Return To Korea - Part 1

I’m home. It’s so nice to have a place to call home, and so nice to know that we’re finally done traveling for a while. We’ve been homeless vagabonds for about a third of a year now. I’m so glad to be unpacking my suitcases knowing that I won’t have to pack them again for a long time.

Right now, I’m curled up on my yoga mat in my sleeping bag on our bedroom floor. I rest my head on some nice new fluffy pillows however they do not yet have pillowcases on them. Our belongings are in piles all around me. Our place is smaller than I was hoping for. But I am home.

Our heat comes up through the wood floors so it is quite warm and cozy even without a bed. Our apartment is small (about the same size as last year) but clean and new. We were extremely lucky to find a place that was partially furnished. The furniture is very functional. The apartment consists of one decent sized open room. It is meant to be a kitchen and living area. I really like how open it is. We have large windows in both our bedroom and living area, which lets a lot of light in. Our furnishings consist of a shoe shelf, desk, chair, bookshelf, TV and stand. The kitchen is small, smaller than last year if that’s even possible but it came with a gas range and refrigerator. I’d say the kitchen is the one down side to this place. However, since we have a big, open room to work with, we plan to buy some furnishings specifically to give us more food storage and counter space. I know how Dusty loves to cook and make big messes in the kitchen.

Our bathroom is larger than last year. The bedroom is smaller than last year. However, the landlady agreed to provide us with our own separate storage room at the end of the hall. It includes a washing machine. It is a fairly spacious room but very long and narrow, probably 4 feet wide and 15 feet long. Perfect for storage. It’s big enough to hang our clothes on laundry drying racks, store climbing and camping gear, suitcases, bikes, extra food, linens, and whatever else we don’t want to clutter up the living space in our apartment. We are so thankful for this space, as it will make our actual apartment feel cleaner and more open compared to last year. We still need to purchase a bed, couch, and organizing solutions. A few more finishing touches after that and this place will be cozy as can be.

It’s definitely not easy moving into a place on the other side of the world. Moving is stressful enough by itself. But imagine being in a foreign land, adjusting to a time change, apartment shopping the day after arriving before familiarizing yourself with the area, feeling pressured to find a place quick because you’re paying a Korean real estate guy who continues to speak to you in a language you don’t understand, and your co-worker has been gracious enough to set it all up and spend the entire day helping you look. It’s been a little bit overwhelming. There is always a sense of urgency with Korean people. It gives me anxiety and makes me feel a little on edge but it’s just a part of their culture. They must always be making progress. I have felt way out of control and totally out of my comfort zone for the majority of the past week since we’ve been here. But I know it’s good for me. I’m having to trust God to take care of us and once again, I’m completely amazed at how smoothly everything has worked out.

The rent is much lower than we were anticipating. We couldn’t have picked a better location. We are smack dab between work, downtown, and the beach. We are in a newer, more modern neighborhood that feels like a little city within the city. It is probably a 7x7 block radius or so. It is composed of mostly 2-4 story buildings. Most of the buildings have restaurants or small businesses on the street level. Typically, a family owns the building and resides on the top story while renting the apartments and commercial space on the lower levels. We live in a 3-story building with our apartment being on the second floor just above a Korean restaurant. I’m eager to test out the food. It smells delicious and they have a few western meal options on the menu as well.

We are about a mile from a small lake that has a lovely 4k running trail and bike path going around it. The closest beach is literally across the street from the opposite end of the lake. I would say the beach is at most, 4 miles from our front door. There is a nice long boardwalk along the beach. The water is a beautiful greenish-blue. I’m told it turns even more turquoise in the summer and the temperature like bath water. Sounds heavenly to me. The waves are good right now. The other morning we woke up early and decided to go the beach. We had it mostly to ourselves. We got some coffee, sat in a swing, and watched a lone surfer out braving the waves. Brrr!!! Dusty is so excited about the opportunity to surf. I plan to spend many of my days this spring and summer relaxing on the beach reading a good book and watching my husband play in the water. The air quality seems good. No pollution like in the big city last year. I love the ocean breeze. I think we are going to love living here.

