생일 축하합니다 means happy birthday. On October 14th, I turned 23. If you didn’t know, Koreans measure age differently than Americans do. Because babies are in the womb for 10 months, they just round it up to a year, so when you are born, you are already considered to be a year old. When January 1st rolls around, everyone is just considered to be another year older, no matter when your birthday is. So according to Koreans, I’m not 23, I am 24. And on January 1st, I will turn 25. I am almost already two years older, and I just turned 23. Crazy, right?

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This past weekend, one of the other programs at the academy went on a field trip. Lucky for the teachers who work in the English program, they had some students cancel, so we were invited to go with them. On Saturday, we embarked on a 3 hour bus ride to Andong (안동) which is a village that features a traditional Korean mask museum. So we made our own masks with colorful clay, walked around the village, ate lunch, saw a bridge that is the largest wooden bridge in Korea, and then went to dinner. Most of the day was spent getting on and off the bus, but it was cool getting to see a more traditional part of Korea and to interact with students outside of our classes.

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We stayed the night at a hotel, and the next day we climbed a mountain. And I literally mean a mountain. Breakfast was at 7am, and then we headed off for our hike. The temperature was pretty cool, which I am grateful for, but I still managed to sweat by the end of the 2 hours. But it was the most exercise I’ve gotten since I got to Korea! Afterward, there was a sort of festival at the start of the trail, where someone had set up some fun games. There was face painting, a tight rope, a kimbap (김밥) tent where we learned how to make our own, and the best part, a seesaw. But it was not a seesaw that you sit on, you stood on it, and jumped at the opposite time as the person across from you, so you each ended up shooting each other into the air. It was honestly the most fun thing I did in the longest time. I enjoyed being a kid again. It was hard to get the timing right, but of course, I didn’t give up until we got the hang of it.

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After our mountain climbing adventure, we got back on the bus, ate lunch and then headed to a monument that was created to celebrate the coexistence of humans. There is a statue of two hands with their palms facing the sky, one in the ocean, and the other on land. I appreciate the meaning behind the monument because it also reminded me that although you might be separated from someone, you are still connected to them. After this destination, we headed back home. We got back to Jinju around 6:30pm, and headed back to our apartments, where I unpacked and proceeded to repack for my trip back to the states.

It may seem like I just left to come to Korea yesterday, but it’s been 7 weeks. And my sister is getting married this Friday! So last night after work, I took a bus to Busan (부산), stayed the night at a hotel, and caught a taxi to Gimhae (김해) airport this morning to begin my flight home. First destination, Shanghai. Then off to Chicago, and finally Detroit! It will be a long trip, but I am thankful that I am able to return home after being in Korea for a short while to see my family.

All in all, it was a busy week and a half, but I had a lot of fun. It was a very different birthday experience for me this year because I wasn’t with my family. I received a lot of birthday wishes through social media, but every year since I can remember, my birthday was spent with family where we were all together to eat my favorite food for dinner. I didn’t realize it, but as the day passed, I was waiting for the annual text from my Dad, singing me happy birthday. It was a birthday of firsts for me. One by myself in a different country without my family next to me, and one without my Dad being there to wish my a happy birthday. But I am thankful for the other teachers at the academy who took the time to surprise me with ice cream bars from a convenience store at one of our stops to celebrate it with me.

That’s all I have for now. As always, thanks for reading, and the next time I post, I will have many pictures from the wedding! I am looking forward to visiting with all my friends and family. I know I won’t be sleeping much, but it’s worth the sacrifice to see everyone and experience as much as I can while I am home. Stay safe, and stay happy (행복해요).