June again?
It’s strange to think about how this time last year I was preparing to come to Korea. I moved to Korea on June 22nd, so in a couple weeks, it will be my one-year anniversary.
The start of the summertime is making me want to make some goals for this year. One year from now, in fact, I will be preparing to move back to America and start yet another stage of my life - graduate school! :)
This weekend, I chose 12 schools to apply to. I think I need to pick a couple more safety schools, just to make sure I have some place to go next fall, but so far, the list includes schools in the following states:
Oregon
Washington
New Jersey
Illinois
Minnesota
North Carolina
California
Michigan
Massachusetts
Wisconsin
New York
I am also applying the University of Glasgow in Scotland, but that’s a long shot financially unless I can get scholarships and/or loans, but their creative writing program is rocking. Why not just apply, right?
I chose states that I haven’t lived in before [I have lived in Pennsylvania, Florida, and Virginia, by the way] and if at all possible, I want to choose one where I haven’t even visited [of those on the list, I have been to New Jersey, Illinois, and New York].
In addition to working on grad school stuff, this month I am determined to spend less money. I came up with a couple solutions [some thanks to my mom] which are as follows:
1. Cook at home during the week.
2. Drink less alcohol on weekends. One or two beers is enough. [not only is it expensive, but it’s bad for my health anyway, so cutting back would be a win-win kind of thing, I think.]
3. Keep myself busy during the day. When I’m too bored I end up shopping or buying expensive coffees and stuff like that.
4. Buy a cheap coffee maker. Cafe Pasccuci and Starbucks are TOO pricey. Once a week as a treat, those places are okay, but I was getting coffee on my way to work almost every day. It adds up.
Speaking of keeping myself busy during the day…part of the way I’m planning to do this is by exercising. One of my students told me about a gym here in Gangnam that is surprisingly reasonably priced. I’m going to join it later this week [I get paid on Thursday, so I will have enough money to sign up for a couple months. I’m thinking June-August just to start] and I will be going every day after my morning classes and before I have lunch.
When I was in college, in my sophomore year, I used to have a kind of split schedule like I do at work here. I had classes until 11AM and then again at 5 or 6 in the evening. I used to wear my gym clothes to my first class, exercise after it, and then have lunch. I lost a ton of weight during that time, but that wasn’t the most important outcome. I remember feeling amazing. I had more energy, I was in a better mood, I got stressed less often, et c. It was fantastic. I want to feel that way again, because recently I just feel exhausted all the time because of this schedule and stressed because of work, blah blah blah. Something needs to change.
What’s really cool is that I’m already down to the weight I was when I was going to the gym as a sophomore in college - thanks to the Korea effect. LOL [Walking and eating rice and soup for every meal] I’m thinking if I add in exercising and cook healthy food for myself, I will see even better results this time.
To give some perspective, here is how I looked when I moved here a year ago:
And here is how I look now:
I am smaller, but not thin by any means. My stomach isn’t flat, my upper thighs are still too big, and I would love it if my chest got smaller, because it’s just physically inconvenient and uncomfortable to be so busty.
So, I’m ready to get started. I’m building up my writing portfolio, thinking about what kind of exercising I want to do at the gym [I heard they have free yoga classes! Great for before or after a good jog.], and what kind of food I’m going to make to prevent myself from going to restaurants all the time.
Bring it on, year two.
