has got to be one of the hardest things I've ever done by far.

This past week was my final week of teaching and having to say goodbye was tough. If I thought that the teacher meeting was difficult, I surely did not consider what it would be like to say goodbye to my students.

Even with having had about 1000 different students this year, I felt a connection with most of them. However, as a teacher, you never really know what kind of connection your students may be feeling with you. I knew that the girls liked me, but to be shown such open displays of love and care was amazing. Amazing, but difficult.

Amazing because it reaffirms my passion for teaching. Difficult because it makes it that much harder to leave. Between the songs they sung, the choco pie cakes they made, the parties they threw for me, the scrapbook pages they made, the letters they wrote, the individual presents they gave me, the text messages they sent, the pictures they took, the hugs they gave me, and the tears they shed...Let's just say, I will never forget them. I see how much they've changed me and how much they've taught me about what it means to genuinely care about someone. I only hope they know I feel the same way.

To be visited by so many of my students (both 3rd and 2nd years) and to be told so often how much they appreciate me, makes me understand that much more this relationship that Koreans have with one another, this "jeong" for lack of a better English equivalent. Furthermore, the surprising thing about "jeong" is that it sort of just creeps up on you. This care for others. You don't notice it at first that you've been included or that you have chosen to include others in your life. I only noticed it when I realized that I was leaving; how sad I was to be leaving them.

Although, I've done my fair share of complaining this past year, this same sense of relationship and "oneness" and to be included in this group makes every sacrifice I've done, every frustrated sigh I've made, and every tear I've shed, simply worth it.

I will miss them; my students, my co-teachers, my co-workers, my school. They taught me the true benefits of sharing my life and myself with others.

Can one's heart be filled with so much love and yet, still be breaking at the same time?

packing up one year of memories into boxes,

tine

random: I will miss the ETAs. In just a few days, everyone will be everywhere. There will be no more Seoul meet-ups, ETACH discussions, telephone conversations, attempted Korean stories, or even text messages from friends. *sigh* moving on and growing hard seems harder now than it ever did when I was younger. why is that?

I think sometimes people mistake my playfulness and good-humor for that of being a child??

I can't complain though because I've noticed a strange pattern because of it.

Anytime I feel bad or sad or frustrated...

People always want to cheer me up the way that you would cheer up an 8 year old child:

WITH YUMMY FOOD!

today my co-teacher broke some bad news to me.  I don't think he realized how stressed out I was until he realized the blow his news had on me.

One hour later, I found out that he bought me...

chocolate milk and a chilled chocolate donut roll.

*sigh*

My coteacher is the nicest man you'll ever meet. 

funnily enough, I'm feeling much better.

sipping on some yummy choco milk,

tine

RandoM:  its raining like a mofo and I'm stuck at school because I don't have an umbrella.  I have to wait for the rain to let up even a little bit!