(Image via Pixabay)

Y’know, I’ve never lived away from home for longer than 3 weeks before leaving for Korea. Simply because I never had the great urge to and I was a student for all that time, going straight from high school to university. Besides, it never made sense for me to spend money on living apart from them, particularly since we got along really well. Usually. Mostly. Y’know.

We were a close family, so leaving that has held a chasm of differences.

I’ve done fairly well at still keeping in regular contact, between Skype and Facebook, and my Xbox too. And of course, the stick version of me back home.

But…it’s not easy. I think everyone knows that, but more so when you’re actually plopped half a world away.

There are times when it is easier, though. When I’m hanging out with the other few new friends I’ve made here, and discovering and learning new things. When I’m sailing along the joy that God has surrounded me with in the kids and teachers he has placed around me here, and I feel like I’m doing the Titanic pose, with the wind whipping. During days that shaped up better than their mornings…

…and during days that crumbled like cookies in milk.

Hold on. Today was one of those days. And now I actually want some cookies and milk. Luckily, there are some Oreos in my cupboard I got from the Daiso.

…….

Ok. I’m ready.

Hold on. One more.

……..

Ok, now I’m ready. I really am eating cookies as I’m writing this. This is my cookie train of thought, turned typed word.

So, days crumbling like cookies…they’re not fun, but they’re usually full of things my heart and my brain and I can take away from it.

The first thing I did after lunch and my solid flow of 5 classes of 3rd graders (who got crazier the more the day went on) was find Youtube and get some of those good anthem songs I mentioned before. My brain and my heart were not on straight, and I needed to fix that.

And then God did. Fixed it, that is. Since I can’t by myself, and that’s more than okay.

That’s when I slowed down, busted out my favoured leather-bound journal that I bought 2 years ago and waited to use for my time abroad. I needed to spread my thoughts from my jar-like head onto the nice, blank paper awaiting it. And so I did.

I started to write and began to realize some things, which usually happens when I journal (which is about every couple days at least).

The main thing was that I’m learning different things about myself now, here in Korea, than I was in Canada. A lot of them. They’re things I wouldn’t have noticed if I hadn’t taken the time to slow and seek Him. If I had been having a sailing day, I would have learned different things. Good things, but different things.

I’m still sorting them out in my head, but when I finish I’ll be sure to formulate them more cohesively here.

For now, I know I’m learning things no matter what happens: during cookie days and sailing days. And I always have a lovely little treasure trove to dip into of beautiful postcards with heart-born words on them from my Bon Voyage party. Thank you, Mom and Kendra, (AGAIN!) for all the work and creativity you put into that night. It was the most awesome send-off I could have asked for.

Now, I must go, for the bulgogi I ordered is here.

And, y’know, I’m hungry. As perhaps evidenced by all my food metaphors.

I can’t live on cookies alone. Unfortunately.