Home stretch

So lately I have noticed that my thoughts have turned more towards home. I think it's probably because my time here in Korea is coming to an end. I have less than 2 months left of work, then a couple of weeks of traveling around Asia before making the jump over the big pond. I'm coming home on August 5, which is 13 months to the day from when I left last year. While I am trying my best (and succeeding most days) to enjoy my remaining time here in Korea, I am definitely getting excited about returning home and seeing my family and pets and getting ready for grad school and moving into my new apartment! (Woo!!)

On the same vein, I have decided to quit my Korean classes and instead use the time to focus more on studying econ and math for grad school. My efforts thus far have been pretty pathetic (I'm only 135 pages into the 900 page textbook I want to work through for review) so I'm hoping to ramp them up quite a bit. My Korean class has been pretty useless anyway -- I get more out of studying from the textbook and practicing a bit with my host brother than from the class itself.

I'm also trying to make all the arrangements for my travel after the grant year is up. My last day of work is July 17th, and I'm hoping to go to Taiwan with Anne July 18th-July 22nd, then fly back to Korea for the night before heading to Japan the next morning to visit Ike. Ike and I are hoping to fly up to Hokkaido (the northern island of Japan) for a few days and then I'll be on my way back to America (after another night in Seoul). (Yes, that is Seoul -> Taiwan -> Seoul -> Tokyo -> Iijima -> Tokyo -> Hokkaido -> Tokyo -> Seoul -> Tokyo -> Chicago -> Cedar Rapids ...... QUITE THE JOURNEY, right?!) Good thing I am basically a professional traveler by now! ;-)

I have the day off tomorrow because my students will be taking a practice SAT. Unfortunately it is supposed to rain all day. :-( So I might be held captive in the apartment. On the bright side (well, more like dark side, hah!) it is supposed to thunderstorm tomorrow -- I miss Midwest thunderstorms!! May has been a great month as far as work goes -- I think I have only had to teach about half of my classes this week. Next week will be pretty rough, as its my first full week of teaching in quite awhile (I think in the whole month of May).

This weekend my friend Stephanie is planning on coming to stay with me Friday night and then we want to hike Mt. Jiri this weekend. Hopefully the weather will be nice! Happy Hump Day, everyone!!