Do you ever just dive head-first into some things? That's probably me 95.75% of the time, and surprisingly... I usually don't regret my decisions (unless it's food - which I'm EXTREMELY indecisive about). Probably because I don't allow myself anytime to think about regretting. And once I do have time to reflect, enough time has passed where the optimistic side of me seeps through and I'm able to see the blessings in disguise and eventually talk myself out of any sort of self-pity or feelings of regret. With that said...me making the decision to move to South Korea to teach wasn't exactly impulsive, however; I did jump at the first opportunity that was presented to me because I was SO desperate for a change. And if packing up your life and moving half-way around the world isn't a big enough change, I'm not quite sure what is. I just knew I needed a new beginning for myself. Perhaps an emotional/soul searching cleanse? When I first landed in South Korea over a year ago, I didn't know what to expect. I didn't have any friends here nor did I know anyone living here. I just knew I was gonna be going on an adventure. And although I came here to teach, I looked at it as if I were on a year long paid vacation and a chance to grow. I get to to fulfill my professional desire by teaching, while also living in and experiencing life in another culture. I've been fortunate enough to travel through Asia while I've been here, but I've also made it a point to explore as much of Seoul as I possibly can and making my weekends count...AND a year later, there's still SO much of Seoul I haven't seen or done yet. Which only means there's still a lot more exploring for me to do! But first...we'll start off with some of my explorations throughout Seoul. Happy Foundation Day in our Traditional Korean HanbokSo if you ever come to Seoul, one of the must on your sight-seeing list should be palaces, which South Korea is far from being short of. But I will say, once you've seen one palace, you've basically seen them all. So if you're visitng South Korea and short on time, I'd suggest just visiting Gyeongbokgung Palace (경복궁), which is arguably the most beautiful and the largest of the 5 surrounding palaces. And if you'd like to add some umph and embellishment to your palace visit, you can rent a Hanbok starting at 10,000won for 4 hours. Might as well get in touch with the culture while you're here and fully immerse yourself, right? My girlfriends and I found a Hanbok shop in Insa-dong that rents beautiful Hanboks. There were some outside of the Gyeongbokgung Palace, but they weren't as pretty. And we figured it was perfect to rent our Hanboks in Insa-dong since we wanted to wear it around the palace as well as around the Hanok Villages. So we spent Korea's Foundation Day being extreme tourist and exploring Seoul in our Hanboks...which were surprisingly very comfortable and quite breezy if I don't say-so myself. Gyeongbokgung Palace, Insadong, & Korean Folk Villages...still so many things I want to see, feel, experience...and EAT!Insa-dong is so culturally rich! You have to visit this area of Seoul and see it for yourself. Not only are the Hanok Villages in Insa-dong, but there are also so many great traditional restaurants, tea-houses, and shops in the area as well. A little view of the Hanok Village. Both of these places are located on the 4th floor of the Ssamziegil Mall in Insa-dong. The first 4 photos are from the Minsok Folk Village. The second 4 photos are from the National Folk Museum of Korea. Myeong-dong Street FoodIf you're a foodie or even if you aren't a foodie, YOU HAVE TO GO TO MYEONG-DONG and try the street food. WARNING - go on an empty stomach. You WILL undoubtedly want to eat EVERYTHING. Or at least I do whenever I go there. Namsan Tower & ParkEvery major city has a major tower, and you can't visit the city without seeing the view of the city from the top. The view of both the tower and the city are beautiful at night and if you're able to, I'd suggest getting to the top of the tower right before sunset so you can enjoy the view. I've tried on several occassions to hike up to the Namsan Tower early enough to catch a sunrise view, but have failed epically each time. It's still on my SKbucketlist and I'm determine to make it happen before I leave here. In the year that I've lived in South Korea, I've got to see and experience so many wonderful things that I wouldn't have otherwise been able to do. I got the chance to fully immerse myself in that whole, "get comfortable with being uncomfortable" situation. From being lost countless times in a country I can't speak the language of to just putting myself completely out there to meet new people and make new friends. Going out by myself isn't a strange concept...in fact, it's kind of empowering, and going on excursions or arriving on a field alone in hopes that someone from a flag football team would pick me up isn't as scary or nerve-wrecking as it seems. I've realize that so many expats that arrive here are in the same EXACT situation as I am, and I guess that makes it less scary to be vulnerable here. But even if they weren't, I've gained enough confidence through my experiences here to just do whatever I love and whatever makes me happy and I'll continue to meet AMAZING people that won't think I'm weird...and if they do, well...that's okay too.
You just gotta do you. Keep exploring, keep soul searching & eventually I'll find whatever it is that I'm looking for. Yours truly, Cery
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My journey began approximately two years ago when I was inspired by a little black book that challenged me to do one thing everyday that scared me for 365 days. Of course, my journey along with the challenge didn't end there because I came across another book, but this time it was a little orange book that challenged me to do one thing everyday that inspired me. During this journey, I overcame some fears and still cringe at the thought of others (like rodents), but I think I learned and grew a lot about myself along the way, and I'm still learning and growing. So now, I'm on a continuous journey to explore the world while challenging and re-discovering myself. But...let's backtrack a little bit. If you follow my @cerymyjourney instagram, you may have a little insight on my journey and who I am already. I was born and raised in Richmond, Virginia. I went to VCU for college, and did minor traveling here and there (mostly around the states). So it's safe to say I've never really been away from home or far enough to feel completely independent. Until now. Until I found a big enough reason to push me to do what I said I wanted to do post college - I finally found my WHY. Prior to me moving to South Korea to teach, I was depressed. Everything on the outside seemed fine. I had a loving and supportive family, amazing friends, and a career doing what I love...teaching. I always had a smile on my face (and still do), but emotionally, I hit rock-bottom. I remember telling myself that I'd rather be stabbed and feel physical pain than to experience the emotional one because at least with physical pain, I knew without a doubt that it would heal. Within a week's time, a physical wound would scab up and heal itself. Whereas with emotional pain, I had no idea when the hell that shit would just go away. Days grew into weeks, weeks grew into months, and before I knew it, I had been battling depression for over a year. And then I realized, the only way I would get out of this was to truly decide that I didn't want to feel the way I did anymore. So my goal was to figure out a way to remove myself from emotional distress, both physically and emotionally. I had to refocus my energy on getting myself out. I decided I was going to finally do what I said I would do post-college. So when I wasn't teaching or preparing to teach, I drowned my time in trying to find a teaching position abroad. I made myself so desperate and determined to find an opportunity that I ended my contract near the end of the school year and decided not to re-new, just so that I wouldn't have that safe-guard cushion or excuse to not pursue what I really wanted to do. Finally, the stars aligned. I was offered a position to teach in South Korea, and on July 21st, 2015, I had my one-way plane ticket and the rest is history. It's a liberating feeling to be in control of your emotions and to understand the things you can and can't control. I've learned to accept things for what they are and understand the value of every lesson in life. I've come to appreciate hardship and sadness because without them, I wouldn't fully appreciate the everyday blessings I have and the experiences of joy...nor would I have ever realized how powerful the heart can be and its resiliency and ability to persevere. And the most important lesson - once you reach rock-bottom, there's only one direction left...and that's back up. Yours truly, Cery |
AuthorJust a girl with a wandering soul and a burning heart filled with desire to discover the world around me and within myself. Archives
January 2017
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