Here are some links to pictures that I haven't posted on here...
Switzerland:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=97744&id=1393045053&l=936805be31
Cycling:
Monday, November 22, 2010
Monday, November 15, 2010
Lacking Motivation
My friend Hayes visited for a few days
Sunset from my window
It's been forever since I last posted. I haven't been in the mood to write anything partly due to the fact that I've been struggling some with being here. I live in one of the most beautiful places in the world, but where I spend most of my time, at work, is not so beautiful. I've learned some lessons that I will apply when searching for my next job, which may end up being sooner than later...I'm still deliberating. In the future I will avoid working for a "school" which is for-profit. Education does not come first at such places. I will also avoid working at a boarding school that is not independently staffed by someone other than the teaching faculty. We are put through a juicer here...squeezed for every minute and every dime. But being here has afforded some great opportunities when time allows.
Four weeks ago a coworker and I headed down the mountain to watch the first race in the World Cup Cyclocross series. National champions from all of the world kicked off the series in Aigle, which is just 30 minutes from where I live. There were 3 riders there from the USA, so we cheered them on...they were probably wondering who was cheering for them :)
Jeremy Powers at the World Cup race...go USA!
Amongst the snowy days and rain that has been common lately I was able to get out for 2 final rides before the season ended. Now I anxiously await ski season to roll around the corner. I went down to the ski shop last week to check out their "touring" skis, which will allow be to go just about anywhere. It's like a combination between cross country and alpine skiing. Great for fun and fitness!
My favorite bridge to ride across
The month of November is crazy at work since we will be processing about 800 college applications. But despite this I booked 3 of the 4 weekends for travel. This past weekend I went to Milan, Italy (I'll say more in a minute). Next weekend I will be going to Barcelona, Spain and the weekend following that I will be in London.
Since my time here I have been to Italy twice. I'm in love with this place, but will most likely never be able to get a job there because of visa issues. If I were to take a year off from work, I would definitely consider doing a language program in Italy. The people are friendly, the food is amazing, the language is beautiful and there is plenty of cycling all around the country. It's about a 3.5 hour train ride to Milan, which goes by quite quickly. For those of you fashion gurus, Milan is the place to be. I was with one coworker and we stayed with his friend that is studying there, so we had a "tour guide" and a free place to crash. A majority of our time was spent checking out the historical sites...the two most notable places being the "Duomo di Milano" and da Vinci's "The Last Supper." Ancient architecture blows my mind and to see one of the most famous paintings in history was amazing! A group of us then went to see one of the largest European soccer rivalries: AC Milan vs. Inter Milan. 85,000 fans chanting, singing, and yelling. They are emotional about their times. The atmosphere was buzzing with energy! Both teams have played much better soccer in the past, but it was a once in a lifetime experience to be there! We arrived back at Leysin at 3:30am Monday morning...work started at 8am...and I made it there at 9:30am.
Duomo di Milano
At the San Siro Stadium
It looks like the stands are on fire, but just some flares!
Audrey Hepburn and I
Christmas break is starts in about 5 weeks. I never thought I'd say it, but I miss Korea and many of my friends back there. So I'm planning on booking a ticket there for Christmas. I lost motivation to travel here during break. I just want to relax and not bounce around. So Korea here I come (90% sure).
Sunset from my window
It's been forever since I last posted. I haven't been in the mood to write anything partly due to the fact that I've been struggling some with being here. I live in one of the most beautiful places in the world, but where I spend most of my time, at work, is not so beautiful. I've learned some lessons that I will apply when searching for my next job, which may end up being sooner than later...I'm still deliberating. In the future I will avoid working for a "school" which is for-profit. Education does not come first at such places. I will also avoid working at a boarding school that is not independently staffed by someone other than the teaching faculty. We are put through a juicer here...squeezed for every minute and every dime. But being here has afforded some great opportunities when time allows.
Four weeks ago a coworker and I headed down the mountain to watch the first race in the World Cup Cyclocross series. National champions from all of the world kicked off the series in Aigle, which is just 30 minutes from where I live. There were 3 riders there from the USA, so we cheered them on...they were probably wondering who was cheering for them :)
Jeremy Powers at the World Cup race...go USA!
Amongst the snowy days and rain that has been common lately I was able to get out for 2 final rides before the season ended. Now I anxiously await ski season to roll around the corner. I went down to the ski shop last week to check out their "touring" skis, which will allow be to go just about anywhere. It's like a combination between cross country and alpine skiing. Great for fun and fitness!
My favorite bridge to ride across
The month of November is crazy at work since we will be processing about 800 college applications. But despite this I booked 3 of the 4 weekends for travel. This past weekend I went to Milan, Italy (I'll say more in a minute). Next weekend I will be going to Barcelona, Spain and the weekend following that I will be in London.
Since my time here I have been to Italy twice. I'm in love with this place, but will most likely never be able to get a job there because of visa issues. If I were to take a year off from work, I would definitely consider doing a language program in Italy. The people are friendly, the food is amazing, the language is beautiful and there is plenty of cycling all around the country. It's about a 3.5 hour train ride to Milan, which goes by quite quickly. For those of you fashion gurus, Milan is the place to be. I was with one coworker and we stayed with his friend that is studying there, so we had a "tour guide" and a free place to crash. A majority of our time was spent checking out the historical sites...the two most notable places being the "Duomo di Milano" and da Vinci's "The Last Supper." Ancient architecture blows my mind and to see one of the most famous paintings in history was amazing! A group of us then went to see one of the largest European soccer rivalries: AC Milan vs. Inter Milan. 85,000 fans chanting, singing, and yelling. They are emotional about their times. The atmosphere was buzzing with energy! Both teams have played much better soccer in the past, but it was a once in a lifetime experience to be there! We arrived back at Leysin at 3:30am Monday morning...work started at 8am...and I made it there at 9:30am.
