YIN-YANG YEARbook

Where does the time go?  I looked at my most recent blog entry and it is over one year old.  YIKES!  So much for my grand goal of blogging once a month!

I do wonder where the time goes.  It is not that I am a lazy person, it is not that I am even negligent.  I don't have kids that beg for my attention (well, other than the 45 lovely middle schoolers that I see M-F) and I don't have a husband that is clamoring for my time.  So seriously, why have I not sat down in front of my laptop and just pounded out some inspiring words?  Can a person suffer from INSPIRATION OVERLOAD?  I have had so many experiences this year that have inspired, thrilled and amused that when I think of actually putting them to words, I don't even know where to begin.


Living overseas is like YIN-YANG.
For those of you unfamiliar with this concept, it is simply a Chinese symbol that the Taos believe represent unity.  Each part is dependent on the other.  One could not exist without the other.  Night becomes day and day becomes night.
Birth becomes death and death becomes birth.

There are so many perks to the vagabond lifestyle, but adversely there are those times when you just want to pull your hair out!  There is a little bit of 'WOW, THAT WAS REALLY COOL' in every 'THIS IS NOT IDEAL' situation and there is a tiny bit of 

'SERIOUSLY, DID THAT REALLY HAPPEN TO ME' in every                   'I LOVE MY LIFE' situation!

My job as a teacher in Seoul consists of those moments weekly and sometimes on a daily basis!  Instead of sending out the usual Christmas card, I thought I would fill you in on the highlights of my YIN-YANG life in Korea!

The YIN - you finally get an update from me - long overdue!  YANG - it is pretty wordy!  Grab a cup of coffee before you start reading!  :)

JANUARY - YIN - I love spending time with my family and my Cincinnati friends over the Holiday break - it does wonders for my soul having those GREAT memories to recharge my batteries in the New Year!  YANG - it is always a long tough flight to come to the States - 13 hour flight ONE WAY with CANKLES is never fun!  

Happy 2012

Diana, Jen, Tracy, Ryan and little baby Memphis

My sisters and my nieces

FEBRUARY and MARCH - Yin - I have met some WONDERFUL friends in Seoul and we have made our own acronym - not very creative but we took the first initials of our names and we call ourselves MELK!  I love these girls and have had some great, uncanny, crazy memories with them.  I have laughed till I cried and am so thankful that I have been able to experience the wonders of Seoul and Asia with them - they are my forever friends!  Yang - Sometimes people think we are just plain CRAZY when we are together!

MELK (Misty, Ellie, Laura and Kristen)

APRIL - Yin - Spent Easter with my parents in China.  My mom and step-dad moved to Beijing, China almost 2 years ago and it is wonderful to have them so close.  I flew to Beijing for the long weekend and did some sightseeing and we participated in a sunrise service on top of the Great Wall of China.

Yang - we had to get up at 3am on Easter Sunday to make it to the Great Wall - small sacrifice for such an amazing morning!

Mom and I at the bell tower

I don't even drink tea and this woman convinced me to buy some!

Amazing view over the Great Wall at sunrise - this was my second visit to the Great Wall!

Sunrise service on Easter morning

MAY and JUNE - Yin - The two busiest months of the year!  End of school is approaching and there are TONS of things to do and places to see!  Things accomplished in May and June - went to my FIRST and probably my LAST Lady Gaga concert (end of April to be exact), hiked the largest mountain in South Korea, attended a HIGH tea with the girls in my discipleship, drove to NORTH KOREA on my scooter, celebrated the 100 year anniversary of Seoul Foreign School, went to China AGAIN to see my mom and step-dad and headed to Hawaii for the SECOND time!  Yang - By the time the middle of June came around, I was really, really tired!  

Wigs, glasses and LADY GAGA!

Our discipleship having PROPER tea and some FUN!

Temple of Heaven and Earth in China

Mom always makes a sign for me when I arrive in China

We decided to hike up the path to the Great Wall - this was trip #3 to the Great Wall!

About 20 of us female teachers decided to drive our scooters to North Korea early one morning.  We all had pink t-shirts that said HOOTERS on SCOOTERS and we arrived at the border and took crazy pictures.  The drive was about 90 minutes on our scooters but we were SO excited when we arrived!

MLK - we are trying to look HARD CORE on our scooters!

We even had our BIKER names put on the back of our t-shirts.  Kristen and I took something from the movie "Dude where is my car"

MELK won a sailing trip!  We were given matching hats and shirts that said AQUA HOLIC and were spoiled for the day on the Han river!