There are fresh sushi restaurants everywhere. Our neighborhood is somewhat trendy compared to the rest of the town and supposedly has some amazing restaurants. I can’t wait to start trying them. I’m told there are many well-known Buddhist temples near us along with dozens of hiking trails to choose from. The mountains lie just west of us. There are ski areas very close to here and surely some great climbing. We just have to go exploring and find it. The city is large enough to have everything one needs but not so large to be overwhelming. The downtown area is very urban, much like Seoul. There is an outdoor market with as much fresh seafood, fruit, and veggies than one could ever imagine. It is also a great place for finding pretty much everything.

Okay, I’m done for now. I’m outta time and this thing has turned into a novel so I must go and finish this later.

Leaving on a Jet Plane

Don’t know when we’ll be back again. 2 days and counting! I can’t believe that we will be on a plane headed for Korea in T-30 hours.

For a long time, I felt like our time at home was inching by ever so slowly. That is until this week, which has flown by so quickly. Today, it finally hit me. Our time is almost up. We said goodbye to my mom last night and this morning I woke up a little sad knowing that I won’t be able to hug her again for a long time. It made me realize that no matter how long we stay here and visit, it never becomes any easier to say goodbye. It’s a bittersweet time.

I’ve been spending as much time as possible with my dog, Legend. She is my girl and I love her to pieces. Thinking about having to live without her again makes me cry. I know it sounds funny, but I almost miss her more than anybody else when I’m away. I can’t talk to her on skype like I can with people. I can’t rub her belly, throw her tennis ball, play tug-o-war, take her on walks, give her kisses, and roll around in the grass with her. That is how she knows I love her. It breaks my heart to have to say goodbye to her. How I wish she could come with us.

I live with a bit of guilt knowing that I’ll soon be leaving my faithful companion behind again. The only thing that makes it bearable is to know that she is in good hands. She stays with Dusty’s parents while we’re away. They love on her. They let her come inside and hide in the bathroom when it’s stormy outside and she’s afraid. She has a big backyard to run and play in. She has two 4-legged friends named Toby and Sadie to keep her company. She has what she thinks is her very own swimming pool during the summer to keep her cool. I know she will be happy and taken care of.

Being home for so long has been great. We’ve spent virtually 3½ months on vacation. It’s been a once in a lifetime opportunity. We’ve visited just about all of our friends and family. We’ve gotten to climb and ski. We’ve had time to relax, watch TV, and go see movies. We’ve managed to do a year’s worth of shopping in just a few short months. We’ve slept in and laid in bed reading until late in the afternoon. We’ve taken lots of walks, gone on several runs, and a few bike rides. We’ve eaten lots of good food (more than we should have). And now it is time to go. We are rested, rejuvenated, energized, and ready to start our next big adventure together, just the two of us, with the world as our playground.

We’re ready for new experiences and challenges. We’re ready to meet more amazing people. We’re ready to have our own little apartment near the beach. We’re ready to invest in the lives of college students. We’re ready to start teaching and using our creativity. We’re ready to study Korean. We’re ready to climb more rocks and travel to foreign lands. We’re ready to roll up our sleeves and get down to work.

Being home has possessed it’s own challenges. I think we both feel like our lives have been somewhat stagnant lately. I have felt like an observer, a fly on the wall. Everyone else around us has a life. People are busy getting on with daily routines and tasks, going to work, taking care of children, cleaning and organizing, upholding commitments, attending to responsibilities, planning, living. We’ve been on the sidelines cheering everyone on but we haven’t felt the freedom to jump in the race because we’ve known our stay is just temporary. We’ve been the onlookers just trying to find ways to help. In a strange way I have felt lonely and left out. We haven’t had many opportunities to focus on our own lives. Instead we’ve felt as though our lives have been on hold. Our goals and interests, the things we typically pursue, the ways we usually spend our time, have all been on the backburner. We haven’t been able to control our time, structure our days, or plan independent of others for quite some time now. Focusing on others has been humbling and rewarding. I’m reminded that the world doesn’t revolve around me, and my life. I’ve been forced to let go of my own agenda and see beyond myself. I’ve learned to be more patient, adaptable, and flexible. I’ve done a lot of listening and not so much talking. It’s been a season of stillness and rest.

