I am happy, truly happy right now. I'm feeling positive and very, very excited. I've just discovered my new favorite place in Daegu. I set out today with a backpack, not really sure of where I was headed. Well, that's a lie- I was headed to the Arboretum to check it out, maybe sit down and read somewhere. As I was walking I noticed a pathway veering off the the left of the road I was on, and my curiosity told me to follow it. I ended up hiking all the way to the top of whatever mountain I was on- in my white Vans sneakers- hiking boots were purchased mere hours later for next time!- and my black motorcycle jacket. Not only am I white, reddish-haired, and wearing completely inappropriate footgear, I'm also wearing a ridiculous biker jacket and skinny jeans. (Everyone else is donned in full on hiking gear, half of them with hiking poles, too). But I didn't care- I would stick out no matter what. Anyway, my new favorite spot was in a small clearing, away from everyone and everything, overlooking other mountains and nature. It was 4 mounds- and I'm not at all sure what the mounds were for (or who they were for). I really missed the outdoors living in NYC. But from this vantage point, all I see are trees and mountains.


After hiking up the mountain a little more, I saw something circular dangling from a tree. "What in the world?" So I keep following it like a drug dog looking to bust someone, and I come across an entire area with a sprinkling of "fitness equipment." One guy was working out on a balance beam (one horizontal tree branch tethered to 2 neighboring still upright trees). He looked curiously at me at first, but then immediately went back to doing leg-lifts on the beam.

I had a really uplifting weekend. The past month and a half have been an entire whirlwind of emotions, constant ups and downs, lots of encouragement, but also lots of sadness. Anyway, my weekend was really great. Aside from the hiking I stumbled upon yesterday, my Saturday was equally amazing. Ashley and I went to Gyeongju (I went there several weeks ago one afternoon with Greg while he was here). I had been daydreaming all week long about just biking along the river and generally exploring. When Greg and I went we saw this hot air balloon looking thing in the sky, and Ashley and I saw it again this time. We decided to bike towards it, and after our friend Tashia met up with us we decided to go up in it. This was amazing!! We got to soak in some incredible views of Gyeongju and Bomun Lake. There was also ATV rentals- so next time I go back I am definitely renting one.
Then there was just general merry-making, biking around and taking photos everywhere like it's our senior portraits.
Oh- see the above photo? We watched a little old woman walk her bike across this, water flowing heavily. I took a video because I was convinced her diminutive body and giant bicycle were going to be swept away by the rushing current and well... I... wanted a video of that...??? I don't know, but once we got up to it we saw what an incredible feat she had accomplished.

Right before I went to bed last night I developed a nasty sore throat. One of those where I postpone swallowing because it feels like a bouquet of razorblades is making its way down my esophagus. And Mondays are my looong day. 9 classes in a row with no break. So naturally I woke up this morning feeling completely sub par, and dreading the day. It actually went by extremely fast. I saved my voice all day, didn't yell at anyone once, and got through it without much hassle. I still accomplished my lessons, and with relative ease. My 4 year old, Su-in, that used to cry every time he saw me, has now done a total 180 and runs up to me yelling "EMILY TEACHERRRR!" and grabs onto my legs. So I guess that's cute, much cuter than him welling up with tears at my sight!

Ok, time to nurse my throat with some faux- Sprite.