As I sat down to eat my lunch I realized it's been almost one year since I set off on this journey. I'm doing things I only dreamed about, going to places I always talked about, conquering fears that held me back, and making my wishes come true.

I smiled to myself, feeling proud of what I've accomplished so far. I'm looking forward to the discoveries and adventures that will comes next.

This is what living means.

Be blessed,
~Lola O.~

Happy Friday lovely readers. I hope your Friday has been/goes splendidly.

This happy bubble I'm in hasn't popped yet despite the shennanigans my students and life throws my way. The sun is shining, life has been sweet to me, and despite coming down with a bit of a cold I feel good inside and out.

I haven't been really writing about my life these days, maybe because I've been living it. Life has been busy these past few weeks. I went to an apple festival, ziplining, hosted a yummy Thanksgiving dinner at my place, and tomorrow I'm going to the YG Family concert. I'm practically dancing inside and sometimes on the outside with excitement. I'm hoping I'll feel better, but no matter what I'll be singing and dancing my heart out to Se7en, Big Bang, Taeyang, Gummy, 2NE1, and PSY. I'm super happy I scored a VIP seat. I plan on getting as close as I can to the stage...okay Taeyang.

I'm looking forward to it, and the weather is supposed to be a bit warmer tomorrow. The concert is at Olympic Park Stadium, which is like an hour away from me. I'll be jamming to K-pop on the way there. After this weekend things will cool down. Lately life has been go, go, go, and I'm looking forward to a few weekends without any major plans. I need to figure out what to do for Christmas. I've never been huge on Christmas because it never goes my way. All I want to do is spend time with the people in my life, no presents, just their time, and do whatever, preferably in my comfy pajamas. I'm not really into the whole dress up and go out Christmas that my family tends to do. This will be my first Christmas away from home, so I want it to be a great one.

I'm going on a ski trip for New Years. I've never been skiiing, so this is a chance to do something new and celebrate 2011 with my friends. Looking forward to it. More than anything I am looking forward to being in the states for a few weeks and spending time with my lovely family and friends back home. I'm looking forward to eating my mama and grandma's delicious cooking, hanging out with my close friends, going to New York and Maryland with my sister, seeing all the babies everyone is having. I'm excited to eat, shop, and laugh a lot when I go home. I want to soak it all up, because everyday I have with them won't be enough. So I want to make the most of it, and pamper them all.

So life right now in bits and pieces...

I caught a glimpse of the first snow in Seoul. The cars outside were coated in it, but it was gone by morning. I'm dreading the real snow to come. Hopefully most of it will happen when I'm back in the states. This morning I was walking to school and this 4th grader was screaming my name until I finally noticed (was listening to music) just to say hello to me. IDK..but she seems to have taken a liking to me, and gets really excited everytime she sees me. We have a hard time communicating, but we manage. It makes me smile and feel all happy inside. As I walked into school, I saw a few of my students in a circle. Curious I walked over to see this adorable puppy jumping around playfully licking and biting students. No one knew who she belonged to, but she was tied up so I assumed she had a home to go to. I'm allergic to dog hair, but not all dog hair so I didn't have a problem with this dog or so I thought. Haha, later my nose was running and so stuffy. I'd like to have a dog one day. I've never had a pet. My mom doesn't like dogs or cats, or any animals. I firmly believe every kid deserves to grow up with a pet. I want a dog and a turtle one day. Need to find a dog with hair that doesn't send me into an allergy attack, or I should take shots for it. I've always wanted a Siberian Husky. That was so random.

Anyways, as Fridays go this was a pretty easy one. The kids are getting antsy these days so we changed their seats in hopes of them calming down. We'll see how that goes next week. I've got to start planning for winter camp, do my medical check for renewing, buy my plane tickets home, plan my trip home, blog about my recent trips, and upload all the photos and videos I have sitting on my hardrive. Hopefully I'll conquer the photos and videos on Sunday.