And now, the seasons are once again changing and it’s time to go. Though America is our home, our lives and hearts are still in Korea. It’s time to wake up from our hibernation (and burn off that spare tire around my belly), time to set things in motion, time to become active participants in the world. I’m excited! I can’t wait to see what God has in store for us in this next season of life!

Back To Korea - Three Days & Counting

First off, I'm sorry to those of you who check our blog on a regular basis. The last time I wrote, we were in Tulsa, which was over a month ago now. I started to feel bad when I'd come to this site to check others' blog and I'd see our counter in the top left corner continue to rise. I imagined people coming to the site hoping to see something new and being disappointed instead. I'm sorry to our dedicated viewers for not writing sooner. But honestly, our lives haven't been very exciting lately. Well... maybe that's just an excuse.

Shortly after our last entry, we went to Colorado to see Rebs' dad and step-mom. We hadn't seen them in about a year and a half. We got to run on some open space trails. Rebs fell off her bike when we went riding one day because anything that doesn't get sunlight in the Winter doesn't seem to melt. We had a couple upper 50 degree days and there was still ice on the ground. She walked away with a bruise by her hip, but was okay otherwise. She vowed not to follow me onto ice anymore.

I got my injury when we went skiing a couple weeks into our trip. Rebs' dad knows a lot of people and was able to get a nice condo for us up in Frisco that we stayed at for 5 nights. The skiing was amazing. I love snowboarding, though my body is becoming more fragile than it used to be in high school and college. We got to ski at Keystone, Vail, and Beaver Creek, the latter two I had never been to before. I think I liked Beaver Creek the best. At the base in the morning, they would send out cooks from the kitchen with a silver platter loaded with hot, steaming chocolate chip cookies. I guess it's a good way to make people appreciate paying an arm and a leg to ski there.

The lowlight was probably the fact that I got a concussion on our last day of skiing. It's funny because I had been in the terrain park sliding on rails and going of jumps, riding switch a little bit. I'd even been on the Men's Downhill slope, part of which was a sheet of ice. But when I injured myself, I was actually just cruising down a blue with my brother-in-law Brandon. I must've hit a small patch of snow that had been piled up over the day, and before I knew it, I was on my stomach looking uphill. A lady came by to give me my had and goggles, which had fallen off when I hit my head. I said thanks and reassured her that I was okay, and I honestly felt normal at that moment.

So Brandon and I rode a little slower down to the bottom of the mountain. We decided it was a good time to be finished, even though it was only about 3:15, On the shuttle on the way home my mind started feeling a little foggy. I couldn't remember what day of the week it was (not that I would have known without a concussion). When we got our stuff loaded in the car and were on our way, I remember feeling more and more light headed. I would be sitting, looking out the window and everything would start to white out. So when I knew something wasn't right, I told Brandon that if I passed our he should take me to the hospital. I blacked out about 5 minutes later, and then woke up and proceeded to projectile vomit all over the car the Butterfinger Brandon had given me earlier.

We got to the hospital and I was still pretty out of it, but decided to walk with Brandon into the E.R. anyway. As we walked in, the lady graciously asked which one of us was here for the concussion. I guess she didn't see the vomit on my shirt. They put me in a wheelchair and wheeled me back to a room, where I sat for a while. Then Rebs came in. This is the second time Rebs has had to come visit me in the E.R. It's not the greatest, but is an incredible relief to hold the one you love in your arms and know they're still alive. I got a CAT-scan and they said I had no internal bleeding and could go, but just to monitor my recovery. Everything turned out okay. Next time, I think I'll wear a helmet.

