It is the afternoon on a Monday, I am listening to Noah and the Whale on Jango (a website like pandora that plays internationally, thank GOD!), making alphabet flashcards for my 1st graders and loving my new life! It is amazing how happy I have become since moving to Korea almost 2 months ago now, and some could say yes, it is still the honeymoon period, but I think once I actually know what I am doing here, it can only get better! I am notorious for changing my life drastically when I become unhappy where ever I may reside and this move has been no different, I crave the change, the obstacles, the challenge! I love my job, for the first time ever really, love the city I live in with its modern conveniences and ancient character, have great new friends here, but love and appreciate my friends from home more than ever and to top it all off, I finally get to explore this world with my true love ( and share my tiny apartment with him too, which turns out is quite cozy and wonderful with someone to come home too:) Even my wacky family is fabulous and I miss them more than I thought I would, especially today when I received a AWESOME care package from my mom today with all kinds of goodies including Mac and Cheese and fruit gushers! Thanks Mom!! It was picture day at school today so I wore my favorite "teacher" outfit and posed for a Korean yearbook. Really, what a great Monday it has been, I have been smiling like a fool all day!

Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, worn or consumed. Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace and gratitude.


I realize that happiness is a state of mind and while this euphoria I am feeling may be only temporary, I am determined to study, read, listen and think inwardly about what I need in my life to make this content bliss who I am. With the huge Confucian and Buddhist influence in Korea, I know where I to start... but that's the funny thing about self discovery, we have all been searching for the same thing all along.

I hope you are all happy and healthy today as I am. Peace ♥

If you are not happy here and now, you never will be.

--Taisen Deshimaru