A 3rd lap around the track

Staying another year.

I chose to stay another year a while ago. I don’t recall exactly when, except that it happened somewhere shortly after signing the renewal papers for a 2^nd year. There are many reasons for doing so. The nearly two years of posts on this blog should make this clear, but, to reiterate:

• Love of the job and everything that teaching here entails: Teaching the students has never been more enjoyable and rewarding. Their speaking abilities have continued to grow. I want to stay on to nurture that growth a little longer. Teaching at the boys middle school has proven an interesting contrast to teaching at the girls middle school. It'll be fun to continue examining how they're alike and different.
• Love of living in Cheorwon. It’s neither cool nor fashionable, but the area can’t be beat for serenity and space. The slower pace of life and abundant greenery suit me better than the apartment towers and noisy roads of the cities right now.
• I did consider moving away from Cheorwon and starting anew in a different area of Gangwon, but decided against it. Going somewhere new sounded exciting, but the time didn't feel right. Why?
• I've established myself here and know the town and its people well. 
• I've built a rapport with the co-teachers.
• The need to carry on with the current group of students.
• A dislike of moving.
• Love of living in Korea. My Korean’s getting better, but it’s still rusty. It’s my fault because I don’t practice speaking it enough. This past weekend allowed for ample opportunity, but it's still not enough. Kirsten did indeed set a high standard with her machine gun Korean, but it's something to strive for anyway. Still, there’s more to be learned from this country. By now I’ve seen a good amount of it, but it's not over yet. I haven't been to Gwanju, Jeonju, Gyoungju, or Jeju yet, and it'd be a shame to leave Korea without seeing any of those places. 
• Love of friends and colleagues I’ve met here.

Gangwon Dispatches will carry on. R's renewing for another year and transferring out of Seoul, so we're looking forward to our next year here.