Wow, has it been 3 months?

6-28 Ok, so this is the first new material I've put together in some time. I feel bad for not writing more in the past months, but to borrow from another friend's blog, once I became acclimated with my surrounds I began to travel more and spend time with friends and spending less time writing in my apartment. I will also apologize as I'm writing today about my last two months and, like when I talk, I could skip all over the place.

The first thing I'd really like to talk is my boy Steve Davis. I'd like to thank him for suggesting coming to Korea to me late last year when I wasn't sure what my next adventure would be. Steve has now finished his time as an English teacher in Hanam and is now moving on to his next adventure. Through Steve I have been able to meet some awesome people that I now consider my friends. Steve and I also were lucky to get to go on some amazing hikes while we both were here. Recently we visited Bukhansan National Park and hiked to the top of Baedundae peak. It was a great hike in which we both looked as if we had jumped into a swimming pool from the humidity and the top was amazing as it was so foggy you couldn't see anything below you.

I'm so amazed at all the people I can already call really good friends in such a short period of time and very grateful for the chance to meet everyone at the training I attended last week. I look forward to hanging out with many of those people and the adventures we can go on here in Korea and in other countries. While in Korea I have been able to pick up an SLR Cannon 400d and other than the spot I can't seem to get off the lense have been very happy with it and I am looking forward to traveling around the world and using it. Hopefully, the trip with Braden, Roz, Glendon, etc comes through and we get to spend time in Vietnam, Thailand, etc in September and I get to take some amazing pics. We all really want to visit Vietnam so later in life we can say "Back when I was in 'Nam" (No disrespect the heroes that really were in Vietnam)

I am continually amazed that a good ol' boy from Kentucky gets the opportunity to spend time with great people going to bars until 7 am in Hangdae, watch rugby with friends from all over the world in Itaewon, get lost on the 112-1 and wake up lost across the river, play beer pong until 3am at training, stay up until 4:30am to watch the U.S. play in the world cup and watch as my English friend can't comprehend how I've never watched the World Cup, have a great family that sends me packages (including deoderant!!!!), getting to drink beer and bbq on a roof with people from 7 countries, watch Korea in the World Cup and watch their excitement when their team wins and their support for their country when the team loses, getting to see the beaches in Busan, staying at a love motel and sharing a round bed with two other guys and having Steve steal all the covers, and recovering with Pizza School on Sunday's before I get on the bus as I head back to Ildong.

Living in a small town like Ildong definitely has it's positives and it's negatives but on the whole it is a fantastic opportunity especially as I know many of my friends in the bigger schools do not get the opportunity to have many personal relationships with their students. I do. I have the honor of seeing my students everywhere I go here and I love seeing them in the supermarkets and hearing practice what we've worked on in class. I love getting hugs everyday and while the language barrier in very big here, I know as long as I do my best to show the kids love and constantly hug them, they will continue to work hard and learn.

As of this week I will have officially been in Korea for three months and I can already say it was the correct decision. The opportunity to work with children, meet new friends and travel around the world is such a wonderful opportunity that most never get to or take the chance to do. I'm very thankful for this opportunity and hope I can share the ups and downs with everyone the last 9 months that I'm here.