This is Real Life

This is real life...I live in Seoul, Korea...it's not vacation, it's not a summer trip, it isn't even just one month, one semester, one year...this is real life. I wake up in my apartment every morning and get ready for school. If I'm tired, I swing by dunkin donuts (maybe the 2nd floor coffee shop if I can figure out their hours) grab a coffee and some wifi time. I get on the bus and ride it to school. I work with other people, I prep science lessons, talk about curriculum and collaboration. I love my department and my boss. I look forward to meeting my new students. I'm nervous for a new school year to begin and I am excited to learn alongside my kiddos. I eat lunch in the cafeteria or run to get takeout. I finish for the day and come home. I have to wonder around and find dinner (or make some I suppose). I go for a run by the river or read a book, maybe explore a bit or go to the store. I hang out with my friends. And every night, I go to bed...in my apartment...in Seoul, Korea. This is real life...it's no dream...it's just a big adventure...this is my life! 

On the flip side...

This is my life...I live in Seoul, Korea! I live in a bustling city of somewhere around 12 million people. I wake up to unfamiliar sounds like traffic and cicadas. It's 80% humidity and kind of hazy, but a new adventure awaits out my doorstep every day! I eat frosted flakes (thanks Tony the Tiger logo) that say nothing but Korean. I point at coffee off a list and do my best to say hi, please, thank you, and goodbye. Lots of smiles and nodding usually gets me the right order. I walk through a park that has dinosaurs, exercise machines, small children playing, teenagers hanging out, and older men playing chess. When I get on the bus, I swipe my travel card and find a seat not designated for the elderly or pregnant women (I think of you every time Breezy!) I drive by businesses that have signs that I can't read and watch in amazement as the bus cuts into traffic flawlessly! I walk into a beautiful school building and hang out with a staff from all over the world. I prep lessons for students that I have never even seen! When I eat lunch, I into sometimes know what I am eating but it is delicious and a new adventure! We talk about going to other countries on our fall break, maybe even for long weekends.  I ride the lime green bus home. When I run by the river, I feel like a get a secret view of this amazing city. I get warm smiles, waves, and a few funny looks from the Koreans who have the best workout attire known to man!  I work a washing machine that only has buttons in korean. We have Mandu, pho, shabu-shabu, etc. for dinner. And I thank God every night for such a blessed life. My heart is happy! This is real life...this is my life!