Christmas and Beyond

*Although this is posted a bit late, the sentiments are still the same... Happy New Year!*

      Once birthday celebrations concluded it was time to jump back into Christmas. Ever year I begin celebrating Christmas, take a week off, and than realize there is much left to do. This year was no different. My Christmas spirit was rekindled when I attended "Handel's Messiah".  It is a choral piece that portrays Jesus's life and death and is commonly performed during the holidays. It was one of the most beautiful musical pieces I have ever heard. Initially, I anticipated attending the concert alone, my friend Alyssa was singing, but was fortunate to run into some friends from Cheongju in the subway (the concert was in Seoul). I was glad to have friends for the evening. It made it a little more special. Also, the world became a bit smaller as I met someone from St. Cloud! Who would have thought.
      After the concert I returned to Cheongju ready to finish my Christmas preparations. I have prepared my cards for co-workers and students, bought my Secret Santa gift, and found some very special presents for friends. One of the things I love the most about the holiday( aside from spending time with loved ones) is finding a gift that I am probably more excited to give than the person is to receive. I have found or made many of those this year. My favorite gift is a sno-globe that I constructed.
      Looking ahead at the rest of the week, I know it will be quite different from the past twenty-two Christmases I have celebrated. This year there will be no Christmas Eve mass, movie, or dinner.  Christmas day will not begin with a family video, presents, carmel rolls, proceed to Aunt Sheila's where there will be family, food (meatballs, leftsa, snack ledge, sugar cookies, rolls, a few salads, etc.) and end with a nap in the car on the way home, perhaps a ski and a peaceful nights rest. But I am not looking at the holidays in light of what I will be missing. I know that my family will be with me in spirit and I am excited to have a community here where I can share the love with this Christmas.
       Thus, this Christmas Eve I will go to work and celebrate with my Wonderland community. After work, Natalie and I will have our own Christmas Eve. We don't have set plans (both of us are preparing for our week of vacation) but anticipate a Korean dinner, movie, packing, cleaning, and reminiscing. After a restless night of sleep, the sleep before traveling can easily be equated to that of a child excited for Santa,  I will depart for the airport with my friend Sarah. We have planned to celebrate Christmas the whole morning, with music, food and probably a lot of singing. Then, I shall board a plane to China arriving in the early afternoon. Once in China, I will be picked up my friend Greg and head to a Christmas party.
      Although my Christmas this year will be vastly different from those in the past, it will still be filled with friends, a new extended family, and gratitude for all the blessings I have had this year.
      Merry Christmas! I hope your Christmas is filled with peace and joy. That despite the hustle and bustle of the holiday, Christmas plans, shopping, family, traveling and weather.....take a deep breath and observe everything you have been blessed with this holiday season. For some of us there is a lot, for others we may have to look harder. But we all are here to celebrate another year. Be thankful for that!

December: A month of Community

      The month of December past without a post on my blog. I apologize for my absence. It reflects the blessing of being delightfully busy with holiday activities and a new community. One of my New Year's resolutions is to stay in the loop a bit more. Since 2010 is "So last year," I will briefly tell of my activities.
      My friends and I made a pact on Thanksgiving to make sure that the Christmas spirit was in full swing this year. We were fearful that Christmas would not be the same far from home. Although Christmas was a lot different this year, our holiday activities were plentiful. Among my favorites were making a gingerbread house with Jason (he had never made one before), watching Elf, a church pot-luck, and attending Handel's Messiah.
      As the days streamed by I did my best to revel in the moments before I would be off to China! My days slowed down the most on Christmas Eve when I was able to remove myself from my traditional teacher role and help the students celebrate Christmas. It was a magical day where Santa visited and Christmas carols were sung.  By the end of the day, the students were so excited and exhausted!!  The day ended and my plans to celebrate Christmas Eve with my co-workers quickly faded as I head home to pack and wind down 2010.

Goodbye 22, Hello 23!

      There is something exciting about celebrating your birthday at the end of the year. It may be the hustle and bustle of the holidays, the pending New Year, or perhaps my personal love of winter. This year my birthday was very special.
      The day itself however, was preceded by a little freak out..."What... I am already 23?!" I am aware that 23  is not old by any means, but being 23 in Korea makes me 24 in January. That puts me well into my "twenty somethings." It was reassuring to remember that I am an adult, I do have a full time job, my own apartment, and am able to support myself. Wow, I guess I am ready to be 23. Not only was I overwhelmed with becoming older but time has been passing too fast. December 15th, was upon me before I had a chance to finish celebrating Thanksgiving. Therefore, on December 14th, as I was rushing to the post office during my lunch break in order to mail a few Christmas cards, I was overwhelmed with planning my birthday party, become a year older, and not feeling a bit prepared for the upcoming week of Christmas carols at school, travel plans to China, Christmas present exchange/shopping and saying goodbye for the week to friends that have become so dear to me in Korea. When you work and live so closely with people a week good-bye to life lines, such as Natalie, is a little scary. After the support of my co-workers and a goodnights rest I woke up on December 15th excited to be 23.
      I began celebrating by talking with my parents and opening all of the lovely cards I received from family and friends back home. I felt so loved. I am very grateful for the great big "hug" that came my way. This feeling of gratitude continued as I was able to go for a beautiful run before work. At work, my co-workers all wished me a "Happy Birthday," every class sang to me, and my  students (with the help of my co-teacher) made me wonderful birthday cards. The day went by quickly! After work, I went out to my favorite Vietnamese restaurant with my friends/co-workers. We indulged in vegetables, meat (for the carnivores), rice, and noodles. At dinner I blew out candles from my first Paris Baguette birthday cake, opened wonderful presents and shared splendid company. I am so lucky to have such great friends. Not only did they help me feel at home, but they also bought me a blender (smoothies here I come) among other homemade crafts (a new felt, lady bug glass case, they thought my water proof, shatter proof, wilderness case was a bit much).
      You may be thinking the fun must be over right? Wrong, after dinner I went over to a friend from church's house where I was greeted with more friends, a room full, and I mean full of balloons, and another birthday cake! It was one wonderful moment after the next. I don't know if I have ever celebrated my birth so much. Thank you to everyone here and abroad that thought of me on my special day. It is your love and support that helps nourish me daily.
      Lastly, For those of you wondering, "Yes, I am now both taller and wiser."