Another year in the wind

2013 is upon us! Hard to believe another year has gone by. Time seems to move more quickly here in Korea. Things are always moving, always changing. Friends come and go, jobs change, lives evolve. To survive life as a foreigner in Korea, you need to be adaptable. Things are changing all the time. That favourite BBQ restaurant you've been going to every week for a year has suddenly turned into a pool hall. You're best amigo is headed back to the states and a new subway line opens. 

A lot of things have changed in my life this year. I have changed, my friends have changed, goals and aspirations have changed. In 2012, I became a different person, I met got involved with the Korea Hash House Harriers and met many new friends, including my boyfriend, at the events. Through trial and error I have discovered I no longer like to drink alcohol. Those who have known me in the past may find that a very hard thing to understand. In 2012, a lot of my time has been focused on running and getting healthy. I am become more aware of my body and how it reacts to the different substances I put in it. Plans changed and I have decided to sign on for another year in Korea. 

As we all know, January is a time for a new beginning, a chance to change things in your life and alter yourself. While it's true many resolutions made for the new year fizzle away, I think for some people, it is more than just a resolution, it's a challenge. A way to push themselves a little closer to who they want to be. That is exactly what I plan to do. To challenge myself to be a better person, to push myself to achieve the goals I have planned for this year. 

Goal #1: Seoul International Marathon: this will be my first ever full marathon. I have been training for over a month now and because of the weather(it's been horribly cold), I need to push myself even more to obtain the results I want. There is a 5 hour cut off so I need to run strong! 

Goal #2: Stabilize IBS symptoms/get control of eating habits: The last few months of 2012 have been very tough for me. I have IBS(irritable bowel syndrome) and have been having a very hard time. Nothing I eat seems to agree with me. I have been to the doctor every weekend trying to find ways to deal with the symptoms. Currently I am on medication to help kill off bad gut bacteria. This treatment is a month long. Afterward, I will be doing a cleanse diet for 3 weeks. Prior to these problems in November and December, I was eating Paleo 100% of the time. I would like to get back to that but it seems with my issues, my body functions better when I get some kind of grains in it. So I will be experimenting with Dr. Junger's "Clean" Program and following his elimination diet. This will allow me to stay close to the Paleo protocol, only adding in a few non-gluten grains, such as Quinoa and Millet. 

Goal #3: Get social: At times, especially in the winter months, I can become very anti-social. In the winter it's difficult to find the desire to go out with friends. I do consistently go to the hash runs every weekend, but besides that most of our friends spend their time in bars and pubs drinking, which when you make the resolve to no longer drink, becomes a difficult task to endure. I just read a book about happiness in relationships and it said to follow the 90/10 principle. 90% of my happiness should be filled by myself, my friends, family, and others in the community. If I take time to reach out and find other social outlets besides my boyfriend and our mutual friends, I will be much happier on my own, making it easier for him to fill the other 10%. 

Goal #4. No alcohol in 2013. Gasp away, but I believe this will be 100% easier than the other 3 goals I have set. I spent months at a time last year not drinking and while there was always the desire to go back to it, every time I did drink I felt like I didn't need to. So this year I will not drink at all. I'm sure there will be times that I think about having a drink, but I think for the most part this one will be simple! 

There you have it folks, my challenges for the next year. Some will be easier than others, but luckily I am stubborn and will push as hard as I can to accomplish each of them!