Come sail away with us!

JULY and AUGUST and SEPTEMBER - Yin- I know everyone talks about how GREAT a teachers job is because we have summer vacation, but other teachers out there know how important those weeks are to RECHARGE your batteries and just REST!  I spent the summer in good ol' USA with family and friends.  Yang - August and September = back to school.  The start of school is an exciting time, but depressing as well.  Back to the grind is hard in ANY profession.

Spent my birthday with the Lewis family!

Goofy faces with Corie

Loved the time spent with Marcus and Julie

Saw my friend Julie Marten - 8 months pregnant!

Lunch with Ryan and Jen and baby Memphis

Auntie camp with Miles

Auntie camp with Lexy

My step mom and I took the kids to Holiday World

Auntie camp with Chloe

My step mom Cathy

Me and my DADDY!

OCTOBER - DECEMBER - Ying - Third year in Seoul means that I finally know my way around and am able to get involved in more things!  I have been taking Taekwondo lessons (slow but sure) and just received my YELLOW belt!  It is really exciting for me because all the commands are in Korean and I only go for the lessons once a week - IF I am lucky!  I can't even brag about it to my students because they are all BLACK belts!  In November I had my first non-family visitor and had a blast playing tour guide to Kendra Martin.  My favorite active thing to do in Korea is hike - seventy percent of Korea is mountainous! I traveled to Sri Lanka in October for the Chusok holiday.  It was great fun with the MELK crew!  Thanksgiving was spent in Korea with my mom and step dad and teachers at school.  Just recently my sister was able to visit Asia and flew to China to see my mom and Wayne.  I couldn't let her experience Asia without me, so I flew in for the weekend!  

Playing soccer with the locals in Sri Lanka

Visited a snake farm in Sri Lanka

Amazing views on the beach in Sri Lanka

Laura and I looking FIERCE in our Taekwondo class

Kendra and I having fun at the Trick Eye Museum in Seoul

Hiking/Photo bombing with 50 of our closest Korean friends

Thanksgiving dinner with the immediate family and my surrogate family at Seoul Foreign School

Great Wall of China with my mom and sister - count for me - #4

Loving on the babies at the Chinese orphanage HOPE Foster Home

Yin - As the year 2012 ends, so does my contract at Seoul Foreign School. After much debate and lots of hours in prayer, I have decided to move to the STATES in June.  I have been overseas for 6 years and I only told my family I would be gone for TWO!  I am really unsure of my future, but I know that God has my future in His hands.  I am hoping to settle down in Nashville, TN!  I am thrilled about being closer to my family and friends and being able to be more involved in the lives of my friends.  I am looking to continue teaching middle school so if you have any contacts, I will gladly take the hand outs!  Yang - I am sure I will experience reverse culture shock moving back to the States!  I still struggle with current events stateside and I doubt I remember how to put gas in my car since it has been so long.  The last time I claimed the US as my residency, Bush was president!  Living overseas has made me pretty tough though - BRING it on Obama! 

Wishing you and yours a VERY Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Four out of seven is not bad

North America, check. South America, check. Asia, check. Europe, check.

I have a continent countdown. My goal is to travel to all seven continents in the next five years. Four down, three to go! YES, I am becoming a traveling snob!

I never really counted Europe as being one of my four since it was the first stamp in my passport. I traveled to Vienna, Austria in the summer of 2007 only for 10 days as a coach for a volleyball team. Technically I had visited Europe, but I didn't feel like it really counted toward my count down so I decided to go for round two this summer.

My school year ended in June and I officially became a second year teacher here at Seoul Foreign School. Those of us who know the rigor and demands at the school understand the importance of one year. Instead of floundering around like a clueless first year, I have graduated to a wet-around-the-ears second year teacher! This is a huge step and one that calls for a celebration. So, celebrate I did!

My first stop to kick off my summer was Honolulu, Hawaii. Shocking that I have never been to Hawaii, but it is true. One of my colleagues and I decided that Hawaii was where we wanted to unwind and dive into the culture of this tropical paradise. We met two other friends on the island and began our quest. We stayed in an amazing hotel overlooking the coast, we sampled the local food, we visited the somber sight of Pearl Harbor, we hiked Diamond head mountain and we took a drive along the coast to try our hand at surfing on the infamous North Shore of Oahu. I relished the luaus and was mesmerized by the beauty of the island. I am still considering moving to Hawaii and teaching at an international school and then learning to surf on the weekends; thus being the oldest professional woman surfer in the business! You are never too old to try and never too old to dream!

