)
snow.
Target. I can't wait for Target.
The OK Factor CD release event!
Seasonal Starbucks flavors that don't seem odd to me.

Things I'm scared of in the near future:
my cell phone not working when I land in the US
driving a car. it's been a while.
jet lag.

Caffeine... especially in seasonal flavors not available in SoKo. That will help with Jet lag, but who knows what'll happen. I am a slave to sleep normally, having no control over where or when I'll fall asleep. This could be rough. However it turns out, everything will be awesome... because I'll be Home For Christmas.