Duomo di Milano
At the San Siro Stadium
It looks like the stands are on fire, but just some flares!
Audrey Hepburn and I
Christmas break is starts in about 5 weeks. I never thought I'd say it, but I miss Korea and many of my friends back there. So I'm planning on booking a ticket there for Christmas. I lost motivation to travel here during break. I just want to relax and not bounce around. So Korea here I come (90% sure).
Monday, September 27, 2010
Work, Riding, and a bit of Traveling
It's been too long since my last post, and although my life hasn't been that exciting I have been doing my best to enjoy life over here. My weeks are long with a lot of work, but I've managed to get some play time in during the weekends.
Three weekends ago a group of us from school did a ride/race to Verbier. This is a famous ski town and has also been featured in the Tour De France. Myself along with 500 other riders went out for a 95km ride that include a 10km time trial up the mountain to Verbier. This is the first time in a LONG time that I've been involved in anything even remotely competitive. I managed to place 47th out of 87 riders in my age group. I was happy with that since I've only been riding in the mountain for a month. Plus I beat some of my colleagues that I've been attempting to catch up with since I moved here. Once at the top we had a pasta lunch, listened to some live jazz, and then headed home. With the ride back home I logged 150km for the day.
Working at a boarding school, the staff members are the surrogate parents for the students. Here we have what's called "Faculty Family" where each faculty member has a small group of students that we meet with on a regular basis to eat dinner, go to the movies, hang out with, etc. My family consists of 3 guys and 2 girls. Three of them are from Mexico, one from Brazil, and one from Azerbaijan. We are a bit dysfunctional, but for the most part we're a good family. Two weekends ago I had a weekend trip with my family. I had arranged some plans, but due to the poor weather we bagged the initial plans and hopped on a train to Lausanne for Friday and Saturday. The students wanted to stay the night in a hostel, which was funny to hear since they normally live a life of luxury. So we booked a couple of rooms for the students and I stayed with strangers. The students slept well, but I did not. Anyways, we spent our time eating good food, doing a bit of shopping, walking along the waterfront, going to the cinema, and hanging out at the hostel. It was surprisingly a fun time.
And this past weekend I went to Paris. I went with four coworkers and our original reason for going to Paris was to see Mumford and Sons in concert. Things didn't go as planned, and our train was delayed for a while on Friday afternoon, therefore we were late to the concert and only heard four songs...but they were four good songs :) The remaining time was spent touring the city. Being there for two days only allowed me to get a taste of the city, so I will definitely go back a couple more times to visit the museums and some of the other sites that I missed.
October is another busy month, with work on every Saturday. So unfortunately I really won't be able to go on any weekend excursions. Damn the man. We already got our first snow here. I had to wear a winter coat today. I'm not ready for the cold weather, so hopefully this was just a fluke.
Three weekends ago a group of us from school did a ride/race to Verbier. This is a famous ski town and has also been featured in the Tour De France. Myself along with 500 other riders went out for a 95km ride that include a 10km time trial up the mountain to Verbier. This is the first time in a LONG time that I've been involved in anything even remotely competitive. I managed to place 47th out of 87 riders in my age group. I was happy with that since I've only been riding in the mountain for a month. Plus I beat some of my colleagues that I've been attempting to catch up with since I moved here. Once at the top we had a pasta lunch, listened to some live jazz, and then headed home. With the ride back home I logged 150km for the day.
Just finishing the climb up to Verbier.
Trying to dry off and get some sun on my blinding, white body.
The group from school.
Being stupid.
Working at a boarding school, the staff members are the surrogate parents for the students. Here we have what's called "Faculty Family" where each faculty member has a small group of students that we meet with on a regular basis to eat dinner, go to the movies, hang out with, etc. My family consists of 3 guys and 2 girls. Three of them are from Mexico, one from Brazil, and one from Azerbaijan. We are a bit dysfunctional, but for the most part we're a good family. Two weekends ago I had a weekend trip with my family. I had arranged some plans, but due to the poor weather we bagged the initial plans and hopped on a train to Lausanne for Friday and Saturday. The students wanted to stay the night in a hostel, which was funny to hear since they normally live a life of luxury. So we booked a couple of rooms for the students and I stayed with strangers. The students slept well, but I did not. Anyways, we spent our time eating good food, doing a bit of shopping, walking along the waterfront, going to the cinema, and hanging out at the hostel. It was surprisingly a fun time.
The Darby Family.
And this past weekend I went to Paris. I went with four coworkers and our original reason for going to Paris was to see Mumford and Sons in concert. Things didn't go as planned, and our train was delayed for a while on Friday afternoon, therefore we were late to the concert and only heard four songs...but they were four good songs :) The remaining time was spent touring the city. Being there for two days only allowed me to get a taste of the city, so I will definitely go back a couple more times to visit the museums and some of the other sites that I missed.
Obvious what this is.
Arc De Triomphe
The concert group eating at "The Pharmacy."
Notre Dame
The only tough looking people in France...the riot Police.
October is another busy month, with work on every Saturday. So unfortunately I really won't be able to go on any weekend excursions. Damn the man. We already got our first snow here. I had to wear a winter coat today. I'm not ready for the cold weather, so hopefully this was just a fluke.