I forgot to mention earlier that we had our first Greyhound experience on the way to and from Denver. It was humbling, embarrassing, and testing of our patience. If you've never ridden Greyhound, I recommend it, but only once. When we first got on in Tulsa, we didn't know what we'd gotten ourselves into. Rebs quietly started crying in the seat next to me. She felt scared. There were some pretty scary people around us. One guy at a stop in Oklahoma City had a t-shirt on it that said "INMATE''. I didn't see it, but why would anyone joke about that? Why would someone wear a shirt like that if they hadn't been one.

Part of me really liked the experience because after talking to some of the people around us, I realized that they were very much like me. People seem a lot scarier if you don't talk to them. I said I was embarrassed earlier. That was because I was on the bus with a nice, warm coat, a laptop computer, a digital camera, and an ipod. And sitting across the aisle was a lady wearing thrift store clothes and all the clothes to her name in a backpack on the floor by her feet. Walking among the impoverished is much different than caring for them from behind a barrier. It's much more real. So in that sense, I don't regret it. For Rebecca's sake, I regret putting her in a situation that she felt unsafe in.

If you've been able to make it this far with us, you're pretty much caught up. We spent a little time in Altus, OK with Rebs's best friend Gabby, and a couple days with Brandi and Cass (my sis and bro-in-law) in their new house. Their kids are so fun. We've been in Fayetteville with her mom now for a few days. But the biggest thing is that we're officially flying out of the country in 3 days.

It's possible that the next time you hear from us that we'll be on the other side of the world. We got to see many of you while we were here and we feel so blessed to have gotten to do that. How many people get to spend 3 and a half months traveling and catching up with friends and family in person. We definitely have a lot to be thankful for. And it's because of you all that we will always call America our home. I don't think I could live overseas for the rest of my life. So until we see you again, find us on Skype or Facebook or just send us an email. In that sense, we're really not that far away.

AHHHHH!!!

I'm still in bed, in my sweatpants as I write this. I have begun to fester in this lifestyle we're living. If you're just tuning in, Rebs and I are living the semi-nomadic lifestyle of living with family and friends for three and a half months until we return to Korea. So far, we have stayed in Tulsa, OK, at my parents, Colcord, OK, with my sis and brother-in-law, Fayetteville, AR with Preston & Leslie, and with Rebs' mom, Rogers, AR with Rebs' grandparents, Kansas City, KS with Rebs' cousins, Lawrence, KS with Rebs' Uncle Brian, Ft. Scott, KS with Rebs' grandpa, and now we're back in Tulsa with my parents again. Some of these places we've stayed more than once.

There have been so many blessings in this life. We've been able to spend time with people whom we love that we would not have been able to if we were working a normal job. God has provided us a unique opportunity, living the way we are. But on the other hand, this lifestyle is not all glamorous. I can't think of how many times we've re-packed our suitcases, all along the way collecting more stuff and wondering in the back of our minds how we're going to get it back to Korea. I've personally gotten an almost entirely new wardrobe since we're going to be "professors" (believe me when I say that I use that term loosely). What is "business casual" anyway. Up to this point in my life, I've been able to get by wearing only jeans and t-shirts most of the time with an occasional dress up to spice things up.

But yes, packing and re-packing is getting old. I've come to recognize that I am a type-A personality in a type-B situation. There is nothing going on right now that I have to do. Nothing calling my attention. When I was a kid, my parents gave me this card that did some sort of definition of what my name meant, which supposedly Dustin means "valiant fighter". I know, a little cheesy, but in many ways it fits me. I have this drive inside of me that just needs to come out-- sometimes in the form of anger, sometimes competitiveness, sometimes general exercise. But it's definitely there. I feel this need to do something worth doing. Do you ever feel this? I don't want to just check stuff off my list of stuff to do. I want to feel like what I'm doing matters.

Normally, my life is reflective of this drivenness, and the drive within me expels itself naturally. But in this rare situation, I have become irritable and restless. I do not get high off shopping like my wife does. She dances around the room in her new shoes that she's so proud of, especially since they only cost her $7.50, which she continues to remind me of with a big smile, like a child to her father, wanting him to be proud of her. I love my wife.

