Blog lapse over!

Hey gang! I realize I have dropped the ball a little on the blogging. But here I am! Back and ready to tell you more stuff.

Thinking briefly about big trips I have been on since I last blogged....well, we went to Seoul again. It was a blast once more. The most notable event was Ben and my visit to one of the large an famous palaces. I will post a blogs worth of pictures of those in the interest of showing you and not doing a million line blog.

A couple weeks after that myself, Ben, Amelia, Jack, and Kezia all went to Daegu. Amelia and Jack were participating in a 10K and we figured we would come along to support them and to check out Daegu. It was a blast! We stayed in a great hostel with little cube style bunk beds that you could curtain off to be your own little space. We played a lot of card games and wandered around the downtown area. We also checked out an interesting establishment by the name of “Booze in a Bag” and had what could have been fancy cocktails, well, in a bag (and with a complimentary giant sparkler). The next morning we got up early to see Amelia and Jack off. After several mishaps trying to locate them at different points in the race, we managed to find them as they were coming over the finish line. We spent the rest of the day brunching and people watching in the super crowded downtown area.

That was the last big trip I have been on. This weekend we have several days off, and as such, a little time to travel. This time Ben and I will go with Jack and Kezia to Soraksan and Sokcho, a very famous hiking mountain and nearby beach. We will spend two days beach camping before dropping our stuff at a hostel to do a big day long hike.  It should be a delightful combination of very relaxing and horribly grueling!

Aside from travels what updates can I give you? Well, I have several pieces of exciting news. Ben and I have almost definitely decided to extend for an additional six months. After a lot of discussing we came to the decision that after the fairly exhausting process of settling in, dealing with culture shock, making friends, and getting used to a new job, it seems like a crime to piss off after only a year. I am of the opinion that a second year in Korea would be too long for me, but another six months is just about perfect.

In another exciting update, my friend of a billion years, Senti, and her boyfriend are coming to work at ECC! It will be so amazing to have someone I already know and love join us here. I am also really excited to get to show her around and help them get settled and psyched about being in Korea. The first person to come after us is my now very close friend Amelia and I wouldn’t trade her for the world. But when Ben and I first heard that the new person had already spent a year in Korea we were bummed to still be the freshmen of our group. It will be nice to get to play tour guide and help someone make the transition that so many amazing people helped me make!

Those are the biggest pieces of information I have off the top of my head. Korea in spring is insanely beautiful. People told me that a million times, but it’s still pretty mind blowing to see EVERY tree and EVERY bush exploding with flowers. I am really looking forward to a summer full of friends, food, beach camping, and traveling around Korea.