Ten months in!

Well I am  officially ten months in! It is crazy how quickly the time has gone by since I have been here! It's the end of June and the beginning of monsoon season! It has been raining steadily since Wednesday with no signs of stopping and a typhoon on it's way here tomorrow! So with my bike riding plans washed out, I have spent today cleaning and moving watching. In between I have been doing some thinking, as one cannot avoid on a day spent alone inside! As I approach my departure from Korea I am reflecting back on the year I have had here and it has been an incredible one! Taking the step to move here was a huge one, and along the way I have taken many more! I have learned a new culture, visited Vietnam, sang in karaoke rooms, tried new foods and loved them, ran two races, used a squatting toilet, been a sardine on the subway, been lost in Korea, acted out what I want to non-English speaking Korean, took my first ever bike touring trip, climbed a giant mountain, learned a new language, made lasting friendships, and much much more! Because of the nature of living as a foreigner in this country, to achieve all of this I was forced to throw myself out of my comfort zone and into the line of fire. And, for the most part, it all worked out. I got a few bumps and bruises along the way, but I am still kicking and am doing better than ever!

Just a regular day fooling around with my kiddies!

I am still amazed at the fact that I have been able to do all of this. It's honestly more than I thought I was capable of! And the more I think about how I have changed over the past year, the more I realize I have grown up. I realize the little things are not important and it's how you live your life and the things you do for yourself that make you happy! I am two years single, and I can honestly say that in those two years I have grown up and discovered that there is so much more to life than having a boyfriend. I find I am constantly finding new hobbies and activities that I enjoy doing. As you may have noticed, in the past two years I have been getting more and more into biking. After last weekends bike trip, I have confirmed my love for the sport and am planning a touring trip of Nova Scotia when I return to Canada in the fall. It's something I never would have even considered in the past but now I know, the things I think I can not do, are the things that will make me the happiest once I achieve them! And with that, I am off for yet another run in the rain! The upside to running in the rain here in Korea is that the Tancheon river trail, which is normally filled with people, becomes an empty haven for the solo runner!

Just a few of the friends I have made and who have been my family all year!