I'm thinking about the people who might be reading this and the jealousy that it might ensue. That's not my purpose. My writing feels more like a description of who I am right now. A little sporadic, a little unfocused, a bit pent up. So for those of you at work, keep it up. I'm slightly jealous of you, especially if you love what you're doing. I want to work hard for some projected goal, whatever it is. But I know that this is where I'm supposed to be right now. Maybe not in bed at 1:20 in the afternoon, but here, resting, storing up energy for our next big adventure that should start just over a month from now.

May God show you his work that you may be a part of it and find joy in doing so.
-----dusty--<><--

Reflections of a year, dreams for the next

What a glorious year I've had! It's been packed full of joy, love, fellowship, and growth. I have shared more love with my husband than I ever knew possible. The most amazing people have come into my life and loved me just as I am. Life in the last year has become for me, all about relationships. It's the people in my life who teach me about myself, my relationship with God, and how to live on this earth as a follower of Christ. Thank you to ALL those who've been a part of my life in the last year. Every one of you have blessed me in my life in one way or another. Thank you for loving me, supporting me, encouraging me, teaching me, challenging me, imparting your wisdom and discernment, listening to me, confronting me, and being patient with me. Words can't describe how appreciative and honored I am to have such amazing people in my life.

The last year has also brought many new experiences, challenges, adventures, and travels. I'd like to share a few. I have seen more of the world than I ever thought I would. I've lived in and explored Korea and vacationed in Thailand. I have climbed LOTS of rocks. I've climbed big rock, steep rock, overhung rock, slick rock, grippy rock, sport, crack, slab, multi-pitch, rocks in Thailand, rocks in Korea, and rocks in America. I have fallen more in love with rock climbing! I've spent many nights sleeping under the stars in a tent. I've challenged myself both physically and mentally and grown stronger. I mountain-biked 113 miles around an island south of Korea. My butt and legs were more tired than they've ever been. I learned to read and speak enough Korean to get around the country. I ate a lot of weird food. I learned to like kimchi and rice. I drank soju. I relaxed at the jimjilbang (bath house). I sang at the noraebong (karaoke). I let little fish eat dead skin off my feet. I watched KU win the national basketball championship. I sang the rock chalk chant all by myself. I survived a year without a car, stove, and microwave. I had one English television channel. I rode on lots of subways and trains and in countless taxis. I wore out one pair of running shoes, one pair of chacos, and lost 2 pairs of climbing shoes. Along with Dusty I started a young-adults ministry at our church. And, I loved on the thousands of Korean children who I had the pleasure of teaching English to.

It was a great year indeed.

I have lots of hopes and dreams for my life in 2009. I hope for good health for my family, friends, and myself. I hope to share another year of love and adventure with Dusty. I hope to continue growing in love with my family and friends. I hope to touch the lives of those who come into my life. I hope to show others the love that Christ has shown me. I hope to love people the way that my God and my dog love me. I hope to become a more faithful, graceful, joyful, peaceful, gentle, supportive, encouraging, wise, discerning, patient, and kind, wife, daughter, sister, aunt, granddaughter, neice, cousin, friend, professor/teacher, co-worker, counselor, acquaintance and servant of God. I hope to learn more about being a mother without actually becoming one yet. I hope to see more of the world. I hope to climb lots of rocks. I hope to grown stronger and climb bigger and harder rocks than ever before. I hope to remain active in my life (in every sense of the word). I hope to learn more Korean. I hope to serve North Korean refugees. I hope to find fellowship with other Believers in a healthy church. I hope to find a place to practice yoga. I hope to see many beautiful sunrises off the beach and sunsets over the mountains. But more than all of these things, I want God's will for my life.