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Up and Running
Although students have been here for 2 weeks, classes officially started this past week, and my college counseling classes will start tomorrow. Unfortunately I'm unable to coach or sponsor any outdoor activities here because my college counseling classes take place after school Monday - Thursday which is the same time as team practices and other activities. This will be a change for me as I've always coached a school sport, but I have to do my job and that includes these after school classes with groups of about 15 students each day. Thus far I've enjoyed the other people in the college counseling department. We get along well and laugh quite a bit.
This weekend was a good one. I ventured down the mountain to Lausanne in hopes of meeting some people outside of school. Lausanne has a large expat population with many people around my age. I went down there Friday night with two other coworkers and it ended up being quite fun. I managed to meet some people from England, Bulgaria, Lithuania, and Germany. Hopefully I'll have to chance to connect with these folks next time I head to Lausanne. Saturday was spent on my bicycle. A group of 6 of us (3 staff, 3 students) had planned on riding around Lake Geneva, which is a 110 mile ride. About 25 miles into the ride we encountered some construction near Evian, France, so our plan to go all around the lake was foiled. But we caught the ferry to a different point on the lake and started riding again from there. It was a picture-perfect day for riding and we ended up riding the northern part of Lake Geneva twice and logged 125 miles. I'm tired today.
I'm still adjusting to the smallness of the community in which I live and work. Swiss business hours are awful if you're trying to go to the bank or buy groceries. Most shops close at 6pm, even vending machines...and that makes no sense whatsoever. Also, business hours change unexpectedly. If you visit a shop on Monday at 4pm, there's no guarantee that if you visit it again at that day and time that it will be open. Business owners do whatever they want, which is great for them, but at times can be frustrating for others.
The beauty here continues to amaze me. I hope it never gets old!
Looking down on what I rode up.
The group of us on the ferry while out on a ride.
My back yard.
My back yard again.
This weekend was a good one. I ventured down the mountain to Lausanne in hopes of meeting some people outside of school. Lausanne has a large expat population with many people around my age. I went down there Friday night with two other coworkers and it ended up being quite fun. I managed to meet some people from England, Bulgaria, Lithuania, and Germany. Hopefully I'll have to chance to connect with these folks next time I head to Lausanne. Saturday was spent on my bicycle. A group of 6 of us (3 staff, 3 students) had planned on riding around Lake Geneva, which is a 110 mile ride. About 25 miles into the ride we encountered some construction near Evian, France, so our plan to go all around the lake was foiled. But we caught the ferry to a different point on the lake and started riding again from there. It was a picture-perfect day for riding and we ended up riding the northern part of Lake Geneva twice and logged 125 miles. I'm tired today.
I'm still adjusting to the smallness of the community in which I live and work. Swiss business hours are awful if you're trying to go to the bank or buy groceries. Most shops close at 6pm, even vending machines...and that makes no sense whatsoever. Also, business hours change unexpectedly. If you visit a shop on Monday at 4pm, there's no guarantee that if you visit it again at that day and time that it will be open. Business owners do whatever they want, which is great for them, but at times can be frustrating for others.
The beauty here continues to amaze me. I hope it never gets old!
Looking down on what I rode up.
The group of us on the ferry while out on a ride.
My back yard.
My back yard again.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Money, Money, Money
Students and their families began arriving on Monday. Most of more dorm students are here. I have students from: Iran, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Kazakhstan, Mexico, Venezuela, Brazil, Russia, Norway, Italy, South Korea, China, Japan, and the USA! I'm probably missing some countries. Coming here I knew these families were wealthy, but it's beyond crazy how much wealth exists here at this school. Also, money talks here....not a good thing. I found out that one family donated 1 million dollars to help build some facility here and the student was bumped up a grade level. Hmmm, doesn't sound right to me. I'm slowly becoming aware of the school politics...something I hope to stay out of as much as possible.
Part of me thinks adjusting to life here in a small, remote village will be more difficult than my adjustment to South Korea. We shall see.
Part of me thinks adjusting to life here in a small, remote village will be more difficult than my adjustment to South Korea. We shall see.
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Inaugural Ride
After a busy week of orientation I was finally able to get out and have some fun. After morning meetings on Friday, the staff went out for some bobsled training. A local here was on the 1980 and 1984 Swiss bobsled team, and back in the day he built a small track, which was used for training for the start of a bobsled race. So we all formed groups of 4 and had a competition. It's something I'd never done before, nor did I think I would every be pushing a bobsled, but it was so much fun. After that we had a friendly game of softball.
I had to make a decision about what to do on Saturday. The school was taking a group to IKEA to buy furnishings for the apartments, but there was a group of returning staff members that were going out for a ride. I needed some stuff at IKEA, but I chose the ride, and I'm so glad I did. Not only did I get to spend some great time riding with some new people, I had one of the most beautiful rides I've ever been on. The route was undetermined prior to the start, but I was told it we shouldn't be out for too long...not true. We ended up riding 80 miles, and climbing over 6000 vertical feet...that's a decent amount. There was one climb that took us an hour to ascend. At the end of the ride they apologized to me for taking a newbie out on a ride like that. We started off in Switzerland rode into France and then back into Switzerland. Before we crossed back into Switzerland we took a brief stop to swim in Lake Geneva and get cooled off. It was an amazing ride through great scenery and many quaint, little towns/villages. Now I have a group of riding buddies for the next couple of months before the cold weather sets in.
Today I rode with one other person in attempt to have a recovery ride. Recovery rides are nearly impossible as each ride ends with a long climb up the mountain back to Leysin. We did our loop and were about to head up the mountain, but there was a wreck that stopped traffic, so we turned around and went back to a cafe for breakfast. After breakfast we headed back up the mountain.