My family has been freaking out about North Korea. To the point that some of them have been pressuring me not renew, but I'm going to still renew. You won't ever be completely safe anywhere, and I'm not going to be pressured into leaving. I've tried to calm them down, and assure them that if things escalate to a point where my safety is compromised I'd get on the first plane home. I'm happy here, and I am looking forward to another year of adventures, discoveries, and growth.

Haha, I just feel like doing a happy dance. Life is good. I'm good. I hope you are good too.

Happy Friday everyone. Remember to laugh, smile, and breathe.

Be blessed,
~Lola O.~

One of my favorite songs by the great Nell...


Edit: I just read through this entry, so zippy. It's amazing how much your writing can reflect your current state.

I have these once in a while moments, when I'm going about my life and suddenly I stop and my subconscious whispers to me "how did I get here?" "what am I doing here?" "is this really my life?" "is this real?"

One minute I'm walking down a flight of stairs at school, and the next I'm wondering. I'm shopping at Home Plus buying my favorite snacks and then I drift into  this wonder. I'm hanging out with friends, laughing and smiling, and my thoughts end up in this wonder. I'm riding the bus home from somewhere, and as I watch the lives passing me by I wonder about these things. Ordinary moments that happen all the time get interrupted by these thoughts and sometimes I feel like I'm a dream, like my life now is a dream.

It's not that it's glamorous, or that it's extraordinary or something out of the ordinary. I think the wonder comes from realizing time and time again that this is my life, and I like it. I end up smiling when the answers to these questions come to mind. I'm here. I'm living. It's real. I'm happy. I am free.

I guess it's some kind of safety check in my brain reminding me to reassess where I am, decide where I want to go, and remember not to take what I have for granted. I smile as I sit in my apartment writing this. I'm doing okay. I'm filling up my life canvas with colors and it's coming together in it's own way. I'm alive, and doing my best to live my life as I've imagined it to be.

I guess it's the feeling of being my own person. Of being the one in the driver's seat. Of just having room to discover me. To decide for myself who I am, who I want to be, and all the lingering inbetween.

I love it.

Last night my recruiter emailed me saying that my NOA package was on its way to me. He gave me the tracking number, and it looks like it will be here next Monday. It feels very surreal to be doing this process again. The excitement is there but it is a little tainted my memories of failure...lol

I guess it really wasn't a failure as much as I believe it wasn't the right time for me. I am a big believer that everything happens for a reason, and in the last five months I have grown up a little more each day and understand myself, my dreams, and my future a lot better now. So, I'm grateful for this extra time to sort myself and my life out so I can go to Seoul with a clean slate. I have no regrets or unfinished business left simmering here. I can leave knowing that everything I needed to take care of was taken care of. Everything I needed to say was said. It feels really good to leave with this feeling of peace inside of me.

In August, I had a lot of worries and doubts, but now I have strength and faith in myself. No matter what comes my way I can and will overcome it. I have that outlook and determination now. It is funny how you think you know yourself so well, and then life teaches you that you don't.

Now, I know myself better, and even the things I don't know will be discovered along the way as I travel on my own path. I don't know how to express the feeling of happiness I have towards myself these days. It feels like it took me this long to grow up and become my own person. Someone who follows her own path, and listens to her voice and not others. Maybe this is what it means to love oneself.

So it looks like I will apply for my visa next week, and hopefully get it by the end of the week as well. Then I can finally buy my plane ticket, and that would be the last thing to make this journey to Seoul concrete. I have about 34 more days here, and unlike in August I am very laid back about things, because I trust that everything will work out as it should so instead of worrying I have to just believe and do the best I can.

I am laughing and smiling as I write this because I feel so much more mature and sure about my life and where it is going. When I was 21 I was feeling very unsure of what the future held for me, but now I realize that the future is created with each present day. I/We don't have to have all the answers because sometimes you will discover them along the way.

So today I am one step closer to my journey to Seoul, and I thank all of you for supporting me.

AJA AJA Fighting!!!
~Lola O.~



Whenever I listen to this song, it reminds me of this point in my life. A point of beginnings and endings...

