the last day

Today was it. My last day. Been saying goodbye to so many people over the past week. But today, I find myself in a state of the following: amazement at having finished an entire year in Korea (we celebrated one year on May 1^st!); relief for finally being able to step away from my classes (despite how much I love my kids, this was an exhausting job); total excitement for the coming months (Thailand, SF, Tucson, burning man); and, yes, sadness for having to leave it all behind. But like I said in my last post, I’m so grateful to have had the chance to really connect with people and to feel so very loved by everyone here (I have been begged and pleaded with to stay on at our school by everyone from the bus drivers to the bosses, to the Korean teachers to some of the foreigners). On Saturday at our big going away party, a dear friend of mine, Young Jeong, who is a fabulous Korean artist, gave me a piece of her art that I feel in love with the first time I visited her studio. It was just before her big show, and so I inquired about the price. It was far out of my range, though. On Saturday night, she and her boyfriend show up and she pulls out this very well-protected package with her gallery flyer on the front and a small little picture of the art in the corner. Of course, I cried. In that moment, I knew everything I needed to know about my life in Korea – it will forever be part of my heart and the people I have known here, well, most of them will be part of my life for a long time to come.

On a side note, since I don’t have time to blog about the party, just wanted some folks to know (Katie & Jake, particularly) that I just happen to meet Zaid, the manager of Ron’s bars for 9 years (Tonic and Blur), who, when I said, ohmygod, not only do you live 4 blocks from me in SF, but you also worked for my two of my dear friend’s friend…his reply: your friend wouldn’t happen to be a prenatal yoga instructor, would she? Also named Katie? Ohmygod, yes. He completely 100% randomly happened to be invited to our party, and we connected that night. What a small, small, beautiful world we live in. just had to share. Here’s a pic of us! (take note that one week ago today, it was like 50 degrees F here, and now, it is seriously 88 degrees outside).

Also, also, we spent one last afternoon with Swan and her mom, where she, of course, took us to a wonderland of beauty. But again, since I don’t have time to blog about it, I had to share this awesome drawing that Swan did of Jim and I. She was hiding behind her mom’s camera, saying she was drawing something secret. We discovered from the image on the camera she was drawing a portrait of us. Well, what to our wondering eyes should appear but this completely amazing picture – me and jim as stick figure puppets. You wish you knew this kid. You really do.

xoxo

catie