I hope once work officially starts (as in classes begin) I'll still have plenty of time during the week to get out on the bike. My new bike is awesome. It climbs like a machine, but I don't..haha. I have a lot of time to put in on the bike to catch up with the other staff members, but I feel good about it.
I had to make a decision about what to do on Saturday. The school was taking a group to IKEA to buy furnishings for the apartments, but there was a group of returning staff members that were going out for a ride. I needed some stuff at IKEA, but I chose the ride, and I'm so glad I did. Not only did I get to spend some great time riding with some new people, I had one of the most beautiful rides I've ever been on. The route was undetermined prior to the start, but I was told it we shouldn't be out for too long...not true. We ended up riding 80 miles, and climbing over 6000 vertical feet...that's a decent amount. There was one climb that took us an hour to ascend. At the end of the ride they apologized to me for taking a newbie out on a ride like that. We started off in Switzerland rode into France and then back into Switzerland. Before we crossed back into Switzerland we took a brief stop to swim in Lake Geneva and get cooled off. It was an amazing ride through great scenery and many quaint, little towns/villages. Now I have a group of riding buddies for the next couple of months before the cold weather sets in.
Today I rode with one other person in attempt to have a recovery ride. Recovery rides are nearly impossible as each ride ends with a long climb up the mountain back to Leysin. We did our loop and were about to head up the mountain, but there was a wreck that stopped traffic, so we turned around and went back to a cafe for breakfast. After breakfast we headed back up the mountain.
I hope once work officially starts (as in classes begin) I'll still have plenty of time during the week to get out on the bike. My new bike is awesome. It climbs like a machine, but I don't..haha. I have a lot of time to put in on the bike to catch up with the other staff members, but I feel good about it.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Arrived Safely
Hey!
After flights from Kansas City to Chicago to Warsaw, Poland to Geneva, Switzerland, and a 1.5 hour car ride to Leysin...I am "home." I've been at my new "home" for 2 days now. Right from the get go we've been busy attempting to learn the new ropes...no free time. The village is beyond beautiful. The people are friendly. I haven't had the chance to explore too much, but I hope to do so in the near future. I think school life/work will occupy a majority of my time.
The past 2 dinners have been typical Swiss dishes....cheese fondue on night 1 and raclette on night 2. YUM! If I don't exercise like crazy, then there will be trouble. The local wine is good....and cheap.
I shipped my mountain bike 3 months ago from Korea and I took my road bike on the plane with me, but somehow it didn't make it to the airport when I did. A delivery guy dropped it off today. I was bit worried, especially since I dropped an arm and a leg for it. But both bikes are built and ready to ride...I just need the free time to ride now. These mountains are going to beat me up, but I'm excited for it :) I think I'll get out Saturday and see how my lungs and legs hold up.
Something I didn't mention earlier as I was trying to focus on the positives of my new job and environment. I am working at a boarding school...boo. There are approximately 400 students representing 60 different countries...yea! I've been placed in the 12th grade boys' dorm and I have dorm responsibilities once a week and one weekend every 5 weeks. This part of the job I am not excited for, but I will do my best to embrace it. My apartment within the dorm is decent. I have just a bit less space than I did in Korea. It's a very weird setup, but it will work fine, especially when people visit because there is an extra room and bathroom. I guess one perk about being in the dorm is that my apartment gets cleaned once a week by housekeeping :)
Life won't be perfect here. Life may even be crazier here than in Korea...who knows. As I mentioned earlier, I think work will consume my life, but I should have time to enjoy the things I love. Initially there will be a lot of lonely times, clinging to the past, and resisting change. After getting used to living in Korea and feeling like I know what I'm doing, I now feel like a foreigner again. I have no idea where anything in town is. I don't even know survival French. I'll have a lot of work to do to get accustomed to life here, but in time I will be good.
I will take some pictures over the next few days. Here is one picture, but it's far from an accurate depiction of how beautiful this place is...it's what I wake up to in the morning :)
After flights from Kansas City to Chicago to Warsaw, Poland to Geneva, Switzerland, and a 1.5 hour car ride to Leysin...I am "home." I've been at my new "home" for 2 days now. Right from the get go we've been busy attempting to learn the new ropes...no free time. The village is beyond beautiful. The people are friendly. I haven't had the chance to explore too much, but I hope to do so in the near future. I think school life/work will occupy a majority of my time.
The past 2 dinners have been typical Swiss dishes....cheese fondue on night 1 and raclette on night 2. YUM! If I don't exercise like crazy, then there will be trouble. The local wine is good....and cheap.
I shipped my mountain bike 3 months ago from Korea and I took my road bike on the plane with me, but somehow it didn't make it to the airport when I did. A delivery guy dropped it off today. I was bit worried, especially since I dropped an arm and a leg for it. But both bikes are built and ready to ride...I just need the free time to ride now. These mountains are going to beat me up, but I'm excited for it :) I think I'll get out Saturday and see how my lungs and legs hold up.
Something I didn't mention earlier as I was trying to focus on the positives of my new job and environment. I am working at a boarding school...boo. There are approximately 400 students representing 60 different countries...yea! I've been placed in the 12th grade boys' dorm and I have dorm responsibilities once a week and one weekend every 5 weeks. This part of the job I am not excited for, but I will do my best to embrace it. My apartment within the dorm is decent. I have just a bit less space than I did in Korea. It's a very weird setup, but it will work fine, especially when people visit because there is an extra room and bathroom. I guess one perk about being in the dorm is that my apartment gets cleaned once a week by housekeeping :)
Life won't be perfect here. Life may even be crazier here than in Korea...who knows. As I mentioned earlier, I think work will consume my life, but I should have time to enjoy the things I love. Initially there will be a lot of lonely times, clinging to the past, and resisting change. After getting used to living in Korea and feeling like I know what I'm doing, I now feel like a foreigner again. I have no idea where anything in town is. I don't even know survival French. I'll have a lot of work to do to get accustomed to life here, but in time I will be good.
