A Year of Many Thanks

There was no Macy's Day Parade. No turkey paired with the "fix-ins". No family squished around a table gorging and chatting away. No male family members deer hunting. No football game or football talk. No after turkey naps. No apple pie or pumpkin roll. And no game of dominoes.

There was just me, at work, thinking about all the things I was missing out on being a gazillion miles away on Thanksgiving Day. And if you think about it, that's quite ironic. I was left to sit alone and actually be thankful for all that I have in my life. This year, Thanksgiving wasn't just about having a day off and eating a lot of great food. It was like taking a look back at this past year and realizing how good I really have it. I am thankful for everyone in my life and all of the experiences I have had. And, I am thankful for being me. I am happy, and that's all a girl can really ask for.

Birthday Make-up

We're not talking cosmetics here. We're talking about the fact that I didn't do anything special on my big day.

So despite my poor health, I decided to lift my spirits with liquid spirits at Dublins with all of my friends. I think by the end of the night, I sampled all the drinks Dublin's has to offer. Car Bombs, martinis, mixed drinks, beer, and shots galore filled my insides and I was feeling much better about my Birthday-less Birthday the day before. I even received a home-made card (the best kind), a can of fake snow that was sprayed into the air all throughout the night, a stellar performance by Andrew that included all of my favorite upbeat cover songs, many shout-outs on the microphone, an amazing fire show, a few gifts, a delicious Korean cake (that I ate all of the chocolate pieces off of and then later started a cake fight with), and lots of love from all my friends.

All in all, it turned out to be a great night and a super fantastic 24th Birthday celebration! Like always, I closed the bar at 3 am and actually SK, the beautiful bar owner, kept Dublins open for myself, Cho, Alex, and the bartenders (DJ, Matt, and Tae) for a private after party with some grub and many bottles of soju. I think I got home around 6 am and in one piece.

When I woke up the next day for work, I moved at a snail's pace to get ready and all with a headache the size of Jeju Island. Now all that's left on the birthday agenda is round 2 which will take place Saturday night in the busy and eclectic area of Hongdae. I'm looking forward to a night of birthday magic and debauchery.

Birthday-less in Korea

If there's something I've learned about having a winter birthday, it's that with the cold, blustery air, flu season comes blowing in. Unfortunately I didn't get to really enjoy my birthday because I woke up with an awful cold. I somehow managed to get to the gym but I only lasted about 5 minutes on the treadmill before I had to call it quits on my cardio session due to not being able to breathe. When I got to work a few hours later, I headed to the Doctor's office for some meds. The Doctor insisted that I get tested for Swine Flu as I had all of the symptoms. But unfortunately I had to decline due to lack of time. I made it through the day of teaching, drinking 2 liters of orange juice in 6 hours. And then I had to cancel my birthday dinner afterwards to go home and rest.

On top of the misery I was feeling, my school forgot it was my birthday and I didn't get the cake I was looking forward to (as this is what our school does for every one's birthday). So yes, I was sick, not blowing out 24 candles, and not celebrating whatsoever that it was my Champagne year. Hopefully I can make up for it over the weekend. Happy fan-freakin' Birthday to me! ;)

I Stayed Alcohol Free Until 11-23

Not that this is something I should totally be proud of. But when you're in a country where everything is based around alcohol, it can be considered a major feat. So for all of you hooligans who said I didn't stand a chance, believe it, because I can say no. And in fact, it's Wednesday, November 25th and I still haven't consumed a drop!

Officially Winter!

After so many years in the sunny desert, I've forgotten what it feels like to experience the first snow of the season! This is surely the first time I can remember enjoying a moment like this as I took it for granted growing up in the very snowy upstate area of New York.

I remember always dreading this time of year because all it meant to me was slippery road conditions, scraping the windshield, and shoveling the driveway. But now that I don't have any of those responsibilities and it doesn't really snow much here, I really embraced every giant, fluffy snowflake that landed on my brow as I walked home from work last Friday night. In fact, I was so excited that I ordered a pizza feast (stuffed crust Hawaiian, garden salad, and oven spaghetti), rented two of the best Christmas movies ever: Home Alone 1 AND 2, and headed over to Jee's house for some quality girl time.

Although the air was chilly, I had my MP3 player and a list of Christmas tunes, an Italian feast, and Jee to keep my spirits warm. Who knew I would come to love the snow! I guess I'll have to just wait until our first "out of the blue" snow storm. Then all of those happy feelings may melt along with the slushy snow!

Why I Love My Family

I recently called home just to check in and see how things have been going. In a short time, I learned that Peter has been grounded from his guitar as he's been slacking on his homework. I learned that football season is over and that Jacob's team was undefeated. I discovered my dad's been super busy at work, often working over the weekends (which is somewhat unusual). I learned that it's now wrestling season (the fun never ends). And I also found out my brothers were making their annual Christmas lists, which was coincidentally one of the reasons I called.

Now you should know that this is the first year ever that all four of us kids won't be together for the Christmas holiday. Although I've lived out west for the past few years, Christmas has always been the one time of year I've traveled to good ol' upstate New York to pay a visit. So with myself being in another country and not able to make it back to North America, and Colt coming at that time for two weeks, my poor mother is devastated. And unknowingly, my two youngest brothers are feeling the same way.

So, when I asked Jacob (the youngest sibling, age 11) what he wanted for Christmas, he said, "Sis, all I want is you."

Well as you could imagine, that gave me the biggest grin from ear to ear and yet broke my heart at the same time. There is no doubt this Christmas will be tough. Being away from family and friends and all that is familiar this time of year is already feeling painful...even a month out. But it's so good to know you're wanted and that you haven't been forgotten.

Thanks Jacob. You mean the world to me!

Mommy, Care Package Juseyo?

In the almost 10 months I've been in Korea, there hasn't been too much that I've missed with the exception of family and friends of course! Over the course of the summer, I would have loved to get my hands on some Boca Vegan-friendly Burgers and couscous. I would have loved to walk into a grocery store and accidentally stumble upon giant Portabello mushroom caps and real cheese under the price of $20.00 per ounce. Even non-perishable things like undergarments larger than an A cup would have made me fall over with joy. But all in all, nothing I couldn't live without.

But now that the weather is changing yet again, I find myself being more nostalgic and craving more of those chilly/cold air items. With Thanksgiving only days away, I find myself racking my brain on how I can get or make my Mommy's sought after Pumpkin Roll or even bake a delicious homemade apple pie with my non-existing oven. Knowing the inevitable, I have tried to change my focus on more realistic items. For instance, how incredible those Christmas wrapped miniature peanut butter cups and Andies Candies that good ol' Mom always has stocked in little candy dishes all over the house this time of year would taste. Although Korea is full of Starbucks Cafes, a Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte (that is non-existent in this country) would really hit the spot in so many ways. Creamer for my coffee that I am now used to drinking black and real life ground coffee beans instead of the instant coffee I now consume would be almost magical.

I found myself thinking about all the things I would potentially love to have from back home if I had them at my disposal; the things I've done without for the past 10 months. Then that brought up another question. It seems as each day passes, I am leaning more and more towards staying in Korea for another year. As I am planning to visit home in between contracts, what things will make the cut and what things won't? Before I know it, I'll realistically have to make those decisions and it's not something I'm looking forward to. On the bright side, I know what I can expect when packing a year's worth of belongings into a few small suitcases. But at the same time, that same knowledge could also hurt me. Without a doubt, it's something to at least ponder.