After my paradise retreat, I arrived in Lafayette, Indiana to visit my family. I will never grow tired of seeing my family greet me at the airport. There is nothing like coming HOME! It was a time to catch up, fill ourselves with good food and relish in the missed memories of time spent apart.

I was not home for long before I was heading for another airport. One of my best friends had decided to tie the knot with a guy she met on EHarmony. It is amazing to me how God works sometimes. Meeting over the internet and falling in love is not so uncommon these days and that is exactly what happened to Julie and Kirby. I flew to State College, PA and met my friend to help prepare for the wedding madness! I was so thankful that I was in the States for her wedding and it was a great time of fellowship, food and happiness. I felt honored to be a part of her big day!

Only three days after arriving in Indiana after the wedding I was packing my suitcases once again. This time I was heading to Europe FOR REAL! I had a two week itinerary and I would be flying to Geneva, Switzerland and then heading to Florence, Italy and finally ending my trip in Rome, Italy.

I flew to Switzerland to stay with my good friends Val and Todd. I met them four years ago in Santa Cruz, Bolivia and instantly clicked with the bubbly blond and her fiance. We have some great memories in Bolivia and have continued to be close friends. I was spoiled in their beautiful home that overlooked Mount Blanc and held an impressive view of downtown Geneva. We ate traditional meals of cheese and bread and wine and I feel in love with the serene landscape of Switzerland. I was able to spoil baby Josephine, catch up on some much needed girl time with Val and enjoy the amazing grill talents of Todd B. I didn't want to leave at the end of five days. We drove from Geneva to Poggibonsi, Italy (a trip that is a whole other story in itself) and I was personally delivered to the train station by Valerie. This was where my apprehension started. I was excited to see Italy, but nervous since I was going to be sightseeing on my own. I arrived in Florence, Italy on July 9th, 2011 - my birthday! :) I had a wine tasting tour arranged and quickly found my way to the bus and the other 60 strangers. The vineyards and landscape of Italy was breathtaking. We toured a castle and sampled wine and I quickly forgot that I was traveling solo. I talked to others that were in Italy for the first time and at one point I was serenaded by the "Happy Birthday" song from people I will probably never see again in my life. It was a surreal moment and one that I will cherish as long as I live.

I loved Florence - the romance of the language, the intimacy of the people, the divine food, the glamorous sights and the handsome men. I was only planning to stay there two days and decided to extend my trip to three days after seeing an ad for a Walkabout tour through Cinque Terra! The next day I headed out with 30 other people to visit the five fishing villages of the infamous Cinque Terra. I cannot even describe the beauty of this place. I trekked around the villages, I savored the local food, I swam in the Mediterranean, and I drank wine that was renowned from each of the five villages. To say the least, I sucked the marrow out of Cinque Terra and I loved it!

Next on my list and the last of my destinations was Rome, Italy. The infamous, the notorious, ROMA! I arrived quite tired from my excursions, but determined to experience Rome and all of the landmarks that I have read about for years. I booked night tours to see the famous fountains and I booked a day tour to take me to the Coliseum, the Vatican, Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's square. YES, I am one of those travelers that does all the touristy things first!

Weary from time zone differences, hotel beds and loads of pasta and wine, I ventured to my last tour learning about the history of Rome and the Vatican. Ever since I can remember I have wanted to visit Rome and learn about Michelangelo and see for myself what all the fuss was about. I have flipped through countless travel books, attended boring lectures, watched numerous documentaries, but nothing could prepare me for what I saw. The stamp in my passport had little value until now. I was huddled under the Sistine Chapel with hundreds of other visitors that were sweating and being told, "Quiet", "No photos". I had been traveling for over two weeks in Europe - this was my last stop in my adventure. My feet were exhausted, my ears hurt from trying to decipher Italian, and I was being shoved by other tourists that have no concept of personal space. I craned my neck upward and stared at the handiwork of this man that wasn't even a painter. I marveled at the colors, I was awe-struck by the details and I just gazed in silence. It was a sacred moment.

My stamp in my passport finally mattered.

Four out of seven continents is not bad....not bad at all!
Next stop, AUSTRALIA!

