I would say moving to Korea has been one of the highlights of my entire life, not just 2015.  I have wanted to live abroad for as long as I can remember.  I will be staying in Korea for the next year, so I’m excited to see what 2016 will bring!

Here were my favorite parts of 2015, in no particular order.

Japan and Taiwan

I returned to Japan and had an incredible time running all over the country.  My favorite places were Tokyo (I am infatuated with that city), Onomichi, and Takayama.  There are still plenty of places in the country to see and I can’t wait to explore every corner.

I had never been to Taiwan before this year.  Unfortunately it was only a three day trip.  I wish I could have gone to some of the more rural areas around Taipei but I loved eating all the delicious food, drinking all the milk tea, and wandering around in the rain.  I also heard kpop being played everywhere while I was out on the streets, so it almost felt like I never left Korea.

Participating in the School Festival

I hit the jackpot with my schools.  I had wonderful co-workers and students.  I got to go on a field trip with the students and several outings with teachers.  I loved getting to put on a dance performance with the other teachers because we actually spent time together to practice.  At this point in the year, the teachers had gotten more comfortable with each other and they didn’t feel nervous about speaking with me in English.

Busan

I think I loved this trip so much because I didn’t have to plan any of it, except the hostel reservation.  The weather was great, I saw temples, walked along the ocean, but the best part was seeing the charming town of Gamcheon.  I would love to go back to Busan but there were so many places around Korea I enjoyed, I wouldn’t be able to name them all.

Happy New Year!