Maybe you have heard the term digital minimalism. Or maybe it is just me who is constantly seeking out ways to be happier with less: less noise, less clutter, fewer things and worries and comparisons. Paradoxically, being content with fewer of these mental distractions means freeing up more mental energy and time to work towards … Continue reading March: Digital Declutter
Tag: TeachEnglish
We Came Home
To be honest, finding the motivation to write in self-quarantine has been a struggle—ironic, considering all the free time it creates. But, alas, after fielding messages from concerned friends and family, I finally sat down to put an update in writing. So here we go. To those who did not yet know: surprise! Joey and … Continue reading We Came Home
It’s Not All K-Pop and Kimchi
When we left Korea for Japan in mid-January, the term coronavirus was, itself, novel. At the airport there was a standard number of people wearing face masks—it being flu season in an airport in Asia—but having now been on this side of the world for over a year, a layperson in a face mask didn’t … Continue reading It’s Not All K-Pop and Kimchi
Life After Korea: What’s next?
This is going to get honest and personal. You ready? I have always had drive; simultaneously I have always lacked any clear direction. I have struggled with finding something that I feel truly passionate about, and therefore finding somewhere to channel my focus, my energies, and my talents. In college, this uncertainty manifested in choosing … Continue reading Life After Korea: What’s next?
Teacher Update: English Camp
The Korean school year ends with the calendar year, followed by the longer of the two school breaks: winter break. During this time, it is not uncommon for a foreign teacher to be “asked” to host an English Camp at one of their schools, as I was. My instructions were these: the first week of … Continue reading Teacher Update: English Camp
Giving Thanks
It is no secret that these past seven months in Korea have been some of the most challenging I have had. As the holidays approach my homesickness is amplified, making it all the more difficult to be here and not at home with my family. However, the holidays also offer a unique opportunity to reflect … Continue reading Giving Thanks
Give Me More Kindergartners
It is safe to say that my feelings about my students change daily, sometimes by the minute. Some days they are engaged, funny, and enthusiastic; we joke and laugh, and time passes quickly. Other days, nobody listens or cares, they whine and carry on, and the minutes tick by like hours. However, through the ups … Continue reading Give Me More Kindergartners
Understanding Our Differences
People in Korea are afraid of English. Deathly terrified. There are exceptions, yes: there always are. But my experience these past six months can be characterized by this general fear. The look I get from the coffee shop worker when I come up to order is one of sheer panic. When the woman at the … Continue reading Understanding Our Differences
Humidity, Hiking, and Hopeful Thinking
Summer has hit here in Korea... oh man. We are talking 100 degree days, 100% humidity, and UV index levels of 11 (read: extreme!). On days we get a little relief from the glaring sun, it pours down rain (did I mention 100% humidity?). Unlike in Oregon, where summer rain brings a clean sense of … Continue reading Humidity, Hiking, and Hopeful Thinking
Girl vs. Korea
I’ve never had a job—or, in my many years of schooling, a schedule—so jarringly emotionally inconsistent as being an English teacher in Korea. Seriously. One day things will be great: the bus will come on time; I will get to school early and the other teachers will be in a great mood, offering me coffee … Continue reading Girl vs. Korea
Sakura, Sakura
It’s the eve of the day marking one month since we arrived in Japan. We are in Fukuoka, and it’s the first night of our last stop before heading to South Korea. We walk through the clean city streets with significantly more awareness than when we first arrived in the country: we know to wait … Continue reading Sakura, Sakura
Two Backpacks and a Few Thousand Vending Machines
I guess I’ll start with the biggest news: if you didn’t know already, I’m prolonging my stint as “teacher” a bit longer and moving to South Korea to teach English. That's right: Teacher Haley is making a comeback! This time it is not a solo mission; Joey is putting on his teacher pants, too. Melissa … Continue reading Two Backpacks and a Few Thousand Vending Machines
The Last One (For Now)
In my first blog post 7 months ago, before setting out on my Thailand adventure, I quoted Thomas Edison: “If we did all things we were capable of, we would literally astound ourselves.” Sitting in the Shanghai Airport, waiting for the flight that will take me back to America, I’m looking back at the ups … Continue reading The Last One (For Now)