I will take some pictures over the next few days. Here is one picture, but it's far from an accurate depiction of how beautiful this place is...it's what I wake up to in the morning :)
Friday, August 13, 2010
Summer Is Nearly Over
It's been great to be back here spending time with family and friends, and I feel like the time is much more rich given that it's limited and not something I experience on a regular basis now that I'm no longer living here. Going to my favorite places seem "that" much better now. I value the time spent with those near to me.
In 3 days I'm off to Leysin, Switzerland where I will be for at least the next 2 years. I signed my contract with the intention of staying additional years given that I like my job there...we'll see what happens. I'm doing my best to manage my expectations of what my life will be like when I'm in a place where I have access to so many things that make me feel alive (e.g. skiing, mountain biking, cycling, hiking, etc.). I believe that my quality of life and my health will improve being in such a place, but I still have a job to do and that's what most of my time will be spent doing. I'll have about the same amount of vacation time here as I had in Korea, which will allow me ample time to travel around Europe. My list of places to go is long!
I bought a new (used) road bike for my time over there. I contacted an old friend who is a sales rep for Trek Bicycles and he was able to pass along huge savings to me on a 2010 Trek Madone 6.9. This bike is AMAZING...more bike than I need, but hey, I got a great deal :) Right out my door in Leysin is world-class cycling, and I'm going to ride as much of it as possible.
Something I may not have mentioned earlier is that my school has a ski term. From January to March, every Tuesday and Thursday is ski day, which means that we have school the 1st part of the day, and then the 2nd part of the day is spent on the ski slopes! :) That's quite the job perk.
Hopefully in the weeks to come I'll have some fun stories/pictures/videos of my new "home."
In 3 days I'm off to Leysin, Switzerland where I will be for at least the next 2 years. I signed my contract with the intention of staying additional years given that I like my job there...we'll see what happens. I'm doing my best to manage my expectations of what my life will be like when I'm in a place where I have access to so many things that make me feel alive (e.g. skiing, mountain biking, cycling, hiking, etc.). I believe that my quality of life and my health will improve being in such a place, but I still have a job to do and that's what most of my time will be spent doing. I'll have about the same amount of vacation time here as I had in Korea, which will allow me ample time to travel around Europe. My list of places to go is long!
I bought a new (used) road bike for my time over there. I contacted an old friend who is a sales rep for Trek Bicycles and he was able to pass along huge savings to me on a 2010 Trek Madone 6.9. This bike is AMAZING...more bike than I need, but hey, I got a great deal :) Right out my door in Leysin is world-class cycling, and I'm going to ride as much of it as possible.
Something I may not have mentioned earlier is that my school has a ski term. From January to March, every Tuesday and Thursday is ski day, which means that we have school the 1st part of the day, and then the 2nd part of the day is spent on the ski slopes! :) That's quite the job perk.
Hopefully in the weeks to come I'll have some fun stories/pictures/videos of my new "home."
Sunday, July 18, 2010
A Lot to Say, A Little to Write
I've been back in the states now for just over a month. Much of my time has been spent with my family, friends and bicycle. It's so wonderful to re-connect with everyone back here, but at the same time the lifestyle differences are apparent and my position overseas is a great fit for the time being.
After 2 years of living abroad I know that I fit in better out of the states, than in the states. For a long time I was following the traditional path and that path did not lead to happiness for me...so I made a change. Although I miss regular time with family and friends, the adventure, new experiences and a broadened perspective make it worth it.
Despite knowing that the move and change I made was a good one, there are many times that I wish I was in one place. The past few days have been spent at a conference in Boston, MA for the Overseas Association of College Admission Counseling. Nearly 900 people representing over 80 countries gather together to network, share stories, learn, and have a good time. There are so many single people here though...of all ages. I've realized that this profession lends itself to a life of singleness, though not in all cases. Two years ago I was not ready for marriage (not for sure how I feel about the institution of marriage)...I'm still not, but I am more ready for long-term relationship than in the past. I've had the opportunity to meet many people that share my interest for education, travel, and adventure and at this conference I've met even more. I met a great gal this weekend from Vancouver, Canada. She works as an Admissions Rep for a Canadian university. We connected in many ways and it's times like these when I wish I was stationary and in a place to have a real relationship. It's times like these when I wrestle with what I've written at the beginning of this post.
I'm not sure what Switzerland holds for me. I look forward to the diverse student population that I will be working with, the skiing, the cycling, and the European travel. Four more weeks till my departure!!
After 2 years of living abroad I know that I fit in better out of the states, than in the states. For a long time I was following the traditional path and that path did not lead to happiness for me...so I made a change. Although I miss regular time with family and friends, the adventure, new experiences and a broadened perspective make it worth it.
Despite knowing that the move and change I made was a good one, there are many times that I wish I was in one place. The past few days have been spent at a conference in Boston, MA for the Overseas Association of College Admission Counseling. Nearly 900 people representing over 80 countries gather together to network, share stories, learn, and have a good time. There are so many single people here though...of all ages. I've realized that this profession lends itself to a life of singleness, though not in all cases. Two years ago I was not ready for marriage (not for sure how I feel about the institution of marriage)...I'm still not, but I am more ready for long-term relationship than in the past. I've had the opportunity to meet many people that share my interest for education, travel, and adventure and at this conference I've met even more. I met a great gal this weekend from Vancouver, Canada. She works as an Admissions Rep for a Canadian university. We connected in many ways and it's times like these when I wish I was stationary and in a place to have a real relationship. It's times like these when I wrestle with what I've written at the beginning of this post.
