Really quickly, I'll update y'all on my life.
This is my last full week at Brighton Kindergarten. It's very bittersweet. I am going to miss my students so much! I'm excited about my new job and the transition, but some days are wonderful with my little kinders. I'm sure I'll write more posts later about how much I've changed with my students this year, about how I have grown to love teaching these little people, about how my paradigm shifted, about how much I struggled with it at first but now feel quite comfortable in the classroom with little squirts... all that jazz. It really helps that as I am leaving my school, so are they. I teach *almost* all 7-year olds, with the exception of three six-year-old boys in one MWF afternoon class, so almost all of my students are moving up to Elementary school next year anyway. Even if I were staying at Brighton, my kiddos that I love so dearly won't be there. That makes the end-of-an-era transition a little easier. If you've ever heard me talk about my job, though, you know how much I love my kiddos, especially the twins!! I'm going to bawl on graduation day (probably in the sanctuary of my own apartment, where no one can see me) about parting ways with some of my students. And let's be real. I'll be celebrating the parting with others. Some days they can be real farts. The highs and lows of a teacher's life! The last day of classes is Monday. Kindergarten graduation (and talent show!!) is Tuesday. One week. One more week. WHOA! HOWDOESTIMEDOTHISSPURTSANDJUMPSANDLAGSTHING?!
Next order of business (or should I say busyness?), I'm moving to Jeonju on Friday! I'll move almost all of my things to my new apartment this weekend, then officially move OUT of my current apartment next Wednesday.
OH DID I MENTION I FOUND AN APARTMENT?? It's perfect! 3 rooms, good price, amaaazing kitchen space, nice view with the SKY and NATURE and everything! I got a really good deal on my key deposit (which is typically very steep in Korea) because my department at the university has a good working relationship with the real estate agent. It helped that I could sign a 2-year lease. I signed all the papers a couple weeks ago and I have my first grown-up apartment now! I feel like I really have ownership over this place. It's the first apartment that I've chosen as an adult, rather than depending on roommates or provided housing. After years of dorms, rented rooms in shared houses, and moving back in with my parents, I can't wait to make this new space feel like mine. It's gonna be great. AND I have a guest room, so all you fools back in the States can COME VISIT!!!
In other news, I'M GOING TO GUAM NEXT WEEK!!! I went from thinking I wouldn't have any vacation between contracts (moving from Gwangju to Jeonju, kindergarten to university, less than a week between job-end and job-begin, etc.), to being told I needed to leave the country anyway to update my visa status (E2 to E1), so I booked a flight to Guam! And then I found out that I can get all my visa stuff taken care of in Jeonju next week afterall, but by now I've got a non-refundable ticket to Guam and they can't change my return flight to anything sooner than next Tuesday anyway, so I'll be there for about 6 days! HOLLA!!!! 6 days of me sitting on a beach, getting my freckles back on the beach, touring Pacific War Museums, sitting on a beach, going shopping in American stores (did you know Guam has a K-Mart???) cause it's an American territory, sitting on a beach, drinking delicious-fruity-alcoholic things on the beach, getting sunburned on the beach, you know, stuff like that.
May I add that it's really weird to pack for Guam when it's still freezing outside? I'm packing for my vacation while I pack my apartment to move, so that I don't have to search through tons of boxes to find my swimsuits and sunscreen next week. It's very strange to get out all my summer clothes while I'm wearing long johns.
(Side note: HOW CRAZY IS IT THAT I CAN SAY THINGS LIKE, OH, YEAH, I'M LEAVING FOR GUAM NEXT WEDNESDAY?? Oh this life! If you're contemplating moving overseas, JUST DO IT! Throw the worries under the bus and get your butt overseas! It is worth it; OH it is worth all the its!)
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Ahhh there are just so many things going on this week! Saying goodbye to really incredible people, writing my last report cards, running a hundred errands and getting things tied up on this end, opening new accounts for my new job (my new bank is 80,000 times better than my old bank!), getting a new phone (GUESS WHO'S GOT AN iPHONE 5 NOW, BABY??) and new number, finishing books with my students and taking time to spend quality moments with each student, frantically practicing for talent show every single day, and on and on and on! The next few weeks are gonna be insane as I finish this job, go to Guam, and then begin my new job! I'm not exactly sure yet which classes I'm officially teaching (nor when), so I don't have books to prepare for yet, so I can't write syllibi yet, sooo.... I'll worry about that all later! Maybe while I sit on the beach ;)
I might be quieter than usual on the blog-o-sphere for a few weeks, while everything in life goes crazy and then settles down again, but now at least you'll all know why!
Recap:
Wednesday - Today
Thursday - Last company dinner
Friday - Move all my stuff to Jeonju
Saturday - Going away party for Becky!
Sunday - Church stuffs and Jennifer's return to Gwangju!
Monday - Last day of Brighton
Tuesday - Visa stuff in Jeonju and Kindergarten Graduation in Gwangju
Wednesday - Move out of apartment in Gwangju and FLY TO GUAM
Thursday - Monday - Sit my little pale self on a beach and work to be less pale
Tuesday - Fly back to Korea
Wednesday - Start teaching at Jeonju University (classes TBA??)
YAY FOR CRAZY BUSY THINGS!!!
Until next time, folks!
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