Happy Birthday!

Just wanted to celebrate the 1st birthday of my little project, African in the east! I started this blog a year ago today as a way to keep my family and friends back in South Africa posted on my new and sometimes adventurous life teaching English in Korea. Lets not forget of course the sometimes rather random thoughts that cross my mind that I have to share since I can't meet my sister for coffee or lunch as I wish anymore.

Blogging has introduced me to an entirely new world of mad writers, creative geniuses, brilliant photographers, enthusiastic travelers and the list goes on! I'm learning so much in blogworld and have been very impressed with the kind of information and resources people are willing to share for free that would cost you thousands in any currency to buy. I have more apps and programs on my phone and computer than the number of people in my phone contact list and "home schooling" my self through it all.

Although I don't post as often as I would like (since I'm trying to enjoy every moment of my time here), I will however try to limit my time spent in a vegetative state and rather document and post the experiences of my life in east. Living in Korea has been an incredible experience even with its ups and downs. I'm so so so glad I took the leap of faith. Stay tuned to see what I get up to in the next 10 months.  This year I hope to post more pictures (because they are worth a 1000 words) and hopefully some dreadful home videos.  Looking forward to a different experience in teaching too as last year I was teaching only teenage boys and this year I'm teaching only teenage girls and there is definitely a difference.  Also expecting some visitors from home who I hope will come bearing gifts, some traveling both locally in Korea and hopefully a beach side summer holiday abroad too, exciting times ahead indeed.  

I feel incredibly blessed to have had this opportunity in my life and I would like to encourage anyone who meets the requirements for this type of program to give it a go, even if its just for 1 year. Read blogs and websites with testimonials of people who have done it before (Teaching English as a Foreign Language), all from different backgrounds with totally different personalities and you will find that most have enjoyed it. It can be a scary and daunting decision to make, you will miss birthdays, anniversaries, babies being born, funerals, graduations and sadly even weddings but a world of great opportunities awaits you and you will grow in ways you didn't know were possible and it makes it all worth it. 

In a crazy digital world of Pinterest, Twitter and Facebook, the blog world has definitely stolen my heart. Happy Birthday African in the east, you made it a year! and a huge congratulations to all the bloggers out there, who year after year continue to enthrall us with interesting, quirky and delightful posts.

               

    Source: hollyschaeffer.tumblr.com via Holly on Pinterest - my undying love for carrot cake

Length of dreadlocks : 19cm