I'm not sure what Switzerland holds for me. I look forward to the diverse student population that I will be working with, the skiing, the cycling, and the European travel. Four more weeks till my departure!!
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Goodbyes Cont'd
Goodbyes in your home country are different than goodbyes in a foreign country. Each time I say goodbye to my friends and family in the states I know full well that I will see them again upon my return. In one sense saying goodbye to people here in Korea has been more difficult than back home. Odds are I will not see a majority of these people ever again, so it truly is a goodbye. We were at the same place during the same time and now we part ways. I value the relationships formed here, but due to the nature of our lifestyles and location we may never meet again...although I hope that our paths will cross in the future.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Let the Goodbyes Begin
Today was our last day of class, which will be followed by a week of student exams. We had an end of year assembly where student awards were handed out and the official goodbye was given to each departing staff member - that included me. I didn't think it would be that big of a deal, but I was caught off guard. My principal said some very kind words to/about me while I stood before the student body. I got just a little bit choked up, but not too much...you know, just a couple small tears. The principal said goodbyes to the three other departing staff members, then the assembly was finished. Afterwards, student after student approached me to say some nice words, tell me that they'll miss, and give me a hug. This is where I struggled. I was sad to begin with, but when I see other people cry, I share that experience with them. So a lot of hugs and tears later I was in the clear.
As much as I hate Korea, I love it. As much as the students frustrate me, I truly care about them. As much as the parents drive me crazy, I've built some great relationships with many of them. Four months into my stay here I was ready to bail on my contract and move home. I endured. My time here has been a mixture of love and hate, frustration and joy, camaraderie and loneliness, along with a number of other emotions.
Although I'm ready to leave, part of me desires to stay. I will miss my students, my coworkers, my friends - all those that have been a part of my life here in Korea. I'm moving on to what will be another chapter of travels, adventures, and new experiences, but I'll be taking with me many great memories of Korea.
As much as I hate Korea, I love it. As much as the students frustrate me, I truly care about them. As much as the parents drive me crazy, I've built some great relationships with many of them. Four months into my stay here I was ready to bail on my contract and move home. I endured. My time here has been a mixture of love and hate, frustration and joy, camaraderie and loneliness, along with a number of other emotions.
Although I'm ready to leave, part of me desires to stay. I will miss my students, my coworkers, my friends - all those that have been a part of my life here in Korea. I'm moving on to what will be another chapter of travels, adventures, and new experiences, but I'll be taking with me many great memories of Korea.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
My New Home - August 17
Here are just a few pics of where I'll be living for the next two years starting August 17. Looks nice, doesn't it? :)
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Attempting to Wrap Things Up
Seeing that I haven't posted in quite a while you may assume that I've been busy or that I'm lacking motivation...both are true. I'm down to my final 5 weeks in Korea. It's hard to believe. I'm swamped at work and I don't think that I'll get everything done that I need to do before I leave...I can only do so much. Wrapping up things in one place while getting ready for a move to another place is quite overwhelming, enough so that I don't even want to deal with it. But I'm trying to knock out things one a time. Last Monday I visited the Swiss Embassy to submit my Swiss Visa application. If all goes well I should receive it right before I leave Korea. Last Friday I had a shipping company visit my apartment to provide me with a quote to get all my crap to Switzerland. My ticket is booked to leave Kansas City on August 16th and arrive in Geneva on August 17th. I'll get to try out LOT-Polish Airlines. I've been spoiled here flying with Korean Air.
There are a lot of things running around inside my head, but I'm going to save them for myself or another post. I'm ready to be back in the USA right now. I need/want to see my family and friends, and touch base with "home."
There are a lot of things running around inside my head, but I'm going to save them for myself or another post. I'm ready to be back in the USA right now. I need/want to see my family and friends, and touch base with "home."
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Another Change
After an unexpected turn of events this past Monday I was offered a job in Switzerland at Leysin American School. I'm beyond excited for this opportunity to live and work in such an amazing place. I don't think I could be working in a place that is a better fit for me than this school. In August I'll be moving to the Swiss village of Leysin, which is on the east side of Lake Geneva, and up in the mountains. This will be a huge change from where I'm at now. Suwon = 1.25 million people. Leysin = 3,000 people year round and 10,000 people during the ski season. I'll have daily access to skiing, mountain biking, road cycling, and hiking, right out of my front door. Ah!!!!!!!
The timing of all this was a bit difficult as I had verbally committed to another year at my current school. Thankfully I work under some wonderful people who support and understand me as a person. They knew my heart wasn't here in Korea and that it was a dream of mine to move to Switzerland. So when the opportunity arose they were supportive of me pursuing the position.
Something tells me I'll have a few more visitors at my next location :)
The timing of all this was a bit difficult as I had verbally committed to another year at my current school. Thankfully I work under some wonderful people who support and understand me as a person. They knew my heart wasn't here in Korea and that it was a dream of mine to move to Switzerland. So when the opportunity arose they were supportive of me pursuing the position.
Something tells me I'll have a few more visitors at my next location :)
Monday, March 29, 2010
Back From Vietnam
After 8 days in Vietnam I'm back in Korea and back to work for the final stretch of the school year. Vietnam is a great place to visit and I might even consider living there despite its extremely hot weather and crazy amounts of people. English is widely spoken due to the tourism boom. The Vietnamese people are friendly. The food is yummy. And the country is beautiful! My friend and I stayed at a hostel while in Ho Chi Minh and then stepped it up a few notches for the few days at the beach. Accommodations at both places were comfortable although much nicer at the beachside resort.
