And so it begins! :)

My life has been a whirlwind over the past few days! I have received so much information and met so many people in a short amount of time while still being jet-lagged (I can't seem to stay awake past 9 p.m. but then wake up at 4 a.m. or 5 a.m.) every day. Although I am exhausted, I am having an incredible time.

When we arrived in the airport after the long 13 hour flight (in which I was between two older Korean men--it was slightly awkward), we were greeted by our extremely excited Orientation Coordinator Team, made of 5 ETAs who have decided to extend their stay for another year. We loaded a bus to Jungwon University, which is approximately 2 hours away from the Seoul airport and is located in Goesan. The university is absolutely beautiful and in the middle of mountains. All of South Korea seems to be these lush green mountains, and if you look closely, you can see temples on some of them! We also passed many quaint Korean farms and villages. It is absolutely breathtaking here. There is also a museum and it is THE. BEST. So much East Asian culture! Larissa, you would absolutely love it. :)

When we arrived, we were assigned roommates. My roommate's name is Teresa, and she is a Christian, former RA, and a secondary education major. We have gotten along really well and have so much in common! There are eighty ETAs total, from all over the United States. It is wonderful to hear their stories and slowly create friendships. As you all know, I can be slightly awkward and shy, especially when I am overwhelmed and tired! However, I have been really working hard to meet new people and create friendships for my grant year here. Everyone is extremely nice and I think I will make some great friends. :)

Since then, we have toured the campus and had several informational sessions. Learning about our role as an ETA and also the intensity of the Korean educational system has been very intimidating, and I worry that I won't make the cut--especially against all the extremely intelligent Fulbrighters here! I guess I will just have to try my best, although I can already tell that passing my Korean language classes (which start tomorrow!) are going to be quite the struggle. Luckily, there are a lot of beginners like me, who when interviewed during their language placement exam just shook their head and said "Umm . . ." a lot. :P

Today was by far my favorite day! We visited an elementary school in Cheongju. It was actually given a grant as an English language acquisition research institution, and therefore had many resources for the ETA, which was incredible. The children were so adorable, especially when they saw the two male elementary ETAs who are both about 6 feet tall. They couldn't believe how tall the men were and jumped to try to reach their height. The students weren't shy about trying to speak English with us and found us really fascinating. I watched two fifth grade classes being taught, and the ETA incorporated many fun, creative activities and games. The whole time I was there, I just wanted to get up and start teaching! I can't wait to be placed and meet my future co-teacher. :) It was also nice to experience it with the twelve other elementary ETAs--We are definitely a minority, but I felt a kinship with them since most of them are also elementary education majors. The picture below shows the students and the ETA playing a game similar to Go Fish to practice phrases used when talking on the telephone:

In about twenty minutes, there will be the "sorting ceremony" to place us with our family for the next 6 weeks. This family will consist of 16 ETAs and one orientation coordinator, and will give us a space and specific people to talk to as we go through this experience together. In such a big crowd, it is really easy to feel lost! I am also one of very few here from a rural area; most people laugh at me when I tell them how small my college and hometown was. I am so excited to be put into a smaller group and have that space to talk to people. It's the RA and elementary educator in me, I guess. ;)

My biggest cultural adjustment so far has definitely been the food. Everything is very spicy and different, and I am such a picky eater and also extremely bad with chopsticks! I have been trying to find the courage to try new things, but for the most part, I just am not eating very much. I hardly ever realize I'm hungry though, because I've been so busy! For every meal, they've been serving these green things that I thought was seaweed until I actually looked. They were fried minnows covered with some kind of green sauce and served with peanuts. Seeing all those little minnow eyes looking up at me was the worst. I had to get up and throw all my food away.

I miss you all so much and think of you every day. Your facebook posts and messages have helped to keep me sane as I start this new adventure. Although I'm lonely now I know God is watching over me and I'm trying to keep an open mind and dive in. I love you all so much. Thank you for keeping me safe! <3