Destination adventure?

Well folks, I am back in the states now and deciding what to do with the next year of my life. Ahh decisions! This summer has been a whirl wind. I've been all over the place trying to do a bit of everything and see as many people as I can. I started with family in Virginia. That was nice. We talked about Korea over long dinners and glasses of wine. Then I was in Panama, where I got to see city, cloud forest, jungle, and beach, all in one trip. After Panama, I spent some time in Chicago experiencing more city, good friends, cookouts, beach, aquarium, and a Cubs game! From there, I went to Virginia, Pennsylvania, DC, back to Virginia and tomorrow I will head to Asheville, NC. And all of this with no car! I have always had a car, so getting by without a car has been interesting.

All of this traveling has to come to an end though. At some point I will need to find a job and face up to the responsibilites of living in the USofA. The great thing about living in Korea was that I had no responsibilities. Life was easy, money flowed, work was short...but alas I could not deal with the shallowness of people there. I need something deeper. I need community, good friends, people who understand me, good communication. I have learned that those are the most important things to me. When I have those things I am at peace and can be happy living in the place where those are provided. Now I just have to figure out what place can provide those things to me.

I have applied to grad school for a Masters in Teaching in Chicago, been accepted, and deffered for a year. So now I have a year before going back to school to do whatever I feel pulled to do. I could move to Chicago, or Montana where my brother lives, or stay in Virginia, or do a short term teaching contract in another Asian country. The possibilities are endless and I truly feel like the world is at my fingertips. As great of a thought that is, it is also very daunting. Most of my decisions are made spontaneously despite all the research I put into things, so there is no telling which direction I will go. Chicago seems like the most practical, but then again if I will be spending a few years in school there, then why not explore some other place before settling with Chicago? These are the questions that come to me everyday.

Stay tuned for updates on whichever path I chose for this next part of my life. :) Life is an adventure!