Ho Chi Minh City was busy, and full of scooters, prostitutes and travelers. A lot of the people I met were on trips that lasted up to a year and with their extended travels came some good stories. We did a couple of day trips to some significant sites outside of the city. We visited a Cao Dai religious temple and watched their daily ritual, which involved mostly chants. The Cu Chi tunnels were definitely the most interesting place I saw in Vietnam. These were the tunnels used by the VC during the American Vietnam War. A portion of the tunnels were enlarged so that tourists could go through them. They were still very small and I couldn't imagine going through them during war time. The VC built over 200 kilometers of these tunnels at depths up to 10 meters. Pretty crazy endeavor! We toured the Mekong Delta by motor boat and row boat. The other time was spent wandering the street markets, eating good food and bumming around.
After Ho Chi Minh City we went to the Mui Ne beach, which is a famous spot for kite boarding and wind surfing...but I did neither, ha. The only semi-constructive thing we did was rent a scooter for a day and drive around to some of the different sand dune parks. Towards the end of our ride we took off our helmets because they wouldn't have done squat for our heads had we actually been in a wreck. Well, it turns out that the only thing the Police care about in terms of road safety is the use of a helmet. We were quickly pulled over. The police officer asked for my Vietnamese driver's license. I obviously don't have one. A small crowd started to gather because what's more fun than watching a couple of tourists get pulled over...? Nothing. The police officer said that he was going to have to keep the scooter because I had no license and was not wearing a helmet. I kept my cool, although nervous on the inside. Thankfully after being polite, apologizing and promising to wear our helmets, he let us go. A lot of time was spent lounging around the beach, swimming in the oceans, watching movies, eating food, drinking some beers, and sleeping. It was a very relaxing 2nd half of the trip!! A hot and sweaty 5.5 hour bus ride brought us back to HCMC where we had to kill a couple of hours until going to the airport for an overnight flight.
We arrived back in Korea at 7 am, and I got to my apartment at 9 am...showered, made a couple of phone calls and hopped in bed for some sleep. Overall it was an excellent trip!
Monday, March 15, 2010
Kickboxing and Vietnam
I'm in my 4th week of kickboxing and it's going pretty well. Despite looking and feeling like a fish out of water I've been making small steps of progress. There is a lot more rhythm and coordination involved, so I'm still trying to get the feel of the movements. It's fun. It's engaging. And at times it's painful. Once the weather warms up I'll be riding my bike to and from the gym, which will eliminate the time wasted sitting on a bus. Instead I'll get a 45 minute ride each way to/from the gym and then 1.5 hours of kickboxing. I should see a drastic increase in my fitness sometime in the next month.
On Friday my friend and I will be getting on a plane to Vietnam. After a 5.5 hour flight we'll arrive in Ho Chi Minh City aka Saigon. There we will spend 4 nights in a hostel while exploring the city and surrounding areas during the day. From Ho Chi Minh City we'll go east to an area called Mui Ne and spend 4 nights at a beach resort. I'm ready for some warm weather, sunshine, and ocean water.
On Friday my friend and I will be getting on a plane to Vietnam. After a 5.5 hour flight we'll arrive in Ho Chi Minh City aka Saigon. There we will spend 4 nights in a hostel while exploring the city and surrounding areas during the day. From Ho Chi Minh City we'll go east to an area called Mui Ne and spend 4 nights at a beach resort. I'm ready for some warm weather, sunshine, and ocean water.
Saturday, February 27, 2010
New Things Going On
Within the past two weeks two new things have started up for me this Spring. Once again I am helping coach our girls soccer team. The season just recently started and half of last year's team came again, and the other half is composed of girls who have never played soccer. We are starting from Step 1 again rather than being able to build on last year's success. Oh well, what can you do...? We had our first game on Friday and the Head Coach was out of town so I had to run the show. I was a bit nervous, but things worked out well. I yelled for 80 minutes while the girls played soccer for 80 minutes and they finished with a 4 to 0 victory. Great job girls!!!
During my time here I've let some parts of my life get sloppy...mainly my physical health. Although I still look relatively healthy, I don't feel that way. Since I'm going to be here for another 18 months I've resolved to take back control of my life and my health. Last week I joined a Kickboxing gym and I've started taking Muay Thai Kickboxing lessons. On of my friends introduced me to the gym and I work out alongside a couple other foreigners and then 4 to 6 Koreans. My instructor is Korean and he doesn't speak English. It's awesome!! Right now it's all about conditioning along with a little bit of technique and bag work. My body is sore, but it's a good sore! I have a long way to go, but it's exciting.
Two weeks ago I went ice climbing in the world's largest indoor ice climbing facility. We were able to climb up for 62 feet. My hands have never been so tired. I had a great time, but I can't foresee myself doing it often because it takes 2.5 hours to get there via public transit (bus, then subway, then bus).
It's been a long, cold winter here. Many people say it's been the worst winter in the past 10 years. The weather is slowly changing for the better. Once the ground dries up the trails will be rideable and the temperature bearable, which is quite exciting because I built a new mountain bike before the winter started and now it's ready to go.
Although work will be extremely busy until the end of the school year I'm optimistic about achieving some of my personal goals for the next few months.
During my time here I've let some parts of my life get sloppy...mainly my physical health. Although I still look relatively healthy, I don't feel that way. Since I'm going to be here for another 18 months I've resolved to take back control of my life and my health. Last week I joined a Kickboxing gym and I've started taking Muay Thai Kickboxing lessons. On of my friends introduced me to the gym and I work out alongside a couple other foreigners and then 4 to 6 Koreans. My instructor is Korean and he doesn't speak English. It's awesome!! Right now it's all about conditioning along with a little bit of technique and bag work. My body is sore, but it's a good sore! I have a long way to go, but it's exciting.
