Moving Back to Move Forward

January 1, 2010 I got on a plane bound for South Korea where I spent a wonderful and stretching 14 months. Korea was exactly what I needed in 2010. 

Korean Lanterns

By the end of my contract I knew that I really needed to be back with my family for a bit, so I boarded another plane bound for the States. 2011 and 2012 have been spent in Oregon and I’m confident that it’s exactly what I needed. 

Love these ladies!

Last summer with Dad's Side of the family (My father, the bionic man...)

Now, it’s time for the next step. I’m going back to Korea… because sometimes moving forward means moving back.

One of many pearls of wisdom found on Korean notebooks...

I don’t have a job their yet, but I’m I anticipate leaving sometime in the fall or winter. While I don’t know exactly when I leave, or at what type of school I’ll teach, I will go back to the Bundang area where I was before. I look forward to reconnecting with friends and attending the same church. Honestly, just thinking about going back makes me so happy that I know it’s the right decision. The moment I allowed myself to think, “I’m going back,” I felt peace and excitement. I’d say that’s a pretty good sign.

Of course, there are things I’ll miss here – people I won’t get to see, events I won’t be able to attend, but that’s life, right? I think I’ve finally come to realize that I need to focus more on what I’ll miss if I DON’T do something than what I’ll miss if I DO. If I DON’T go to Korea now I’ll miss a great opportunity to travel and work with little commitment, I’ll miss developing friendships with people I met before and might never had a chance to see again, I’ll miss exploring more deeply a culture and language that I have come to appreciate, I’ll miss going off on my own. I don’t want to miss out. I need to live my life excited about what’s to come, not regretting what I’ll miss. Life’s too short and all that.

So, here’s to moving forward – getting on with life and taking that next step. For me right now moving forward means moving back. What does it look like for you?