It's Official...

I have decided not to extend my teaching contract in Korea. My original contract is up February 25th, at which point I will be  leaving my school. I've been in Korea for 8 months, and I enjoy my school and students very much. I still look forward to my remaining months teaching. I have very fair pay and this is without a doubt the best job I've had thus far in my working life. However there are many factors pulling me back to California. If I were to stay in Korea it would be mostly for financial reasons, and that's just not good enough.

Daegu is fun, but it's not really an environment I want to stay in. For one, the air is trying to kill me. I've had year round allergies far more severe than anything back home. I live in a concrete jungle and I miss gardening and fresh air. The weather here is also not ideal for me to be as active as I'd like. The majority of the year keeps me indoors, either huddling for warmth, or sprawled out under the AC.

More important are my reasons for coming home. I miss my friends and family. I'm a pretty independent person when it suits me, so I wouldn't say I'm homesick... I'm not moping around unable to enjoy my time away from home, but that being said, I want to go home. Travel is fun, and I want to continue to explore the world, but I've found I like it best while spending time with the people I care about. Turns out moving half way around the world is not very conducive for that, go figure.

Don't worry though! I still have many upcoming adventures I hope to share. I've got about 4 more months of Korea, a winter vacation, and post contract travels in the works. Now I've just got to plan it out and save like crazy! Plane tickets don't buy themselves you know. Expect me back in the States around April 2014 :)

How can I stay away from a tummy like that for another year?!