Two weeks ago I went ice climbing in the world's largest indoor ice climbing facility. We were able to climb up for 62 feet. My hands have never been so tired. I had a great time, but I can't foresee myself doing it often because it takes 2.5 hours to get there via public transit (bus, then subway, then bus).
It's been a long, cold winter here. Many people say it's been the worst winter in the past 10 years. The weather is slowly changing for the better. Once the ground dries up the trails will be rideable and the temperature bearable, which is quite exciting because I built a new mountain bike before the winter started and now it's ready to go.
Although work will be extremely busy until the end of the school year I'm optimistic about achieving some of my personal goals for the next few months.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
The Unthinkable
Life doesn't always go as planned and these past couple of months I have had an up close and personal experience with that. When I ventured off to Korea in July of 2008 I planned on being here for two years and then returning to the states. A couple months into my stay circumstances back home changed, so I was less inclined to return home after two years in Korea. Over the course of my time here I've come to love living outside of the states. I miss a lot of people and aspects of American life, but the international educator lifestyle is great.
For quite some time now I've planned on finishing my contract here (June 2010) and then moving to another country to work at another international school - hopefully in Europe. I applied to approximately 15 schools and attended a job fair in London. No results. A potential offer with a school in London fell through after their current counselor decided to stay. My interviews with a school in Zurich went well, but they wanted someone with UK university experience. The American School of the Hague wanted a female counselor. And, well, some schools just weren't interested in me.
Here I am now with no other options for a job. My current school has been kind in allowing me extra time to find other employment, but they finally said time is up, and I have to decide what I'm going to do. It's either sign for another year here in Korea or face the possibility of unemployment or having to take a job for 2 years in a country that I don't want. So I'm signing on for another year in Korea. I never thought I'd be spending 3 years here in Korea, as two has been more than enough! But circumstances change, therefore, plans have to change. My attitude has been very negative towards the thought of staying here another year, but I must change that now because it's a reality. My situation is great compared to many others. I have a good job, I get to travel a lot, and I'm able to save money - that's a nice combination :) I am working on changing my attitude, and seeing the ways that I can benefit by being in Korea for another year. Wish me luck! :)
For quite some time now I've planned on finishing my contract here (June 2010) and then moving to another country to work at another international school - hopefully in Europe. I applied to approximately 15 schools and attended a job fair in London. No results. A potential offer with a school in London fell through after their current counselor decided to stay. My interviews with a school in Zurich went well, but they wanted someone with UK university experience. The American School of the Hague wanted a female counselor. And, well, some schools just weren't interested in me.
Here I am now with no other options for a job. My current school has been kind in allowing me extra time to find other employment, but they finally said time is up, and I have to decide what I'm going to do. It's either sign for another year here in Korea or face the possibility of unemployment or having to take a job for 2 years in a country that I don't want. So I'm signing on for another year in Korea. I never thought I'd be spending 3 years here in Korea, as two has been more than enough! But circumstances change, therefore, plans have to change. My attitude has been very negative towards the thought of staying here another year, but I must change that now because it's a reality. My situation is great compared to many others. I have a good job, I get to travel a lot, and I'm able to save money - that's a nice combination :) I am working on changing my attitude, and seeing the ways that I can benefit by being in Korea for another year. Wish me luck! :)
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Funny Blog
This is a blog I came across. I love it because I enjoy taking pictures of passed out people here in Korea. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do....
http://blackoutkorea.blogspot.com
http://blackoutkorea.blogspot.com
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
$#$^@$^%#%@#$%#$&$%&#$^@#$%@#$^@$^!!!!!
Well this weekend did not go as I had hoped. I left without a new job for next school year. I was on the verge of receiving an offer from Zurich International School (my dream school/job), but obviously that didn't happen. This job fair was like one kick after the next to my nuts. Ouch. Right now I feel quite defeated. Sure there are still options out there, but who knows. The best place and best odds to get a job is at a recruiting fair, and that didn't happen for me. Anyways, doing my best not to be self-loathing. If something is going to happen, I have to make it happen. London was cool though. English speakers and good beer :)
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Off To London
It's Thursday night here in Korea and I'm packing two suits and few other things in order to head off to London tomorrow morning . For three days I'll be attending an international school job fair in hopes of landing a job somewhere in Europe. I'm nervous. I'm excited. I'm wondering if any school is going to pick me up or not. It seems like everyone around me is confident that I'll get offered a job, but who knows...
As much as I want to leave Korea, I know I'm going to miss this place. The reality of a potential move hit me tonight while I've been packing. I'm actually sad. But this is normal and it will pass. I look forward to the possibilities of so many new experiences that come along with a new job in a new country.
We'll see what happens...
As much as I want to leave Korea, I know I'm going to miss this place. The reality of a potential move hit me tonight while I've been packing. I'm actually sad. But this is normal and it will pass. I look forward to the possibilities of so many new experiences that come along with a new job in a new country.
We'll see what happens...
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Nepal
At the top of Island Peak - 20,305 ft
I could write a short novel about my trip to Nepal, but I'm lazy now, so I'll be brief. Nepal was AMAZING. Nearly every aspect of the trip was perfect...the only that wasn't was two days of altitude sickness. Seeing Mount Everest, going to Everest Base Camp, and climbing Island Peak were all dreams come true. For now, here is a link to some pictures. I will post more.
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=47025&id=1393045053&l=f137bcfef3
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