No one can ever know what the next year will hold. Each day is a gift and an opportunity. Just like the subtitle of our blog reads, I aspire to live my life in color. I pray for the courage to be bold and intentional with my life. I know there will be challenges and disappointments. I know people will hurt me and I will be hurt by others. I know I will have some successes and some failures. But more than anything else, I know that through Jesus, there is a merciful God who will always love me. It is with Him, I leave my hopes and dreams for the future.

Love Peace Joy,
Rebs

We Have a New Job!!!

It's been too long since I've written. We've been on the go and focusing on family mostly the past few weeks and I hadn't put much stock into writing. I hope those of you who check this regularly aren't too disappointed. We uploaded a counter to show how many people have been checking. I'm pretty amazed at how high it is already. I didn't think we were that interesting.

So the big news is that we have a job now! We had been applying to all sorts of jobs that were listed on Dave's ESL cafe, getting a few responses here and there. We almost got a job at a university near the place we climbed mostly last year. We had an interview that went well and anticipated an acceptance email, but after a couple days of no word, we followed up only to find out that one of the positions we were to be filling had been retracted. One of the people leaving decided to stay longer, so the university only had one job open until two.

We had gotten our hopes up and then were let down unexpectedly. So we were more reserved about getting our hopes up after that. All the other jobs we applied for seemed to pale compared to that first one. But I knew we needed to continue searching regardless. We started getting a few responses here and there, and we even got desperate and sent our information to a recruiter. One of our responses was at a university called Kwandong. They arranged an interview with us, which lasted over two hours and now I think Rebs is best friends with the recruiter. But it paid off and they offered us a job.

Details: Kwandong University is located on the east coast of South Korea in a city of about 400,000, called Gangneung. The train runs to and from Seoul, taking about 3 and a half hours. You can see the tracks in the picture above. There are 2 beaches within the city limits, as well as one that has bouldering in the next town south of us, about 20 minutes away. There is also rock climbing 30 minutes to the south and 45 minutes to the north in Seoraksan, which you may have seen pictures of in our earlier posts. It's the most beautiful national park in Korea. We're told there are running trails as well as mountains for hiking in and nearby the city.

As for work, we are contracted to teach 16 hours a week over 4 days. Anything beyond 16 hours counts as overtime pay. We're not sure if that extra day off will fall on a Friday or Monday, but if it did, that would mean 3 day weekends! We each get a housing allowance that should more than cover our costs for rent and utilities each month. We really feel amazed and blessed to have such an incredible job in such an incredible location.

So right now, we still have to get criminal record checks and then on to the visa process. As long as it all goes smoothly, this will be where we are and what we're doing for the next year. If you'll keep us in your prayers that everything works out, we'd appreciate it.
<><

Resting

What a beautiful, restful day. Dusty and I are staying in Tulsa at his parents' house. Everyone is at work except us. We have the house all to ourselves. It is cozy and quiet. Our time at home is finally starting to feel like a relaxing vacation. I've accomplished next to nothing today. I'm practicing being still. It's a hard thing for me since I'm so used to being busy. I get restless when I don't have an immediate purpose or goal to work towards. I'm so used to the busyness of life with noise and distractions all around me. But I think it's healthy to slow down, listen, and reflect on my life sometimes. Dusty is outside doing yard work and I'm getting ready to go for a run with Legend. Tonight Dusty is taking me out on a date but is surprising me with the details.

Despite the crappy exchange rate, we still plan to return to Korea. The Korean won is predicted to strengthen again against the American dollar by this spring. We continue to look for teaching jobs. In Korea, the beginning of the school year starts mid February/early March after the Chinese Lunar New Year. We're hoping to have jobs lined up in time to secure our work visas and return to start work around that time. We have turned in several applications. So far, we have one interview lined up for this Sunday evening. The University interviewing us said they usually don't consider foreigners living outside of Korea however, they wanted to make an exception for us due to our "exceptional resumes and references". It would be an amazing job opportunity and is one of our top picks of where we'd like to work. But we're trying not to get too excited yet. There is still a long way to go in this process. We'll keep you updated.

(Posted by Rebs)