The Waiting Game.

I've had to take a step back this week to reconsider the word patience.  Oddly enough, I've displayed quite an extensive amount of todays vocabulary word when it has come to writing papers or paying bills. In fact, I've excelled in being "patient" to accomplish such tasks, haha.

However, I'm on the other end now. Since telling my employer in October that I would only be working at his establishment for another two weeks, I've been waiting (I say this retrospectively). Of course it hasn't been an entirely un-eventful waiting period for me. I was fortunate to spend 4 weeks in Florence, Italy eating pizza and panini (yes that's the plural form, I just looked it up), drinking Caffè lattes and plenty of vino, dodging vespas and walking everywhere.  I became friends with some truly spectacular people, and experienced my first Thanksgiving abroad (see picture).  

After gaining my TEFL certification in Florence I then travelled a portion of the wonderfully efficient and expansive network of European railways.  From Rome to Pisa, from Munich to Amsterdam, and finally to Siegen Germany where I got to meet up with great friends from my semester abroad in the Spring of 2007 (it's hard to believe it's been 4 years already...).  From Germany I flew back to California for a wonderful Christmas with my family and friends in Modesto.  Since New Year's I have been a sunshine transient, going back and forth from Modesto to San Diego sleeping on my brother's coach on and off for 2 months with nothing but a smile and the "I'm going to teach in South Korea soon" story constantly on my lips. The occasional bottling day at Green Flash Brewery with my brother Kevin was enough work for me and a truly interesting experience.

All of this has lead me here, to the upstairs computer room of 2020 Waterfall Court in Modesto, CA where I wait, patiently, tonight.  I wait for a visa number from South Korean Immigration services so that early next week I may go and have an interview at the Korean Consolate in San Francisco.  This is where I hope to finalize my many months of document acquisitions, at long last enabling me to move to Ulsan South Korea to teach at the Sunflower Language School for the next year. 

I am ready, even anxious, to begin this new journey.  However, I am surprised at my own trepidation.  The past few months have been extremely enjoyable.  I made new friendships and rekindled old ones.  I've seen my nephew, Blake, grow so much (he's coming up on 9 months), and I've spent great times with my family.  I say all of this because I will miss all of these people, alot. I guess I felt differently in October, and to be honest with you I am kind of ashamed to have complained about my position rather than cherish it as I know know I should have. 

But Korea beckons, and I will gladly answer the call. One year is the perfect amount of time.  Enough to create new friendships and see new parts of the world but be back to be with old friends and see the "old" parts of the world before too much has changed : ).