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Tag: teachinkorea

March: Digital Declutter

April 13, 2020April 14, 2020Leave a comment

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

We Came Home

March 29, 2020April 10, 2020Leave a comment

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

March 8, 2020March 9, 20201 Comment

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

February: Single-Use Plastics

March 2, 2020March 17, 2020Leave a comment

When I lived in Thailand, everything came in a plastic bag. Iced coffees in takeaway cups: bagged; fresh fruit from the market: double bagged. The one that always killed me was when I would stop into a 7-Eleven post-run on a humid evening, red faced and dripping with sweat. I would grab a plastic water … Continue reading February: Single-Use Plastics

Snow Day

February 17, 2020February 17, 2020Leave a comment

I woke up Sunday morning and I really did not want to go to the gym. I was still sore from climbing earlier in the week, and "going to the gym" is not as simple here as it is at home. To go to the gym is a commitment: a 15-minute walk to the bus … Continue reading Snow Day

Teacher Update: English Camp

January 10, 2020March 17, 2020Leave a comment

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

2020: A Year of Living Simply

December 31, 2019March 17, 20202 Comments

Ah: January. Everyone has long since busted out their puffy jackets—"long padding" as it is referred to here in Korea—and despite people in Muju telling me this is a very weird, snow-less winter, I am still perpetually cold. January is also the time of year when everyone is focused on being their best selves. It … Continue reading 2020: A Year of Living Simply

Giving Thanks

November 29, 2019November 29, 2019Leave a comment

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

October 24, 2019Leave a comment

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

October 1, 2019November 28, 2019Leave a comment

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

August 19, 2019August 19, 2019Leave a comment

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

Week 10: A Win

July 9, 2019August 19, 2019Leave a comment

Finally—finally!—after over 2 months of teaching in Korea, I had a week that felt like a win. Did I mention: finally?! Let me get one thing out of the way: the whole teaching thing? I don't love it. Quite honestly, it is frustrating and stressful and I want to like it more than I do. … Continue reading Week 10: A Win

Girl vs. Korea

June 20, 2019September 1, 20191 Comment

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

Week 1: Making the best of things

April 27, 2019August 19, 20191 Comment

For the months leading up to our big move, I tried to keep my expectations of what was to come in Korea low, nonexistent even. In a situation that was totally out of my hands, speculating about where I would be placed, what my school would be like, or what my apartment might have seemed … Continue reading Week 1: Making the best of things

I am a native Oregonian and a graduate from The University of Oregon on a mission to explore the world and make a difference.

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Recent Posts

  • May: Buy Nothing June 3, 2020
  • April: Cleaning Out the Closets May 12, 2020
  • March: Digital Declutter April 13, 2020
  • We Came Home March 29, 2020
  • It’s Not All K-Pop and Kimchi March 8, 2020
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