Well, friends and family, I have not written a blog is soooooo long, I'm not even sure what to write about now. Sorry about that! I have realized over the past few weeks that one of the biggest life lessons I'm gonna get from coming to Korea will be learning how to manage my time. Not because I have too little (I already know how to deal with that=), but because I have so much! I never thought this would be a problem. It seems like some sort of ironic injustice of the universe that I should be going out of my way to be busy, while my younger sister juggles two jobs, an honors program, and being a full-time student...in one of the busiest cities in the world! Sorry, Anna.=)
Anyway, part of the reason it's important to keep myself busy is simply the fact that the busier I am, the less likely I am to feel the lonliness that surrounds you when you live alone for the first time, especially in a foreign country. It's been an adjustment. I am steadily learning. My fellow Americans here don't seem nearly as intent on spending time together. Well, that's not entirely accurate, but let's just say, I'm not from the right little town in Ohio. So I'm learning to enjoy every moment on my own, savor things at my own pace, be decisive about my wants and needs, listen to the thoughts running around in my head without going insane (although would I really know if I was going insane?). I'm also learning the value of predictability, the value of doing the same thing every day, going to the same places every day, seeing the same people every day--to create rituals, if you will.
Another thing that has struck me is how I am finally in a position to choose the books I read and to read them for pleasure!!! I have always loved reading for school, even those college film journal essays, but to be able to read fiction at my leisure has been quite a blessing. I've already finished three books since coming here. I've found the three best foreign bookstores, and shall porbably be shipping books home in large boxes. =) So, I thought it migh be fun to include book reviews in my blogs. That way when we get sick of talking about Asia (which porbably won't actually happen), we can talk about books. What is more, you will be able to buy the books for yourselves, after being completely enthralled by my descriptions of them. =)
Last night I finished a book entitled A Prayer for Owen Meany, and sobbed for over an hour. This is an exquisite book. I can't do it justice here in this blog (it deserves it's own review), but let me just say that John Irving, the author, spoke to my heart when he wrote, "Ritual combats lonliness." If I weren't here, I'm not sure I would fully appreciate that line in the book. How true it is!
Missing you all. Hope all is well.
Maria
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