February 2019 - Ch Ch Ch Changes

I apologize for the long gap--I went to Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam for my winter trip a few weeks ago, and I'm still sleeping it off.

(Or am I just being lazy? You decide.)

I'll make blog posts and videos about it soon, but first, let's recap the now!

It's the end of the school year here, so that means change in almost every aspect. Add in the slowwww, teasing arrival of Spring, and it's almost poetic.

On Friday I said goodbye to my second school's sixth graders--a class of ten students, mostly girls. They're a bit of an unusual case. These kids never liked my competitive games; competition made them fight, and they hated that. Being only ten kids, this class was all about being kind to one another. They're so drastically different from any of my other classes that I was often at a loss for games--partner and individual games worked well, but, c'mon, really? What 12 year olds don't like winning?

And so this class, with all its strange, puzzling kumbayah-ness, became my favorite, despite being the lowest level students I had. They didn't understand me well, and I didn't understand them, but they were always enthusiastic, considerate and genuinely kind. When we finished up our curriculum before winter vacation, we watched movies and had a ramen party.

During our last class together, I gave out candy and borderline-illegible handwritten notes. I told them to "love yourself", and almost teared up when I thanked them for our wonderful half-year together.

They were sad to say goodbye, but, well, they'd only known me for a few months--whereas their previous English teacher had been there for 2 years. And I only saw them once a week, so despite them being my favorites, they weren't as bonded to me.

I'm still dealing with impostor syndrome as a new teacher, if you can't tell.

Anyway, so saying goodbye to these students is just one step of the weeks-long goodbyes. The rest of my sixth graders graduate this Thursday. And in just two weeks, my coteacher, the one who's been my lifeline throughout my entire transition to Korea, will be leaving for another school. My other coteacher will take up a position as a head teacher and leave her English position. Goodbyes abound.

And so we have so much change--new coteachers, new students, new school year. I think it must be cliche to even be said, but I feel the need to say it anyhow: like all change, it's bittersweet. I'm sure I'll love the next batch of kids. I have hopes my coteachers and I will get along, as I trust my school's administration more now. I've been very lucky in my situation here; I'm hoping that luck continues to run on.

The nerves are still there, of course. And the amount of changes don't stop there. The topic of renewal has sprung up, although we're a few months away from signing. Friends are debating staying, leaving, switching cities, switching to hagwons, etc etc etc.

I've been considering my own options: I'm almost completely certain I want to stay another year, but do I want stay in Daejeon? (If not, I better get my butt moving on applying again). If not, do I want to stay in the same apartment? If not, where do I go next?

I've got half-baked conclusions to these questions for myself, but my friends vary in their answers. Other, more wizened EPIK teachers have told me that life in Korea is often full of fleeting friendships. People come and go quickly, because everyone's on their own timeline. So the next few months will probably see changes to not only work, but also my own friend groups and relationships. Those goodbyes will come on their own time, I suppose.

In the midst of all these questions, I'm looking ahead to the next two months. I'm so so so so so SO sick of winter, which has been just brutal for me. I know spring is still just a bit of a ways off, but I'm eyeing that weather app.

My birthday's also in two months, so we're planning trips to Seoul (yes, multiple, lol--not just for my birthday). The past month or so, besides my big winter trip, have mostly consisted of staying in. People have been out of the country or busy or saving money, and it's just too cold tbh. I cannot wait until it's warmer out and I actually feel like emerging from the cave that is my apartment.

Thanks for reading, and I'll have more stuff out soon!

If you're also in Korea (or even if you're not), tell me how winter is going for you and if you've got any changes coming up you're excited/nervous about.