I couldn’t stop thinking about Korea, and now I’m back in the country for another year. Maybe. Admittedly, the first two weeks have been tough. I had been pinning for Korea for so long, I was surprised when I wanted to immediately leave upon arrival. Below are a few reasons why this might be:

1. The Korea experience is no longer “new” to me. Last time everything was new. Now, I’m just revisiting things. Sort of.
2. I am in a new, smaller city. I miss my old friends and a bigger, more bustling (foreigner-friendly) town.
3. I left Portland, for good. Like, I have no actual home to “return” to. Which is very different from last time.
4. I don’t know what my plans are after this. I’m just living life now; this isn’t a stop-gap.
5. I fell in love with a boy in Florida and my heart feels torn.

Yet, I’m taking Korea day by day. I just arrived and really should take some time to explore my new home. And, where am I living? Cheonan, which is 50 miles South of Seoul, but yet, is part of their subway system. See the map below.

Cheonan is alright, so far. There’s a big buddha and a few foreigner bars (i.e. Banana Bar, Dolce, Kokomo, Stereo, and McZoonalds) I should check out. The city has almost 600,000 people and is a huge transportation hub; I could take a train or bus to anywhere else in the country. One of its sister cities include the town I went to high school in, which is an ironic surprise.

I’m getting used to work. My school loves me and the kids are cute, but I’m feeling overworked and worried about getting burned out too quickly.