It's been a REALLY long time since I last posted. I think that I'll start writing here more often. Maybe. No one reads it, so I guess I can say whatever I want. I can wax eloquent and sappy and introspective. That seems to be the modern trend in blogging.
In ten days I will have been in Korea for four months...That's half as long as I lived in Georgia. That's two months shy of the time I spent as Caty's roomie, that's twice the time I spent with my most memorable roommate. That's an entire semester of school. I've been here for quite some time. What have I learned?
Lesson number 1: I am not as independent as I thought I was. In England Heavenly Father blessed me with amazing friends right from the start. I do have friends here, but they're not the ones that I just want to hang out with all the time. I'm still having trouble enjoying the society of others over solitude. I was really spoiled with amazing friends over the past four years, and it's taken its toll. I haven't stopped being homesick since I got here. It's not debilitating, but there's always that little ache for something familiar. To call a friend to go out for chinese and wallow night. Or eating exhorbitant amounts of pixy stix and watching "Spice World" with one of the few other people in this world that might appreciate it.
Lesson number 2: I am not as smart as I thought I was. Learning Korean is hard. I'm picking things up, but for the most part I'm still completely hopeless at the language. I study every day, but it's difficult by myself, and I'm not at a point yet where I can drag a Korean into being my conversation partner yet, because I don't know enough Korean to have a conversation.
Lesson number 3: I am addicted to food. I love food. I miss good food, and even the bad food I still crave. It takes a great deal of self control to make myself not eat. I've put restrictions on my food intake, but it's still not enough. My worst enemy is myself...I always thwart my own good intentions.
Lesson number 4: Even if you're 7000 miles away from the foot, it can still step on your heart and crush it.
Lesson number 5: If you surround yourself with negative people who hate where they are, you will become a negative person who hates where you are. However, if you are with people who want to be where they are. You will soak up that desire and enjoy life more. Attitudes are contagious. If you want to be happy, find the people who are happy and surround yourself with them. They're desire to be there will rub off on you. It doesn't even take much time. Enthusiasm is instantly contagious.
Lesson number 6: I CAN do it. It's hard, but I can make myself do almost anything. I have the willpower to control what goes into my body and mind. If I can just have faith in myself, then that's all I need. If I have to, I can stand on my own two feet. It's hard, and it's not fun all of the time. But I can do it...if I have to.
