Lost in Thought

My life as an Expat

I wanted to take a moment to reflect on a major part of my life, so this will be a little different from my theme I have been nurturing. My time as an Expat in Korea took up most of my adult post college life. I left Korea in good terms, with many pleasant experiences and even an extension of my family. When my time in Korea ended I was fearful of the next steps, the direction that my life would take. After ten years in Korea I expected I would be experiencing reverse culture shock. I already had a sense of it with my replacement teachers having slang which was totally alien to me. I had not had a TV for a decade by then and I had no idea on the shows I had missed, so going home was going to be an anticipated shock to the system.

You also develop a certain pace to life. Routines like hanging with the guys, or meeting friends at cafes that are suddenly ripped away like a bandage. The simile is appropriate as change is inevitable, and adjusting takes time. One stage of my life completed, and time to adjust to life back home. And here is where my life has entered into more uncertainty than I am accustomed to. The guarantee of work, marriage falling apart, and separation from family all took their toll.

I chose an image of Chang-An Mun for a reason, as it is a gate. So it serves as a metaphor in that we all come to walls or barriers in our lives, but there are always ways through. we just need to find that opening and make the choice to step through it. I believe I know what kind of career I would like to pursue and also the other kinds of things I would like to do on the side. I know that traveling will never be out of my system, and I would like to say I have learned a few tricks of the trade along the way as well. Starting the year a lot more optimistically than I have in the past and will be putting more time and effort into the things I enjoy.

My perspectives have made dramatic transformations over the years, and I don’t expect them to be changing any time soon. The more people I meet and the more adventures I have only reinforce that perspective. Change is inevitable and I have been blessed. So I really want to take more hands on approach, queue flashing lights and misadventure but that is kind of the point of life.

Looking forward to the year ahead and the changes to come. I am learning that nothing is a monolith and that every adventure starts by placing one foot ahead of the other. Here is to an interesting 2018, checking out and passing through my gate.