I realized during my senior year of college that I wanted to do something different. I had this urge in me to go somewhere, do something big, or experience something different. I looked into a few programs that gave me the option to move somewhere else to teach and played around with a lot of different ideas. It wasn't until I actually graduated, however, that my urge to do something different really turned into more of a strong pull. I'm not sure anyone really understood my desire to go away, and many people fought me on it. However, most of them knew that I had a strong mind and that it was senseless to talk me out of it. My desire to go away was strong and bold and I was not giving up on the idea. Moving away was not because I wanted to be away from everyone, but more because I wanted to find myself and make my life purposeful and worthwhile.
Something I always enjoyed at home, during and after college, was having lunch with my Grandma. When I was young I always looked forward to going to grandma's house, eating toast and jelly with cereal in the mornings, going to the YMCA with her, decorating her christmas tree, picking strawberries in the garden, and playing in the yard. When you are young, your parents take you to grandma's house to do these things. When you are older, however, it becomes more of your own responsibility to make time with her. As I got older, I really valued my personal time with my grandmother, regardless of how seldom or often we had time to spend together. We would go to olive garden and sit and talk over a nice lunch and usually a delicious chocolate dessert of our choice and some coffee. It was during these times that I was really able to listen to her talk about her life and her past and really truly cherish the memories she would share with me. It was during these times that I realized, I was not the first in the family to have a strong minded will to do what I wanted and do something different. It was during these times that I realized that I got my strong heart and my passion from her. She may not have up and moved to the other side of the world, but she ran away for love because she knew it was right for her. She was the first in her family to go to and graduate from college during a time when women did not even go to college. She has made it a point to travel and see different parts of the world, and she has a heart that gives love regardless of circumstance.
And so, I came to Korea with my grandmother's heart, because I think we share the same heart in ways. Every day I am here, I wish that I could share things with her and I know that she is proud of me. I make it a point every weekend to go to a cafe and have some "me" time. I often think that my grandmother would really love how beauitful the cafes are in Korea, and sometimes I think about how nice it would be to share lunch, chocolate dessert, and coffee with her here as well. Last weekend, as I sat in a cafe in Itaewon, all of these things came to mind. As I sat looking out the window and thinking about her, the song, "The Rose," came on, which was the song my sister sang for my grandmother and grandfather at their 50th wedding anniversary. It was a strange coincidence or an act of fate... or maybe God's way of telling me that Grandma, even though back home, is in my heart here always. So this update is dedicated to my beautiful Grandma Galloway. I love you, miss you, and think about you often! You are my hero. Come to Korea and have lunch with me at some of these beautiful cafes! :)
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