Year 3: A Familiar and yet New Beginning

So I'm back in Korea for another year! I now work at a new company called Chungdahm, and despite the fact that things have been really busy for me, so far things are going well! Chungdahm contrast greatly with my old job working at Connexus, so it's been a bit of an adjustment going from having to create and implement curriculum for adults at Connexus, to working at Chungdahm with kids where there is specific curriculum as well as a specific methodology to implementing the curriculum.

Training at Chungdahm sucked, and it reminded me of finals week in school! But teaching so far has been quite good. I teach kids now, which has been an adjustment, but they are great and they are really fun! In addition, everyone at Chungdahm has been really helpful in my transition. Many people here have been really good to me, and have helped me along the way, whether it be teaching advice or even just coworkers who have been friendly and have hung out with me outside of work. I could name a few names, but I might as well just name all of my coworkers at Chungdahm who have been really supportive, and have made me feel at home while I have been here.

Coming back to Korea has felt like a familiar, and also a new experience in some ways. I was surprised upon returning that I retained most of the Korean that I learned, even after 5 months of being away. In fact, my friend Brian said that I speak Korean better than I did 5 months ago!

Now when I left Korea back in September, I knew that when I got back things would be different. But imagining the differences is one thing, and experiencing the differences is a whole other thing. In particular I've been able to see a lot of my friends from my old job at Connexus. But while I've been gone, Connexus went through a huge transition, and thus as an institution has changed dramatically. As a result, many of the people that are and once were connected to Connexus have gone on new paths in their lives, both in career and in life. What has been a bit strange for me is that in my mind I think I still assumed everything was the same, and then came back and was a bit in shock that many things had changed. But at the same time I am glad because all of my friends here seem to be doing well, and although things are different, my friends are just as awesome as before!

All in all, despite the things that have changed, things are going well! I'll try to post some pictures of my new home soon!