De Colores

In my college years, I was wandering and lost. I couldn't figure out what I wanted to do or whom I wanted to become. After many years of searching I finally decided to pursue my education degree - WHY? The bottom line, I wanted to become a teacher because I was interested in having an impact on lives.

In my adult years, I have resigned to that same philosophy - I want to devote my life and my time to meaningful things.

Here in Seoul, one of those thing for me is TRES DIAS.

Tres Dias is a Spanish word for three days. Can you think of the last time when you had three days free? Three days without a cell phone, a computer, or a watch? Three days to just relax and recharge?

Back in November of 2010 I was able to attend my first Tres Dias weekend. It is hard to describe this intense time of fellowship, renewal, healing and unconditional love. The only way to identify is to experience it for yourself. The weekend had such an impact on me, that I decided I wanted to help out and serve other women the next time around. Again, investing my life in meaningful things. The weekend of May 12 - 15th about 30 women were cloistered on top of a mountain and stripped of technology and time. It was a humbling experience for them and an incredible learning experience for me. It was powerful watching these women lay down their identities as mothers, teachers, spouses and friends and to just embrace their role as a child of God. A room full of women (mostly strangers) were able to sing together, eat together, fellowship together and become transparent with each other....all in a matter of three days! I am constantly amazed when people are able to be transparent, genuine and compassionate to others regardless of their age, race and gender. In one weekend, bonds are formed among total strangers that will last a lifetime.

The hardest part about this weekend is Day #4. All is great when you are in this 'greenhouse environment' surrounded by like-minded people and released from your responsibilities, but what happens when you have to go back to REAL LIFE? All of us are trying to figure out how to live our day fours. We are constantly having to plod along, bound by the restrictions of time, chained to our calendar, imprisoned by our buzzing Iphone, with children or husbands or needy friends clamoring for our attention. What do we do then?

A friend of mine shared a story with me the other day. He is a science geek and he loves finding out new facts about anything that relates to technology and science. He said that he was learning about the logistics of launching a rocket into space. He said that out of 100% energy consumption, the actual launching of the rocket in that first 60 seconds takes about 80% of the total energy exerted. The time after that first 60 seconds of flying into space, orbiting the moon and then coming back to earth is only 20%. He said that the hardest part is moving an object from sedentary to motion, therefore more energy is required. Once you are out of the launch pad, the rest is easy sailing.

Interesting! That got me to thinking about the weekend. All of the Tres Dias candidates have used 80% of energy to get out of the launch pad. They have attended the weekend and begun their journey. They have moved from sitting to standing. They are on their way! Then that leads me to think about that remaining 20% of energy - sometimes needing to exert 20% of energy is just as difficult.

I was out hiking just this past week on the mountain behind my school. This is my sacred place, my time when I can just be still and not worry about students, stresses or anything else that is muddling my brain. I put on my tunes and start my trek. Ascending the mountain and needing to work off all the delicious food that I had over the weekend, I had on my calorie counting watch and was trekking at a pretty quick pace when I round a corner and an older Korean man is in right in front of me, blocking my progress. This is not unusual, there are many people of all walks of life that hike this mountain. Most of the time I am the ONLY one on the mountain that is sweating profusely and huffing and puffing while the Koreans are not even breaking a sweat and peacefully and gracefully making their way up the mountain. I am a pretty competitive person so I usually set a goal and then push myself to exhaustion to reach the top. Usually I don't even notice the other hikers, but that day what struck me was the manner in which this man was traveling. He was making his way up the mountain, just like me, but at a slower pace. His head was down, his eyes were focused on the trail, he appeared to be pensive and his hands were behind his back. He was intentional with each step. I slowed down and walked behind him for some time and began to think. He is going to reach the top of the mountain just like I am - we both have the same destination. It doesn't really matter WHEN we arrive, it is how we cope with the journey to the top.

Then it dawned on me - THIS is how we get through our day fours - we have a path in front of us - sometimes it is all uphill and at other times there is a nice flat path. We are all on the same journey heading toward the same destination. We can choose to run to the top and are left exhausted, sweaty, smelly and WORN OUT or we can put our head down and be purposeful with all that we do. We need to focus on the path in front of us, place our hands behind our back and place one foot in front of another. It is NOT a race, it is a journey and we need the help and support of each other to continue on our path.

Let's not waste our time and energy running this race called LIFE. Let's take our time and pour our lives into things and people that make this journey meaningful - Live a life of NO REGRETS!

De Colores!