Hello everyone: I am Olabamidele Oluwadamilola Olanubi..but my friends call my Dele. I have always liked Lola O. as a pen name so I decided to use it for my time in Seoul; a place that will be a new beginning for me.

I am 21 years old and have just graduated from the University of Arizona in good old Tucson with a degree in Finance. I know what your thinking...why is a finance major going to teach English in South Korea. I am getting there so just be patient. I am a Nigerian-American, middle-child, Smallville fanatic, Korean drama/music lover, child of God, Coldplay loving young woman looking to challenge myself to do something a little crazy, very different, but most of all life-altering with this decision to go and teach in Seoul.

It all started about two years ago when I started working with international students in the Business Communications Department at my college. I was a communications coach which means I tutored students on their presentation, oral, and writing skills. Around that time my friend Flo was talking about going to Japan after college to teach English.

*The Epic Moment*
As she talked about going to Japan I began to feel wistful and said to her that I wished I could go to South Korea to teach English and visit her in Japan. Being the smart and wonderful person that she is she said to me that I should go for it. She planted the seed and the idea took root in my head and blossomed into my dream of going to South Korea and teaching English. It wasn't until that simple yet profound moment that I realized I could make this happen. I could go to South Korea for an extended period of time and use teaching as my meal ticket.

The idea was still a little hazy but it was there and that was the most important thing. Now, prior to this Epic Moment I had been well versed in the Korean world as far as drama, music, and culture went through the wonderful Google search engine. My very first kdrama was Full House and after that I was hooked in everything Korean except the food since I had never had an opportunity to eat Korean food other that kimchi.

*The Double Rejection*
Okay, so after this epic moment I started doing my research on different ways to teach in Seoul. I stumbled on the Fulbright ETA program, and the Henry Luce program applied for both over the span of several months. I ended up being rejected by both in the span of two days. I was crushed because it felt like my dream was lost. However, in hindsight I realized that being rejected was exactly what I needed. You see I hadn't been pursuing my true dream all along.

Originally I had wanted to challenge myself to go on my own, but the idea of the support network that came with the two programs was very appealing. I had been scared to follow my dream and so things fell apart.

*Everything Happens For A Reason*
After my weekend of pity partying, I started fresh and began delving into opportunities to teach in either a public school or a private school. I ultimately decided public school was the way to go after reading this blog entry: Ginger's Official Guide...

I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason and getting rejected gave me the drive to truly go after this opportunity. I knew I wanted to teach in Seoul and applied for a position with SMOE using Korea Connections as my recruiter. I had two interviews, turned in my application, references, and etc before I got the job offer and accepted it.

*Limbo*
If there is one piece of advice for me to give you it would be that having patience will make it all better. Right now I am chilling at home in Phoenix after graduating from college a few weeks ago. I am waiting for my contract so I can get the visa and flight stuff rolling. I am kind of bored with all this free time on my hands but at least it gives me time to update this blog.

So that is my story for the most part...ohh one more thing. The reason I want to live and teach in Seoul is because I want to get out of my comfort zone and challenge myself to really do it and take all the good/bad that comes with my decision to go. I am 21 years old and I want to grow into a better, wiser, and more courageous woman. What better way to do that than to take a risk, get on plane, go to a foreign country and teach English!

If you have questions don't hesitate to ask me!



Bi Rain: Oh Yeah ft Ai....Bi Rain was in the first Korean drama I saw which was Full House so he holds a special place in my heart when it comes to Korean stuff:)

Best,
~Lola O.~

Hello everyone! Welcome to my blog home. I hope life is treating you well!

To my family, I hope this blog helps you feel a little closer to me even though I am going to be on the other side of the world. To my friends, I hope you are all doing well as you continue to write your own stories, and last but not least to those who happen to stumble onto my blog with questions about life and teaching in South Korea; I hope my story helps you in your decision.
There are a lot of useful blogs, links, and resources about living and teaching in South Korea in the side bar so be sure to check those out.

If you have any questions feel free to email me at lolainseoul@gmail.com, and I will do my best to give you an answer.

Best,
~Lola O.~